Don't know if you'll get around to reading or responding to this post. But maybe it'll be of somewhat general interest and others can derive some enjoyment from it.
First of all, let me say it was cool to meet you a few years back. You were in Jacksonville Florida for some kind of Reading/Library event. There were a lot of writers on the roster. You, Greg Bear, and Steve Alten (wrote a book about a Megalodon) among others. I caught the tale end of the science fiction discussion with you and the other aforementioned on the panel and then later caught you in the forum discussion 'books to film'.
Even later, I caught you coming out of some sort of dinner and asked if you were on your way to your booth to sign books. You said yes and I got to walk there with you (along with my wife who was pregnant at the time). Being somewhat naturally introverted I couldn't come up with a lot of smalltalk, but you were a good sport and commented on not letting a pregnant woman control the thermostat. I don't remember what else we said.
When we got to the booth I was, of course, first to get my book signed and I tested you, so to speak. I asked you to write 'such and such' and then then autograph it. You just smiled and said "but I don't want to write that." Which I figured you would since I had already read somewhere on hatrack that you didn't let others dictate such things.
I handed you my "how to..science fiction" book and you asked "are you a writer." I said yes and you signed it "to a fellow taleswapper" which is probably a pretty standard line when you sign that particular book, but it encouraged me nonetheless. (actually I AM a writer and have the rejection slips to prove it.)
There were two other highlights of the day for me. Both occured during the books to film forum. The first was when you said something about Chris Columbus and the Harry Potter movie. (I think it was newly released or about to come out, but don't quote me on that). Anyway there was one point where you said...and i won't try to quote you here, but the gist of it was that Mr. Columbus wasn't a very good director.
And here's what was amusing to me. This being a 'southern' town (yes Jacksonville is still part of the south, the further you go into FLA, though, the more northern you actually are), there was something of a collective shock. It was like you could feel the whole room suddenly losing it's breath. (Grey haired old ladies thinking 'i can't believe he just said that'.)
For those not from the south, you must understand, southern gentlemen and ladies try not to say anything negative (in public anyway) about another person. Well, let me qualify that a bit, in an environment such as this was, and with this particular crowd, they wouldn't. Often when someone even disagrees with you, they won't come right out and say it. What they'll say is something like "oh, i don't know about that."
Anyway I digress. There was this collective 'taken abackness' and then OSC you said, "Well, it's true ." And I was just cracking up inside.
The other highlight was during the same forum when you encouraged the third guy on the platform (who was so humble that he wouldn't even stand behind the podium, but just fielded questions and spoke from where he sat). I forget his name, but he had written a book titled "Jetty Man". I don't recall exactly what you said, but it was right after he had said something to the effect of his book being not in the same league as yours and the other author on the forum (a lady, i don't recall her name)because it was put out by a smaller publication or something and read by fewer people. You were very animated. You said something like ...you're the best advertisement a book could have, I want to read it.
Anyway, would just like to say thanks for that day. You probably don't remember it, but I do and will never forget it. I'm still plugging away at the writing and will try to collect something other than rejection slips in the near future.
One more thing I want to say. A guy I work with was claiming he has never read a book (I don't believe it, at some point he probaby had to read a curious george or danny and the dinosaur or something like that). Said he didn't like to read and hadn't even attempted to read a book since high school. I told him he just hadn't read a good book in a long time. I gave him my autographed copy of EG (with stern instructions that I better get it back) and what do you know. The next day he was on chapter five.
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Good heavens. I don't even remember YESTERDAY as well as you remembered that day in Jacksonville.
Then again, yesterday was really long - considering I left Wellington NZ at about 5 p.m. on 1 April and got to Greensboro about 1 a.m on 2 April - 25 hours later. My April 1 was 41 hours long. And I'm still jet-lagged out of my mind, since I've only been home for four hours.
Which has nothing to do with your post. But, in truth, there's nothing to add. Except to say thanks for actually paying attention. And I'm right about Chris Columbus. Sorry I shocked the Southerners in the room. I think, though, that it wasn't because they were Southern. I think it was because they were all thinking, "Who is HE to criticize a guy who at least gets movies made!"
Posts: 2005 | Registered: Jul 1999
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Nah, it was because they were southerners. BTW, you and me both need to get some sleep. I've been up most of the night painting a nursery for boy # 2. Thanks for responding to my post, really I just wanted to see if you would.
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