William Gibson Book-Signing at U Village B&N

Before I arrived, I think I expected to see what I had seen at the last booksigning I attended. It was at the University Bookstore, where Jacqueline Carey was doing a signing for Naamah's Kiss. There was a small crowd of about 50 or so people.

For some reason, I forgot that William Gibson is just a wee bit more popular and well-known than Jacquline Carey. Just a bit. So it was a little surprising to see a more than a hundred people lined up outside the Barnes and Noble auditorium. Even though I didn't line up in time to get seated, I still had a good enough view in the back to see Mr. Gibson (his whole head!). The B&N soundsystem was good too, bless their little souls.

W.G. read more slowly than I read his books in my head, so the rhythm of the text was different than I was expecting. Then again, it would take a very bad reader to ruin the first chapter of a Gibson novel. I appreciated the most what he said before he started reading. It was that he only really got to read the first chapters of his novels when he first read them while on tour, to an audience. So during the first few stops on the book tour (like this one), he and the audience were both experiencing the book for the first time.

I liked the Q&A better. Even though I couldn't hear most of the questions, it was still lovely to hear him answer them. The quotes that I caught via Twitter are below.

"I'm not really writing about the future...I'm just trying to create mini fugue states that help us make sense of our alien present."

"I'm more interested in travelling to the same place repeatedly...I'm reluctant to add another city to the capitals of my imagination"

He is one of the most quotable people I have ever met in person. When I got "Zero History" signed (see left), I mentioned that I appreciated his tweetability. He said that he thought it was the technology training him to speak in soundbites. Perhaps, but it's also that he's quite clever and has a lovely way with words. He also has a nice measured cadence to his voice, so I have time to catch up with his thoughts while I'm twiddling away on my cell phone, talking to the Internet.

Though I know he's been writing for more than 30 years and I've seen his recent book jacket pictures, W.G. was unexpectedly old...especially his voice. It was clear, it was strong, and he's obviously as sharp as ever. It just had that timbre to it, of wearing thin. This must be the arrogance of youth, but it's strange, realizing that someone so bleedingly current is an old man.

Fare thee well, sweet Bailey Coy

I was bummed when I heard Bailey Coy Books was going to close at the end of November, but Cheesecake's video interview of Michael Wells has me sniffling. All good things must come to an end and all, but watching this interview makes it feel like closing this bookstore is kicking people out of their home.

Anyway, I'll see you at the wake.

A Conversation with Friends of Seattle Public Library

A while ago I got to sit down and talk with Sarel Rowe of Friends of Seattle Public Library about how I use our public library system, what our library contributes to the neighborhood, and what libraries will look like in the future (two words: info portal). This conversation was part of a survey Friends of SPL put together for their Neighborhood Report on library value, an important subject in the light of the recent week-long library closure. I was just lucky enough to be able to take the survey in person with someone as nice and fun to talk to as Sarel. Apparently, Sarel felt the same way, so now you can see what I said in a post at the Friends of SPL blog.

Friends of Seattle Public Library: Because Even Libraries Need Friends

If I could add a subtitle to this post, it would be: "Especially when budget cuts mean that our libraries are closed for a week". While the libraries might not have been able to do much about it, the Friends of Seattle Public Library didn't take the closures sitting down. Instead, they blogged about it. (Twice!)

"Wah, wah, more blogtivism," you might say. But getting the word out, especially word that this closure is hitting disadvantaged folks hardest, is important. Turn their word into action by donating your time or your money, whichever one you have the most of...which, these days, is probably time.

A quick way to help is to fill out the Friends of SPL's "Neighborhood Survey of Library Value". If you'd like to do the survey in person, set up an interview by emailing Sarel Rowe, Advocacy Chair of the Friends of The Seattle Public Library: advocacy(at)friendsofspl(dot)org. I recommend the latter option - Sarel's really nice and a delight to talk with. If you end up having a really neat conversation with her, it just might end up on the Friends of SPL blog :D.

Spine and Crown

I have been frequenting Spine and Crown since not long after they opened, lured in by window displays that are a mix of luridly bad paperbacks from the 60s and books that I might actually be interested in reading. I did indeed find many books that I read and enjoyed, and got to know a great conversationalist in Kris, the keeper of the store.

What I did not get to know until recently was their excellent blog. Thanks to Keith of People's Parking Lot, I now know the joys of Kris' entertaining and effervescent writings about philosophy, life, and most of all, books.