Thank you for coming.
I’ve spent most of my professional writing career as a ghostwriter, which of course means that I don’t get my name attached to what I write.
I completely understand the rules of ghostwriting, however, and I hold absolutely no grudge about not getting public credit for that kind of work.
In fact, I often appreciate it, because it’s fun to get to make all kinds of clever and sometimes sassy arguments in someone else’s name – and to then see those words printed in the opinion section of a national newspaper.
Nevertheless, there is something uniquely gratifying about this situation. About having published a book in my own name and being able to take complete ownership of the story I tell, how I tell it, and the wisdom I am modestly trying to impart on my readers.
As much as it’s my name on the cover of the book, and as much as I feel the story is very much my own – so much about the journey from actually writing the book and arriving here, today, feels truly communal.
Of course, the wonderful illustrations by Ashley Milo have played a crucial role in bringing the bee-based universe to life, and I absolutely love the look of the bees that she came up with. So, thank you, Ashley.
And as much as this book has been about creating a real, physical book that people could buy – and please do – the most overwhelming and ultimately most satisfying endeavor has been the creation of the audiobook version. And this effort is what has truly felt communal – very much because three dear friends as well as my wife are all members of the audiobook cast.
Megan is the Queen, Sara is the Waggle Dance Instructor, Molly plays a skeptical lady bee, and Mary, my wife, plays Sheila the bunny, who saves Izzy and brings him to greener pastures. Thank you ever so much to all of you for being part of this – it really means the world, and it brings me joy every time I hear your amazing voice acting in the audiobook.
The rest of the cast are voice actors from all over the world – at least the US, the UK and Australia – who fill up the roles of the narrator, Izzy’s best friend Bumblefoot, a friarbird, a caretaker, and a super annoying worker bee called Tiffany.
As some of you may have read in the News of Orange County, the story is a highly personal one. I didn’t plan for the release of the book to coincide with this, but exactly ten years ago, I was in the middle of the stress sick leave that is the fundamental inspiration for the story about Izzy.
I was burned out, frazzled, overwhelmed, couldn’t sleep, and I would sometimes see black dots appear in front of my eye. But in spite of all that, I’d spent an enormous amount of time thinking it couldn’t possibly be stress. It wasn’t until my sister pushed me to go to the doctor that I found out and came to terms with that being the case. And so began a prolonged stress-induced sick leave.
I was fully out of commission for about two months, before starting back up at about 10 hours a week – in the same job back in Denmark that had caused the stress to begin with. When I hadn’t gotten sufficiently better after about four months, I was technically fired. But my bosses told me that they were converting me to a freelancer.
I was pretty terrified at the time, but becoming self-employed ended up being one of the best things that had ever happened to me.
It just so happened that I became self-employed the same year – 2014, now – that my wife and I originally became an item. My status as self-employed lent itself very well to our long-distance relationship between Denmark and North Carolina – so, in 2015 I flew over here five times.
Long story short, in 2016 I fully moved over here. Along with all the wonderful people I met and befriended here in North Carolina, my life with Mary was, indeed, the greener pastures I had been longing for.
Thank you all so much for coming. I have been dreaming about this day for years, and I am beyond happy that it has finally become reality. Thank you.