About a Boy...

Although I'm tired enough to fall asleep in my desk chair & go rolling across my uneven floor, I'm posting away because I had such a great day. No, not the getting up at 6:45 part, or the staying on campus for over 13 hours straight bit, or the working away furiously in the computer lab part. While I am so tired my contacts are drying up in my eyes, Nick Hornby's reading was well worth it this evening. Just wanted to jot some things down before I completely forget the experience. (Much like the have a friend I used to tease that she only remembered things that happened if we had photographic evidence of them, I remember better if it's written down somewhere.) He read from A Long Way Down (quite funny, for a book about suicides) and "Nipple Jesus"---which I didn't think was very funny when I read it for myself. Why is it so wonderful to hear authors read aloud, and so excruciatingly boring to hear most people do it? Maybe I'm just a snob & the rest of you folks really dig it. Or hate author readings. The prerequisite Q&A sessions following the readings are never my favorite. This one was no exception & I'm sure I disturbed the guy sitting beside me by fidgeting in my chair (sorry, guy with a stack of books; please understand I'd just come from yoga & everything was still popping & readjusting in my spine). Most of the people there are aspiring authors who have author-ish questions to ask But I heard him say two particularly interesting things:

1. What's enjoyable about pop & rock is its novelty; there's no point listening to the same stuff for decades.
2. Writing autobiographically for his first two books wasn't a problem because as you live, you grow & have more experiences which lead to more material to write about (whereas I'd always thought it was best to leaveautobiographies til you were old, but I see his point).

So thanks to my old boyfriend for introducing me to Nick Hornby years ago, even if Fever Pitch is a tough read for an American girl. And thanks, Nick, for uncomplainingly signing all 4 of my books---as well as the stacks of books from all the other nerds who stood in line with me. Hundreds of 'em. Oh, and guess who I saw going into the building just ahead of me---yes, the Boyfriend That Never Was. That's timing for you---haven't thought of him forever, and as soon as I do he pops up again. I was on the phone with my date for Sat. night, so didn't stop to say hello. As if I even wanted to say hello anyway, but it would have been polite not to ignore him. Seeing as he's getting married in a matter of months, I think we should let it rest with him for a while. I mean, seriously! Speaking of the weekend... there are some good shows coming up, including Nick Hornby playing with Marah in Oxford (Proud Larrys? I'll find the link to it later...zzzzz). There's also the Memphis International Film Festival (ditto) if you like that sort of thing. I'm hoping for a big Tiger win tomorrow night, and if so we may "draw No. 3 Gonzaga Saturday, [we] could get to the Final Four without playing a single opponent from a BCS league." Wouldn't that be somethin'!