Have you ever met an author?

[packrat]

I''ve not. We don''t exactly live in an area that authors flock to tho. "I''ve got a book signing in LA!" "Oh yeah?? Well, I''VE got a signing in NW Iowa! Haha suckah!"

When my gramma lived in Arizona, she had a book signed for me and said the author was super nice. She''d never heard of him, nor had I, and now I can''t remember the name of the book, tho I enjoyed it. I tried to google it but no luck. Harm''s Way or In Harm''s Way. There was an airplane crash and a guy and a stewardess were he only survivors.

One signing she wanted to go to was one of our favorite mystery writers, but she knew someone who''d met her before and didn''t have anything nice to say. Gramma ended up not going, for fear it would turn out to be true and she wouldn''t want to read her books anymore.

What about you?

 

[VRBeauty]

Our local paper occasionally hosts an author for an evening talk, often followed by a book signing opportunity, so I''ve "met" several authors that way. The first was the author of "Bridget''s Diary. A friend had just sent me the book to read, and I was able to get it autographed before I sent it back to her! Others include:

Homer Hickham, author of October Sky (which I loved, BTW). He''s a real sweetie. His book is about his teenage years, growing up in a coal mining town, when he developed an interest in rocketry after watching Sputnik orbit the earth.

Annie LaMott, author of Traveling Mercies

David Mas Masumoto, a local farmer and author, author of Elegy for a Peach. I had purchased his book when it first came out... he was tickled when I told him I had waited for ten years for a chance to have him autograph it!

The author of a Girl Named Zippy (can''t remember her name offhand but she was a wonderful -- and absolutely hilarious -- speaker.

The newspaper''s "book club" meetings are less frequent now, but... next month they''re bringing in Marcia Muller, one of my fave mystery writers (among many!) I''ve had the date on my calender for months now!

Oh, and I used to meet mystery writer Steve Martini at a friend''s parties... back when he was still an attorney and had just published his first novel!


Packrat -- I hope you have a chance to do something like this some time! Maybe check with local bookstores to see whether they ever host author events?

 

[dragonfly411]

When I was young I met the author of the children''s book No More Jumping on the Bed.

I went to a reading by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and met her and bought one of all of her books which are phenomenal.

I also have a friend who is in the process of releasing his first.

That''s it. I''m going to start looking out for other authors to come into our area so I can go to the signings/readings.

 

[Elmorton]

I stood in line to meet David Sedaris/get my book signed. Hysterical in person, and I''m seeing him again at a reading in Oct. Wahoo!

I met Tomie DePoala (children''s author) at a book reading/event. He''s intensely fabulous as well.

I think I met Nikki Giovanni (poet). I can''t remember if I spoke to her or not afterward (hence the "I think"), but I was at a presentation/reading and it was A-MAZING.

Nearly all of my professors in college/grad school were authors, some were "famous" in terms of pop culture/fiction/memoir/poetry/their niche genres and others were strictly academic authors (though I''m not going to lie, the authors who wrote outside of academia were WAY more memorable). And, as an English major, I went to a bunch of readings and events hosted by my alma mater, and some events I still regret not attending. Authors tend to be nifty folks.

 

[Upgradable]

One of my friends is a Harlequin author. Jill Monroe. She actually leads our Sunday school class.

 

[packrat]

VR-I have A Girl Named Zippy! Been a looong time since I''ve read it tho! I''ve got 1 or 2 of Steve Martini''s as well. I never took the time to head to the library and read them all tho..sometimes I do that with authors and sometimes I get sidetracked. I don''t like to get sidetracked b/c then I''m like-I know I''ve read this..I think? Have I read this author before? argh.

What got me wondering about this was London brought a paper home that the bookstore in town is having a children''s author from the area read her book to the Kindergartner''s and we have the opportunity to buy the book (I think it''s a written lullaby) and a CD. Our town is so tiny, we just don''t have fun stuff like cool authors come to town...not even in the bigger cities around here. I remember years ago, Stephen King was doing a book signing tour and only going to small hole in the wall places that don''t have the draw big cities do. Alas, he didn''t come here, but if he had, my mom and I would''ve been like the Star Wars nerds, camped out in front of the bookstore.

SanDiegoLady, if you don''t mind saying, what kind of books does your hubby write?

I''ve got Whitby''s book, so kinda I can say I''ve "met" an author, right?? I let mom read it first and she really liked it, so I can''t wait to start it. I thought mom said there should be another one soon, or already out.

I was browsing John Sanford''s website one day. I already knew he was from Minneapolis, but I learned on the website that he''s in the Reserves in one of the branches of the Military or something. I''m not so good w/the memory part of my brain tonight. Anyway, I just thought, wow, talk about Mr. Regular Guy, I wonder what he''s like in person?

Uppy, I''ll have to check out your friends books!

