Booking Through Thursday
Have you ever met one of your favorite authors? Gotten their autograph?
I love going to readings and book signings. I don't go to these events as often as I did way back last century, but I always find it worthwhile when I do.
I've gotten the autographs of Margaret Atwood, Michael Cunningham, Michael Chabon, Ray Bradbury, Tobias Wolff, Amy Tan, Geraldine Brooks, Haven Kimmel, Katharine Weber, Kinky Friedman and scores of writers from the Carolinas: Fred Chappell, Kaye Gibbons, Clyde Edgerton, Doris Betts, Lee Smith, John Ehle, Jill McCorkle, Josephine Humphreys, Carla Damron, Lawrence Naumoff and others. I also have some books that were already signed by the author by the time I bought them, including Kate's All In Together Girls (she must have broken into the Amazon warehouse one night, don't you think?).
I very much wanted to get Kurt Vonnegut's autograph the year he attended Novello, the local book festival, but the line was tremendously long and his interest in signing books rather short.
How about an author you felt only so-so about, but got their autograph anyway? Like, say, at a book-signing a friend dragged you to?
Usually I'm the one dragging a friend along or going with someone just as eager. I did intend to go to a Ha Jin lecture at Davidson College with a Readerville buddy once without having previously read his work, and I'd have probably bought a book there to have signed, but 9/11 happened and he cancelled, or we cancelled; at any rate, we didn't go.
How about stumbling across a book signing or reading and being so captivated, you bought the book?
I bought an Elinor Lipman story collection after going to her reading, but, alas, not in time for her to sign it.
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There are tons of author events in my area but I never get myself to go. You just made it sound like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteWow - so many writers, and so many great writers. You were so lucky to get to meet and hear all these authors.
ReplyDeleteWow, you have quite the autograph collection! I only have a few. I don't like standing in long lines. I did stand in line for an hour and a half for Margaret Atwood though. She's an exception!
ReplyDeleteWow! You met so many great authors. How I wish to meet Margaret Atwood!
ReplyDelete