Re: vindicated, sorta

gracie wrote:

or was it one xanax and a shot of tequilla?

I thought authors preferred Zac and Jack.

So it's Xanax for crazy siblings after the mother's death? Where the hell where you last week when my grandma died Chris? Oh, yeah, SF. So I guess speed was the wrong choice. I bet my mom's crazy siblings can beat up Charlee's crazy siblings. (BTW, yeah, I'm not joking about grandma, but it was a good thing and gallows humour is carried on a gene I inherited from her, so it's all kosher, so quit your kvetching.)


And to get one thing straight, you're the George Bernard Shaw to Terry Pratchett's Oscar Wilde and I don't care if you aren't England's best-selling author, you still kick Pratchett ass, and I'm working on single-handedly turning each one of his fans over to the CM side. So just give it a little time.

It sets my teeth on edge when folks say "If you like Pratchett you'll like Chris Moore." Of course this is usually done by folks that write book adverts and who not too long ago would say "If you like Piers Anthony you'll like Terry Pratchett."

Apples and Oranges in writing style in my opinion. =)

As to the lady in the hat - I got worse at my first book signing. I got a guy that wanted to argue with me about Tolkien's books and how his opinion of Tolkien differed from my own.

I eventually told him he was free to write his own book.
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May I add here that Terry Pratchett has a formula and also rattles off at good pace?

You're much nicer than I am

I would have tormented the woman, asking her if she remembered me, then you know how people with hearing aids, when trying to adjust them make that screeching sound, made the sound for her with the mic and that HER HAT WAS STILL UGGGGLY.
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No, I was there that day at Books by the Bay and remember it vividly. It was not a shining moment for Chris. I'm mildly glad to hear this postscript to the story. Mitigating circumstances, I suppose.

I'm sure it will never happen again.

Susan
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I wonder what Susan's reading:

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I'm not sure, but I think I've seen that lady... I used to hang out in SF with my aunt and uncle... and I'm pretty sure I ran into her... either that, or there is another little old lady running around in garrish hats...

But then again, it is SF... so it could be someone else... maybe... oh, never mind...
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lisa wrote:

May I add here that Terry Pratchett has a formula and also rattles off at good pace?

He also has a pleasant voice, is not overly tall, and has very good manners.

suetu wrote:

No, I was there that day at Books by the Bay and remember it vividly. It was not a shining moment for Chris. I'm mildly glad to hear this postscript to the story. Mitigating circumstances, I suppose. I'm sure it will never happen again. Susan

Yes, Susan, and you probably remember that I was doing the last gig on a tour that had lasted almost two months. I was exhausted and probably not as quick on my feet (with the hat lady) as I might have been if I had been fresher. At the Pratchett thing I wanted to go to the woman's son and tell him that he had no idea how off-putting it is to have someone yelling at you when you're speaking. We're not comedians, or political pundits, or rock stars -- who are used to or prepared for hecklers --we are nerdy people who sit in a room by ourselves making clicky noises, and for most of us, going out into public is an unnatural and difficult thing. They don't teach public speaking at author's school. The first signing I had ever been to other than my own, was Terry Pratchett's, two weeks ago. We don't even have examples to work from.

That day at Yerba Buena I had never appeared in a theater before, with the audience dark and lights in my eyes. (Especially after coming out of the blinding sunlight in the park.) I saw the venue as I was being led to the stage, and was having an extraordinary hard time seeing the audience as well as my notes. When I looked out, my eyes adjusted to the stage lights, when I looked back down at the page, I was blind. Because I'd been out on tour for so long, I had started to speak less and less from notes, but when the hat lady thing didn't work, and I obviously didn't have the audience, my presentation, which usually depends on a rapport with the audience had to change completely on the fly. thus I went to reciting whale facts.

