Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
It is a warm feeling to rejoice with folks who are just experiencing
Neil's sci-fi novels. What a great joy that was for me, to enter into
his world of thought. I get a warm fuzzy just thinking about it.
  

    
Georgia, if you can make it to NYC, so can I (after all my trip is a
bit shorter).  I'd be happy to eat sushi with you there.
  

    
Me too!  We'll see what happens when the schedule is released.

And how neat, Georgia, that you've heard of João!
  

    
American Gods is Neil?  Must aquire.  (Heard part of it in
book-on-tape form in a friend's car.)
  

    
I think Neverwhere might be my favorite--I am in love with the
Marquis.  I suspect he might have had something to do with you hating
Neil, randomize27.  ;-)  You should see the TV series--the actor who
plays the Marquis, Paterson Joseph, nails the part, as do, IMHO, Mr.
Croup and Mr. Vandemar.

I will probably be able to do sushi in NYC also, with a little advance
warning.  I'm planning to move to Connecticut around the first of
August.  I wish Neil were coming somewhere closer on the tour--I've
heard the NYC readings are mob scenes.  Chicago can be a little
crowded, somewhere around 450 for an in-store signing, but when Tara
went to NY for a signing a couple of years ago, she said it was pretty
crazy.  Oh, well.  I'll be there, regardless.  It will be a lot more
fun if y'all are all going!

nukem777--it is fun, isn't it?  It usually makes me want to go reread
something.....hmmmm.......Stardust, maybe?  I haven't reread that one
.....ever, actually.  I think it's the only one I haven't read 3 or 4
times.  This summer, I'm going to reread all of Sandman.  I keep
trying, but there's always 1 or 2 out on loan, and then I get
distracted into reading something else.

DanGuy--you are an evil man.  It's my favorite thing about you.  ;-)

Mary  
  

    
Many moons ago, I read Neil's topic on GEnie.  So, I clearly remember
that he wrote Neverwhere for the BBC, then while it was filming, he
wrote the novel.  Afterwords, he commented that the Marquis was
rewritten to be more like Paterson Joseph played him.
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes>
  

    
Actually, the Marquis had more to do with me forgiving Neil.

It was the island scene near the end that had me hating Neil, until
the Marquis shows up in the doorway.

I'd love to get to see the BBC version...sounds like it'd be
fascinating.
  

    
randomize27--it's available on DVD from any number of places like
Borders and Amazon.com, and the really cool thing is that Neil comes
over, has some popcorn, and tells you all about the genesis of the
project.  Well, at least it seems that way.  Actually he just does the
commentary track, but it's delightful.

I have got to get my tail to the Theatre Building and check out
Stardust.  Aaaarrrgh!  This weekend is prom & next weekend is
graduation & Blues Fest, my grades have to go in, and I'm going to see
Mom on the 18th for a week.  Plus I have a friend in a show I have to
see this weekend.  Hey, Neiliest, are you going to get to go?  Please
let us know what you think.  Sushi?

Mary (watching U2:Elevation 2001 and considering chucking it all to
become U2's version of a Deadhead) 
  

    
Mmmm, Paterson Joseph.  <drool>  Funny, you'd think Neil would have
mentioned on the commentary about rewriting the part to fit him, but I
don't remember hearing that.  It was still an informative and
entertaining commentary, though.  (Random -- There's also an interview
with Neil on the DVD that was done at the time the show first aired.

He looks the same.)

Mary, I had wondered if you were making the move to CT this year.  It
would be really cool to get to meet you!  I met Tara during the
_Endless Nights_ tour.  (And then she disappeared from the Well.  Was
it something I said?  ;)     )

-Christy, who would gladly treat Neil to sushi in DC on the condition
that he teach her about sushi.
  

    
If I remember correctly, Neil took what Paterson Joseph did with the
part, and used it to modified the character of the Marquis in the book
- as opposed to doing a rewrite his part in the film.

Although, I can't support this statement with any actual cite.
  

    
Oh, that's what I meant to say.
  

    
I have to wonder about the motivation for that.

Was it, "He's doing so much more with the character than I thought
possible"?

Or, "I just wasn't really sure about that character until he brought
it to life"?

Whichever way it went, in the book, it's a great character.
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
Doesn't Clive just do supernatural horror, whereas Neil does
supernatural suspense?
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
I suppose I should read some Clive Barker, but I'm not much of a
horror fan.  I gets nightmares.

However, what I adore about Neil's writing is that he's always Neil. 
There's something about his voice that is utterly unique, even when he
has an American accent, like in American Gods.  I honestly think that I
could have recognized his voice in an excerpt from the Duran Duran
book if I had read it without knowing what it was.  So I can't imagine
Clive Barker sounding like him.

