I posted this comment on Ger Brennan's excellent CSNI a while ago and thought I could lazily blog it here too:...
I was at a book reading once and an elderly man asked me "why I write?" I was younger then and I gave him a long and heartfelt answer. I told him that writing for me was a way of connecting with people, a way of expressing my deepest feelings and my love of words and that it was perhaps an attempt to create something that would transcend this brief of moment time, a literary or psychological truth that might, if I was lucky, resonate across the ages - he looked at me blankly for a second and said "I was asking for the way out."
33 comments:
Maybe you gave him the answer, all unknowingly.
And maybe he gave you a sort of innoculation against hubris.
Seanag
I think the two previous readings when no one came at all, innoculated me against hubris, triumphalism and arrogance. Now if I get a man and a dog I consider it a packed house.
If you still need the dog, I'm not sure you're cured. After all, dogs can't read. Why should they bother?
Actually dogs like me better. Most dogs think I'm very entertaining. Except for poodles - they dont take to me at all.
Well, see, there's your problem. As your fellow blogster Declan Burke has it, Crime Always Pays. Dogs don't. Lamentably. (Poodles might be an exception.)
Dec is a guy who knows his onions so he's probably on to something.
Funnily enough the last two readings I did at the great No Alibis in Belfast and at the Melbourne Writers Fest WERE packed so now I am spoiled, hubristic etc ready for another humiliating encounter, just as the gods planned.
Adrian,
If only you could see what we've seen with your eyes. Ha. Sorry couldn't resist.
On a somewhat more serious note, I will say as a bookseller that author signings really have their ups and downs and it is enormously helpful to be somewhat hardened about this, as I'm sure you already know, Adrian--I say this more to any lurking hopeful aspirants out there than to you. So much depends on whether you get written up in the local paper on the right day--which is up to the paper and not the host of the signing--whether you are unfortunately scheduled against a competing event, which also is often beyond anyone's control (who knew the presidential debates were going to be so riveting, for example? And in any event the author appearances had been scheduled long before these dates were announced),and so on. When it all works, it's wonderful, but I've been known to come back after work to fill out the crowd a couple of times. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it really isn't any reflection on the author. I can see where appearing at a festival or a writing conference is usually going to be a lot more gratifying than a solo appearance in a bookstore, say. The people are already there, they're excited about writing and it all kind of feeds on itself.
I will just add that one thing our store has been doing lately is to hold community book groups--so far with local or quasi-local authors. And these, even when small, have tended to be enormously gratifying to all concerned. People from the community show up and talk about the book under the direction of a facilitator for about half an hour and then the author comes and answers questions or whatever. It's really such a different kind of event, because the author is no longer in the position of having to sell their book or justifying its existence to anyone--the people have already read it and in general ask intelligent questions about it. Of course, we haven't done a book that everybody hated yet, but frankly I don't think we'd pick one that was that terrible.
Sorry, long post--hope it contributes to writerly resilience.
Hard barned
But thankfully all these moments are now lost in time like, oh I dont know, tears in rain?
Seanag
Yes I totally take your point, but I've travelled considerable distances to do a reading at a bookstore who forgot I was coming and hadnt even put a poster in the window announcing the event. There is a basic level of competence involved that when violated can somewhat get on your nerves.
Oh, I'm not trying to let the bookstores off the hook, including in some less fortunate moments, our own. (Although I don't think we've ever actually forgotten that someone was coming.)I'm just cautioning authors to take the whole experience with a kind of devil may care attitude that will stand them in better stead than high expectations. Who knows? The whole point of the journey may be the conversation you have with the person sitting on the barstool next to you in that dive bar where you've retreated to lick your wounds after the ordeal.
Adrian - Love this story.
Seanag - Thanks for book-signing the insight. Someday, I hope to avail of this advice. Sounds like your place has a good thing going.
Cheers
gb
Seanag
I dont think a poster in the window is asking too much.
I had a reading in your part of the world where only 1 person showed up so we just went next door to the local boozer
Ger
I think one of the best ways to do it is to have a joint reading - less pressure and you can potentially double your crowd.
Hi, I'm an academic who presented a paper at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association last week that touched upon Dead I May Well Be. I'm hoping to rework it into an article. Can I ask you some questions at some point?
Oh, and my exwife was once the victim of a monkey attack. Keep up the good work.
I guess a paragraph break between those last two sentences would make more sense.
Jim
Sorry to hear about the monkey attack. Those things can be vicious. Did you read the 3 little news items I have as the final thing on the right hand column? Scary.
Happy to do Q&A, send me your email either in the follow up comments bit or just in one of these comments and I'll drop you line.
Cheers
A...
No, a poster in the window isn't asking too much--unless you happened to be asking it of me. Unfortunately, then you might regret the uneven meandering scrawl of welcome. Luckily, we have a couple of talented graphics people who tend to get nice looking signs hanging in the door.
But the point is, things go wrong. Whether because of incompetence, forgivable error, or the will of the gods hardly matters. I think our store does a pretty good job with events, and I can say that because I have nothing to do with that angle, other than my occasional appearance to heckle the author heartlessly and/or throw small stones at them. But sometimes we do get lousy turnout, and its embarrassing and sad and pathetic, but there it is. The real question is what are you (and that's not a personal you, by the way) going to do with this as a writer who's out in the jaded, harried world to promote his or her work? Going to the bar with that one person who turned up was an excellent idea, and I bet he or she was thrilled--and probably a little intimidated. I bet they are still dining out on the story. Now if you'd been able to enlarge the conversation with even a couple of other people hanging out there--and a bar seems an excellent place to promote Michael Forsythe, by the way, you would have had a reading in spite of the gods.