This is not by way of making excuses, merely explanation. Obviously I've thought this through and hope that if it happens again I will be ready. (By the way, I had a crazy old lady heckling me in Scottsdale a couple of years before, and dealt with it by teasing her , which went over fine and turned out the most successful event I'd done to that time -- but the audience got it, they knew I was teasing her, we were all on the same page, and she didn't scream back at me like the old lady in Yerba Buena did. ) Not only was the Yerba Buena event not my shining moment, it was perhaps the worst public speaking moment I've ever had. (Including giving Medicare benefit seminars at retirement homes in the 80s, if you can imagine.)

But by the time I'd come back for the grand opening of Books Inc. in Alameda, I think I'd recovered. The staff voted me the best author event they had ever done -- not by attendance, by entertainment.

Anyway, next time, "Nice hat". That's all I'm saying.

Yes, Chris, I remember all of that. I remember the condition you were in. And everything you said in your blog and in this post is true. It was a bad speaking engagement. I've seen you turn them around in the past. That day it didn't work. Okay. You bounced back. You learned a few things.

Yes, that was a fine night in Alameda. Philip adores you. He's always going to ask you back. I don't think you'll ever have trouble getting booked in the Bay Area. Hey, did you see the new Cody's? New venue for you.

Funny thing is, I have way more experience than you when it come to attending these book things. You usually do pretty well for yourself. I imagine I'll schlep out to see you a few more times in the coming years.

Incidentally, I don't recall ever seeing that woman at another author event. Now I'm going to be on the lookout.

Susan
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I wonder what Susan's reading:

http://inoneeyeouttheother.blogspot.com/

Ah, my friend loves Pratchett. He's even making me read two of his books. One whose title I can't remember and the joint project "Good Omens". Though I have to confess I forget about them and pull out my worn copy of "Lamb" instead.

I have a red hat. Not a cowboy hat though. That's not cool, I need to go yell at the nearest author with my red hat. And then go ride the bus. Crazy buffet? Sweet. Crazy brains... then the bus will take us to Ikea. That's good.
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Lukaret wrote:

Ah, my friend loves Pratchett. He's even making me read two of his books. One whose title I can't remember and the joint project "Good Omens". Though I have to confess I forget about them and pull out my worn copy of "Lamb" instead. I have a red hat. Not a cowboy hat though. That's not cool, I need to go yell at the nearest author with my red hat. And then go ride the bus. Crazy buffet? Sweet. Crazy brains... then the bus will take us to Ikea. That's good.

I used to think "Good Omens" was a favorite book of mine, I had read it twice years ago. Recently I decided to reread it and I can't figure out for the life of me what I loved about it. I've never had that problem with Chris's books.

Re: the Red hat comment of Chris's. I probably would have been the lone person who laughed. Next time try Vicodin, works everytime.
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Arioch wrote:

Re: the Red hat comment of Chris's. I probably would have been the lone person who laughed.

I was thinking the same thing when I read it! (I probably would've been embarassed...but I would have cracked up!)
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How about Porter Square Books...

since Gregory Maguire of "Wicked", "Confessions of the Ugly Stepsister" and "Mirror, Mirror" will be there tonight. You're much more entertaining and they have a coffee shop. Not that I'm comparing or anything.
_________________
The world in which you were born is just one model of reality.
OTHER CULTURES ARE NOT FAILED ATTEMPTS AT BEING YOU:
They are unique manifestations of the human spirit.

Wade Davis (I knew there was a reason I liked Wade Davis)

Chris, some people just LIVE to be assholes. And the whole ' we were coming to your signings when there were only 4 people'? Those people also know how to push the buttons to make you squirm.
(Matter of fact, I just had one in here...she called me a bitch, threw her books on the floor and stormed out...all because I told her the price of the book Their problem.)

Prachett handled it because he's british and their sense of humor is so dry that people mistake it for politeness. And his books are unreadable. imo.

Medicare benefit seminars at retirement homes????
Am I the only one that caught that? Imagining that is going to keep me entertained for the rest of the day!