C. Jane Taylor is the author of Mental Transport: A Mother’s Journey to Self-Discovery and Self-Letting go, a memoir about a 10,000-mile cross-country motorcycle journey with her husband, John, and their son Emmett. We ran an excerpt from Mental traffica chapter called “Isaac and Eli” about two curious boys they met in Indiana, in the April 2022 edition of Rider. We also interviewed Jane about Rider Magazine Insider Podcast.
In May, Jane and John packed up their BMW F 650 GS bike, said goodbye to their home in Vermont (and their dog Dewey), and set off on a book tour. First, they headed east to Maine, then they headed west to Chicago, where they were hosted by Steven Goode, who wrote “The Great American Deli Schlep” feature published in the December 2021 issue of Rider.
They cycled south to Springfield, Missouri, where they attended BMWMOA nationwide rally. Along the way, Jane took readings in people’s homes, at cafes, and in motorcycle dealerships. John is her equestrian partner, tour manager, and cheerleader.
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After battling fierce winds in Kansas, traversing the Rockies in Colorado, and enduring the heat of blast furnaces in Tucson, Arizona, and Palm Desert, California, they found a cool respite in the town. the seaside town of Ventura, where Jane and John were held Rider Editor-in-Chief Greg Drevenstedt and his wife Carrie.
On Sunday, July 10, Jane read an article at Book of Voices, a local independent bookstore in Ventura. Attended for a long time Rider Contributor Bill Stemer, several members of Chapter of STAR Touring & Riding Ventura County, and other racers and local residents. A motorcyclist who was unable to attend sent a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his absence. After reading, a small group joined Jane and John to a local Mexican restaurant for dinner and conversation.
The next day, Jane and John repacked their gear and started up their BMWs. Attached to the large bags of dry goods placed on their back seats are signs that say “National Book Tour” and have large QR codes that direct curious people to Jane’s website. They spent a few hours riding Highway 33 – one of the best motorways in Southern California – and then headed north along the coast, onto Highway 1 along the Big Coast. Sur.
Jane scheduled readings in the Bay Area, an interview with Motorcycle & Apparel Podcast in Santa Cruz and more stops over the next five weeks in California, Nevada, Oregon and Montana. Jane and John will cycle for at least another 5,000 miles before they return to Vermont.
Test book a tour and see if Jane and John are in your area. (Please note that some readings require an invitation, so ask through the website.) If you can, attend a reading and show your support – buy a book and ask Jane sign. Whether you can attend the reading session or not, support their effort by buying a book. Better yet, buy two or more and give copies to friends. Mental traffic also available as an e-book or an audiobook.
For more information, visit cjanetylor.com.
