From the Front Porch
I’m off to the SC Book Festival where I hope to see lots of fellow bloggers. Scott Turow is the keynote speaker, and I have a little story about him. A while back I was one of the featured authors at a book festival (which shall go unnamed). This particular festival required authors to sit for six hours in a signing area as potential book buyers filed through.
At the opening reception, all the authors were buzzing about the long signing time and I, knowing Scott Turow was in attendance, said, “Do you think someone as famous as Scott Turow is going to sit around for six hours? No frigging way.”
I said this very loudly (Blame the wine!) while a fellow author tried to signal me with frantic eye gymnastics.
Well… turned out Mr. Turow was standing behind me and heard every word I said.
Well… turned out Mr. Turow was standing behind me and heard every word I said.
Blush.
And yes, he did sit for six hours just like the rest of us.
On another note, I’ve mentioned this novel once before but now I’ve finally read it and while we I don’t generally review books here, I had to make an exception for The Help.
Here’s my take:
“I’m always a little sad when I finish a truly one-of-a-kind, outstanding book. First I hate to leave behind the world the author has created. Second, I know that it will probably be a very long while before I read another book that is even half good as the one I’ve just finished.That’s how I felt after reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a novel set in the early sixties in Jackson, Mississppi about the relationship between white women and their black maids. I want to thank Ms. Stockett for creating such vivid, endearing character-characters I will never forget--and for putting them in situations that kept me eagerly turning the pages.As I read, I felt a rare whoosh of realization that I was reading a novel destined to be a classic and to take its proud place with Secret Life of Bees and To Kill A Mockingbird. If you read only one novel this year, let it be this one.”
Kathyrn will be at the festival, and I’m definitely getting a signed book.
Lit Links
Can a woman write the great American novel?
One way to plot a novel.
Creating sympathetic characters.
Take that Michiko. Norman Mailer spouts off.
On another note, I’ve mentioned this novel once before but now I’ve finally read it and while we I don’t generally review books here, I had to make an exception for The Help.
Here’s my take:
“I’m always a little sad when I finish a truly one-of-a-kind, outstanding book. First I hate to leave behind the world the author has created. Second, I know that it will probably be a very long while before I read another book that is even half good as the one I’ve just finished.That’s how I felt after reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett, a novel set in the early sixties in Jackson, Mississppi about the relationship between white women and their black maids. I want to thank Ms. Stockett for creating such vivid, endearing character-characters I will never forget--and for putting them in situations that kept me eagerly turning the pages.As I read, I felt a rare whoosh of realization that I was reading a novel destined to be a classic and to take its proud place with Secret Life of Bees and To Kill A Mockingbird. If you read only one novel this year, let it be this one.”
Kathyrn will be at the festival, and I’m definitely getting a signed book.
Lit Links
Can a woman write the great American novel?
One way to plot a novel.
Creating sympathetic characters.
Take that Michiko. Norman Mailer spouts off.
1 comment:
Oops, sometimes we do say something, before we think! or look :)
Post a Comment