Yeah, I'd have put her off the flist, too.  ;-)

Mary (reading Protect and Defend by Richard North Patterson)
  

    
OK, the blog has been amusing me all week, because I have a nice cup
of tea (Typhoo, which they are now selling at Meier's, Neil) and a
McVitie's Hob Nob every day at school with Neil.  Either 1st or 5th
period, when I get all the kids out of my room, I sit down with my tea
and a biccie and read the blog.  It's my mental health break.  So all
this discussion of tea-making and the nicecupofteaandasitdown website
have given me a giggle.  Apparently there are more of us than I thought
at my "Tea And Cookies With Neil" break.  

(This week it's been Tea and Cake with Neil, which sends me off into a
Eddie Izzard-inspired giggle fit every morning.)
  

    
Mary...
"You! Cake or death?"
"Uh, death, please. No, cake! Cake! Cake, sorry. Sorry..."
I'm a big Eddie fan.

It's funny all this talk about tea. We use it here as medicine - not
so much black tea, but all other herbs ("Now, You say 'erbs' and we say
'herbs' because there's a f***ing h in it!" - I'm going to stop,
promise.)

Kilted Keeper of the Rat Gravy & Anybody else who wants to eat sushi
in NY
I've arranged things so that I can travel sans problem, so I should be
able to make it. I'm reluctant to go through a mob scene though (I'm
trying to picture how a signing can become a mob scene and all I can
think about is the story about when Mr. Gaiman was Beatle-lised here in
Brazil). Whatever you guys decide works for me. I just don't want to
fly more than I have to.
  

    
I've never seen him actually mobbed.  Here's how a signing in NYC
works.  

People travel a ridiculous number of miles and arrive as early as they
can.  Eventually, the store realizes that a large group of dangerously
crazed people have shown up 5 hours before a signing and attempts to
create order by some scheme of handing out numbers (if they are smart)
or create some form of line (if they don't realize how badly we will
clog the store).  Fans will start talking with one another, forming an
instant bond.  Stores with cafes will sell out of the food item you
most desire.  Cafes near the store will be jammed with people holding
numbers.

At approximately the start time, a manager will come out, look
awestruck, and announce that Neil is on his way.  Shortly thereafter,
Neil is escorted to the stage.

We sit, pay attention, listen to Neil talk and read, and perhaps ask a
few questions.  

The manager will ask us to limit the number of things we get signed. 
Neil will quietly confer with the manager point out that if he sits
here and the line goes that way it will work better - "trust me, I've
done this before."

For the next unbelievable number of hours an mostly organized, polite,
star-struck line will move forward, more of in a rambling way than in
a march.

Each of us will say, "Hi Neil" - then be awestruck as he says "Hi"
back and acts as if he is just a normal person.

Then a hardcore group will stand around looking for directions,
achieve critical mass, and go to find food.
  

    
Um, stupid question: Where's Neil's blog?
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
I've just had RPS explained to me and I've decided it bothers me. More
than it probably should, but it creeps me out.

Kilted Gravy ;)
Sounds less threatening than I thought at first. Is there a chance Mr.
Gaiman will be signing somewhere along the east coast where the lines
won't be terribly long? I didn't think so. I know I sound spoiled, but
it has more to do with my low blood pressure than with my unwillingness
to stand for hours.

Question: I've been asked by a friend to a Discworld convention in
Leicestershire - anybody been to one of those? My youngest would love
to go. 

I keep asking for help with information here, but you do know and I
don't.
  

    
RPS - Rock Paper Scissors?  I can see how that would bother some
people, but you get used to it.
  

    
notshakespeare--hee-hee.  I'm curious, too, though--

georgiac--what is RPS?   And I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that
anyone was rude or the crowd was obnoxious.  I just meant that there
would probably be about two to three times as many people there as I'm
used to in Chicago, where I'm always the last in line (it guarantees
that Neil is always glad to see me--when he sees me, he's done ;-) ) 
And coming back from NYC after a 6 or 7 hour signing may be a bad idea,
if I have to be back in Conn. for school the next day.

Maybe I'll come eat sushi with y'all & not stay for the signing, just
go up to Boston & get stuff signed there.......oh, well, it'll all work
out.

One of my big worries is that I was such a genius that I didn't get U2
tix for the second leg of the tour, and now I'm going to be paying
huge to see them in Hartford.  Bummer!  It's hard trying to plan the
*necessary* bits of my life in a strange place.  There are a few things
I never miss--Neil, U2, the first night of a Daniel Day-Lewis movie,
anything with Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, any episode of "Lost".......and lots
of those things are happening before I get to know my new home.  Good
thing I'm a quick study, and not afraid to do things on my own!

Mary (loving Richard North Patterson at the moment)