Anyway, I should really be working on forestalling this new attack of hubris which Jim has likely brought. And he understands about monkeys and everything. If he understands about the possums too, you were probably brothers in a past life.
Seanag
I do take your point. I'm not one for casting blame (except at those wee shites in The Boulder Bookstore who were unspeakably rude). But you're right though fuck ups happen all the time and the question is what do you do about it, huff and complain or roll with the punch. I used to be a huffer, but now I'm more of a roller, I think.
One thing I will slightly take issue with is the idea that you have to turn everything into an advertisement for yourself. You dont. I remember when Jon Stewart ripped Chris Matthews on The Daily Show for his book Life's a Campaign. Life isn't a campaign, its not all about promotion and using others to serve your agenda and I feel sorry for those writers/actors/celebs who are always "on" always pretending always trying to get somewhere else.
I remember reading this line in a Richard Dawkins book where he said that "to live at all is miracle enough" and I think thats right. Its amazing just to be here. Pema Chodron has a similar sentiment from a different angle when she says that "the present moment is the best teacher". I'd rather have a beer with a guy and ask him about his life, rather than worrying about whether this book reading has been a success or not, you know?
Well, I think you'd better definitely come to Santa Cruz if you're going to start quoting Pema Chodren on me. I have friends who are ready to send me off to Nova Scotia or wherever the hell her center is as a vicarious substitute for them in their all too active lives. Maybe you could take my place. (I've stopped trying to convince them that I am already enlightened. Sometimes it's not all that apparent.)
I'm sorry if I seem to advocate marketing yourself as some sort of supreme goal. I don't. I totally agree that it is better to sit in the bar and ask the guy his story than try to sell him on your own. Nevertheless, given the circumstances that he has taken the time and trouble to come out and see you, there is some kind of marketing or at least exposure going on by default. I am kidding you a little about expanding the circle in the bar, but I also think that sometimes writerly reticence can be a little too pronounced. There's no reason the person on the other barstool can't hear your conversation and be drawn into it if they are so inclined. I think that the general tendency in writers, apart from certain divas, is to underplay the thing, instead of realizing that people might actually want to hear all about it.
Don't worry about hubris. I think you can count on us unfailingly pointing it out to you here the moment you step over the line.
Thanks Seanag.
Pema can rub people the wrong way, I like her though, but there's no way I'm going to that convent or whatever it is in NS either. I taught at Naropa University for a year and that was plenty for me.
I do have happy memories of the day I spent in SC.
She doesn't rub me the wrong way, but sitting around a dinner table having friends tell me to breathe in the bad and exhale the good seems to set off the cantankerous in me. I probably have enough bad in me that I don't need to onload anymore.
Just remember: hubris equals Nova Scotia for you. So watch it.
You should secretely breathe in good and exhale bad while no one's looking.
Secretly, I already do. But that's just between you and me and everyone else here on the internet.
V word--"uncipl", which I suppose is sort of the opposite of a disciple. Which would be apt.
Pretty funny. I know what you mean, though. Some people just don't get it. By the way, I have a question for you. I sent a requested full manu to an agent back in July and still haven't heard anything. And he's a pretty well known agent too, so I have no doubt that he's dooped me. What do you think? Is a 4 month waiting time reasonable?
Joint reading, eh? Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
You're not just a pretty face.
Cheers
gb
Liam
Four months is too long, its time to move on mate.
Was going to say "keep trying" but you know that.
Well, despite my initial reaction to kiss the whole thing goodbye, I did email the agent, reminded him that I sent the manu, then proceeded to tell him that I've made a few minor changes and add-ons, nothing major. Who knows.
That's scary stuff about book-signings! Enjoyed the post and Seanag's info.
public service Rafe, no worries mate
Adrian,
Turns out the agent never received my book. No wonder it took four frigging months. That's a pretty wicked pisser. Sadly, he hasn't seen my book yet. But on the bright side, he hasn't seen my book yet. Damn yahoo mail and the horse it road in on.
Liam
Liam
And there was me telling you to send him a shit sandwich in the post. Good job you didnt take my advice.
Liam, I had actually heard that you should recontact an agent after just about the time period you've been waiting if you've heard nothing, for precisely the problem you've experienced--things get lost. So sounds like you've played it just about right.
Glad of any insight I might have provided anyone who was wondering about the bookstore perspective, although I have to say that I'm just one person working in one bookstore, so take anything I say with a grain of salt or two. (Actually, always do that.)And I do think that our pondering of the worst case scenarios here may have made people feel a little more dread about all this than is really warranted. Actually, even a small turn out can be a tremendously gratifying experience for all concerned, reminding people why they write, why they read, why they work in bookstores. And even reminding them of the way out sometimes.
The scarier news or actually less scary if you are the kind of writer who would just as soon never get up before a crowd of strangers, is that publishers are less and less inclined to send writers out on book tours, at least if they have to foot the bill. Our events coordinator had said there were rumors of author tour cancellations coming down the grapevine in these straitened economic times, but she hadn't gotten one yet. And then she got one. It would probably be impolitic in some way to name the publisher or author, but it was disappointing. I guess again I would say to not take it personally if it happens to any of you, and be open to other options on getting the word out about your book. There are actually a lot of them. You could, say, start a blog...
Thanks Seanag. Yeah, crazy how that happens sometimes. But, I probably shouldn't have waited 4 months to contact him about. I'll shoot for 2 next time.
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