Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
Meeeee!

Leaving tonight, spending the weekend in
the-state-Mary-doesn't-live-in-yet, and returning to New York either
Sunday night or Monday morning to stay until Wednesday.
  

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

    
Anyone going to be in Austin Sept 26 for the BookPeople signing?
  

    
Those of you that were at Fiddler's Green know that I can get caught
up in bidding.

However, I will restraint myself on this auction, because it is
already higher than I want to pay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Your-name-can-be-in-an-upcoming-book-by-Neil-Gaiman_W0QQit
emZ6561855061QQcategoryZ16071QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

http://tinyurl.com/d2e8y
  

    
shakespeare - not
I saw *sigh* Kat is crushed. She said she would give up on her b-day
and Christmas presents if we... well, I tried to explain to her that
it's important to make as much money as possible - it's for a good
cause. She's trying.

I made it through 4 hours delay, immigrations and the humidity here in
NY. Going to eat a pizza and crash until tomorrow. Oh, House of Clocks
J is going to be in town tomorrow - CBGBs - and is staying on until
the B&N thing. Anybody up to doing something? 

Too tired to type. I'll see you all when I'm half human again.
  

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

    
Paul, 953, I am planning to be there. Driving in from Houston. Anybody
know an inexpensive but clean hotel near the bookstore?
  

    
danguy - There's nothing wrong with sharing the house with furry
things. Guinea pigs are the ultimate first pet. :)

I had fish for a little while. Mostly I did alright with them, but
then there was an incident with a flea fogger (no, the fish were not
left in the room during fogging!). Delicate little buggers. I won't be
having fish again for the foreseeable future, but I do love watching
them at other people's houses. 

Off to go pick up my copy of Anansi Boys and my ticket to the Cody's
signing. So annoyed that Kepler's is out of service. grrrr...
  

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

    
Just checking in really quick. Our company preparing for Rita. May not
be near a computer for a while if things go badly here in Houston.
Galveston and area underwent mandatory evac this morning.
  

    
Yikes!  Good luck!

(And did you get a new account?)
  

    
Yeah. The works. Fartin through silk as they say. Actually, never
heard anyone say that - it was something that came up in the South
topic. Still at work. Mayor of Houston asked companies to not be open
the next two days. I'm leaving tomorrow regardless for Colmesniel in
East Texas. Taking my cat. Don't want to wait for the mandatory evac
order because then I would have to go to College Station and don't know
anybody there. The fish, alas, will have to fend for themselves. Must
stop by Petsmart and get some vacation feeding blocks. 

I wonder if Neil is still going to come into Austin. Shouldn't be a
problem except the storm's path after it hit land will go there if it
comes in further south from us. A lot of rain. And you know how Austin
reacts to a lot of rain. Darn. I bet I don't get to come to Austin to
see him. Double darned. 
  

    
Be safe and take care!
  

    
I will think positive thoughts your way, Dodge.  The fish'll be
fine--the little buggers can go 3 weeks in a well planted *tank*
without food.  The pond is a paradise in comparison (free flies!  Yum!)

I *have* heard "fartin' through silk", but then, I am from
Mississippi.

How was NYC, y'all?  I hope my friend Tresa is getting a book signed
right now in Charlotte.  She's never seen him.  Georgiac, are you
having a good time?  

I'll let y'all know how he is on Friday (he's here tomorrow).

On a totally unrelated note, I can now die happy.  I was 15 feet from
the front of the ellipse at U2's show here last night--I couldn't quite
touch Bono (probably for the best, really) but I could count the drops
of sweat on his face.  Amazing.  Utterly amazing.

Mary (who is still not done with Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells
All, and suspects she may never be)
  

    
Dodge - crossed everything for you! I hope it all works out all right
and that you get to see Neil in Austin.

From what I've heard about NYC, they started out being obnoxious B&N
twits and then after about 10 minutes they wised up and let Neil have a
proper Neil signing. A friend of mine who was about halfway through
the line said she got to talk to Neil at about 10PM (the signing
started at 6PM). Just... ouch.

I predict that (and I know I've said it before, but I'm becoming more
and more convinced of the reality of it) by the time he hits California
he will merely be an author-shaped pile of goo.

Oh, and before I forget, I finished Anansi Boys and have declared Mr.
Gaiman to be a master wordsmith simply for writing the line: "...and
the beast made the noise of a cat being shampooed", which I will
henceforth find occasion to repeat at anyone who's willing to listen,
so long as it makes the teeniest bit of sense. :)
  

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

    
The Infamous Jon Singer?  You will have to introduce me, Mr. Reporter
Sir!  ;)
  

    
Dodge - I hope everything works out for you.

--

The NYC signing was very nice - but then again I was in the 3rd row
and we got up front pretty fast.

Note to people that go to a B&N signing in NYC.  The order in which
you get something signed is determined by where sit.  So if you arrive
at 3:00 and sit in the last row, someone arriving at 4:00 who sits
ahead of you gets things signed first.   Georgia and I were surprised
that when we arrived we could sit ahead of a large number of people.

Because someone at B&N thought they were being clever, they started
playing the audio recording of Neil reading Anansi boys at us.  Most of
us thought this was a silly idea, because we were being social for a
change and talking to the nice people.

Anyway, Neil arrived, said "Hey, I don't know what to say"; read half
the first chapter for us; asked himself some frequently asked questions
and took a few more from the floor.  Then the long march began.  He
personalized one item, signed all the Anansi Boys you could carry plus
2 other items.

As this was the start of the tour, he was still full of energy.  I'll
see how he is by Toronto.
  

    
I think that was Lenny Henry reading _Anansi Boys_ on the recording,
FWIW.
  

    
Jon's birthday is coming up.
  

    
When?
  

    
9/30
  

    
Ooh, MirrorMask opening day!
  

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

    
I *sincerely* hope Neil gets to stay in the same hotel two nights in a
row while he's in DC.

Poor baby.