 

[Liane]

I''ve met a few despite being the worst person in the world at professional networking. For the most part they''ve been extremely kind, gracious, down-to-earth people. Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club) and Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind) stand out in my memory as two funny, erudite and approachable people. It was a privilege to meet them, however briefly.

 

[glitterata]

I know dozens. It''s like any other profession: some are lovely people, and some are not so lovely.

 

[Elmorton]

Packrat, one my profs in college went to college with Stephen King, and she told a few students that he was a creep and hit on her constantly. We always got a kick out of that story.

 

[packrat]

Date: 9/17/2009 10:49:17 PM
Author: Elmorton
Packrat, one my profs in college went to college with Stephen King, and she told a few students that he was a creep and hit on her constantly. We always got a kick out of that story.

Aw crap El, say it ain''t so!

 

[princesss]

Other than teachers of mine from HS who''ve written books, and a professor from my college who is a Pulitzer prize-winning poet, no.

BF, on the other hand, has met one of my favourite authors. It turns out that the author and his wife met at M''s parents house. Too cool.

I''m trying to get tickets for BF and I to go hear Christopher Buckley speak, which I''m pretty excited about. I loved Thank You for Smoking and Boomsday.

 

[marcy]

Yes, a girl I used to work with has had 2 inspirational romance books published and I went to both of her book debut signings. I am so excited for her and actually truly enjoyed her books.

 

[Jas12]

I''ve met Margaret Atwood. Went to a luncheon for her in Sydney Australia and she read from her new book at the time. I chatted with her briefly afterward and she signed my copies of the Handmaid''s Tale and Alias Grace. I have never been so ''star-struck'' and tounge tied.
She is truly one of our canadian national treasures & i keep those signed books well out of reach from my son

I also have a signed book of poetry from Leonard Cohen. So i guess i "met" him, but it was at a large, crazy book signing.
Again, i treasure this. My son is named after him so he''ll get the book of poetry some day.


Here''s a grainy pic of Atwood and I in 2002

 

[Haven]

I''ve met many authors, but that''s because I''ll go see nearly any writer when he or she comes through Chicago on a book tour. I love hearing writers talk about their work, even if I''m not a fan of it.

 

[Liane]

Date: 9/20/2009 11:58:01 PM
Author: SanDiegoLady
I did fail to mention hubby met Theodore Geisel many many years ago.. it was an interesting meeting as he was at work in Balboa Park.. but.. a much funnier tell in person given the circumstances.. however, it left hubby quite stunned and I''ll have to leave it at that

Oh come on, you can''t leave us hanging like that!

That''s a really cool picture with Margaret Atwood, Jas.

I love all these stories. I am honestly terrified at the prospect that I might have to do convention appearances and whatnot once my own book hits the shelves, and it''s astonishing and heartening that people are actually interested in meeting authors, even ones that they aren''t already familiar with. Makes the idea of doing signings seem a tiny bit less horrible.

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 9/16/2009 11:29:37 PM
Author: packrat
VR-I have A Girl Named Zippy! Been a looong time since I''ve read it tho! I''ve got 1 or 2 of Steve Martini''s as well. I never took the time to head to the library and read them all tho..sometimes I do that with authors and sometimes I get sidetracked. I don''t like to get sidetracked b/c then I''m like-I know I''ve read this..I think? Have I read this author before? argh.

Date: 9/21/2009 12:02:36 PM
Author: Haven
I''ve met many authors, but that''s because I''ll go see nearly any writer when he or she comes through Chicago on a book tour. I love hearing writers talk about their work, even if I''m not a fan of it.

Now I remember who wrote "A Girl Named Zippy!" It was

(drumroll.....)

Haven Kimmel!

Thanks for the mental prompt, Haven!

 

[soocool]

I know the Berenstain''s (Stan -passed away a few yrs ago, his wife Jan, and son Mike) who wrote the children''s Berenstain Bears books. They live near me.

 

[Clio]

I met Miss Manners at a work reception. She was, as expected, delightful and gracious.

Kathryn Stockett (The Help) is a cousin, but it''s been years since I''ve seen her.

Because I work with tons of academics, I''ve met lots of people who write those types of books. With the exception of Joseph Ellis, though, most of them never make the bestseller list.

 

[HollyS]

Yes, but they were more regionally known writers, rather than best-selling authors.

 

[vc10um]

I met Jennifer Weiner at a book reading/signing in Ann Arbor, MI when she released "Goodnight Nobody". She was fantastic as a speaker and reader, and thoroughly adorable when answering questions.

This weekend is the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, and SO and I are planning on going to hear John Grisham and get something signed.

 

[Scarabnight]

I''ve met quite a few authors over the past couple of years. I work in a book store where we usually host about one or two book signings a month. We''re a smaller store, so we don''t tend to get the really big name authors, but I think that that usually makes the authors more enthusiastic to be given the chance to promote their books.