Casino Women: Author Reading Tour Review

University Book Store

01-25-2012


In search of entertainment. I am burning through the usual websites when I come across an author reading tonight at the University Book Store for a book called “Casino Women” Well howdy do, this is the best title of a book I have seen since “When Naked Nazi Zombie Strippers from Mars Attack!”

Don’t know the author, don’t know what the book is about, but with a title like that I gotta check it out right?

I have images of a cheesy novel like Godfather, turned into a movie by Martin Scorsese say "Goodfellas meets "Caged Heat."” Or maybe, “Casino Women” is about a team of female card counters like in "Bringing Down the House" or how about a story of how a female casino owner making it in the tough all man’s world of Casino business.

If only I was that lucky.

Let me stop you and save you some time in case you want to watch television. I almost didn’t post this one. I have taken a long time to think about posting this review but here is it: This was the worst Author Reading I have ever attended. Period. A new low was set tonight so congrats Martha Grimes you’re off the hook.

I arrive with fifteen minutes to spare expecting a sparse crowd when I realize they are putting out more chairs and packing in the Book Store reading area. A fast count and we are up to fifty people and growing: a promising sign. Large groups of women, many college co-eds milling around and I begin to assume the author is a young first timer. Then just before the reading; shrouded in purple and gold jackets, they descend on the room like refugees trying to get out of the cold. What is this a book club, I think at first.?

They are wearing pins. Local 925? Union? They are handing out Union pins with slogans and wearing jackets union jackets. What are they doing at a reading about Casino’s and Women and why are they so angry as they talk among themselves?

Then before I can ask anyone, a professor from the University of Washington School of Public Health steps up and introduces, Dr. Jill B. Jones proclaiming how important her message is about health effects of casino work on women and the importance of her research.

Academia? It is slowly occurring to me that Scorsese is not going be adapting this book but that is fine, I can learn something.

Then she takes the stage. Jill B. Jones is a mature woman who has been on faculty at the University Nevada Las Vegas. I’m expecting something provocative, a charismatic speech to fill the mind and heart but no, not tonight.
Her reading is truly a reading. That is she is reading her whole presentation from a typed page and this woman never varied from the written text.

Now I’ve seen this before from some very good authors but Professor Jones demonstrated the exact reason why this tactic has the potential of a losing presentation. The woman is so monotone, so bland with a complete lack of inflection of her voice that I can’t tell where something begins and something ends… Oh how to explain this.

She reads from her prepared remarks off of the paper then Professor Jones would say something like “This is from the book.” At that point the audience is told they are listening to a section of the book, but then somehow, without any apparent break in cadence or style the book’s quote has ended and the speech continued but there is no clear break from book quote to lecture. I recorded this lecture and listened twice again and I challenge anyone to tell me where the books passage ends and she continues her speech. It was confusing and weird and distracting and had this been a first time writer I would have been more forgiving or not even review this but I expect more from a seasoned college professor.

Then there is the book. It seems that the whole thesis lacked any balance or demonstrated any kind of success story. I'm not against unions personally but I am against boring.

It was the same message over and over again. Casino’s are bad, workers are abused. The Professor tells the audience that casinos in Reno are not unionized and they struggle worse than Vegas, but they struggle in Vegas too because despite having the largest union in the State of Nevada, casino workers can’t get enough breaks from the Casinos.

The professor says while things in Reno are bad, at least in Vegas a housekeeper can make enough to afford a home and send a child to college but they struggle. Memo to Professor Jones, if she defines struggle as a job that allows someone to pay college tuition, then I know some Boeing workers who would have a choice word about the definition of struggle.

The professor says that Hotel housekeepers have the fourth most dangerous job in the United States but does not mention who is in the top three. My guess is if a housekeeper ranks number four on the danger level then that should place them behind police and infantry soldiers but between, Crab boat fishermen and loggers.

Snarky statement I realize but because of her lousy presentation and tone of the book she didn’t sway my sympathy.

Granted, the subject was not as exciting as a novel nor is this subject part of the national conversation. Fine, and not everyone can be Malcolm Gladwell; but I guarantee you that with the low grade presentation I saw tonight, this issue will not see the national spotlight anytime soon.

John De Graaf and David Batker Book Tour Review

Town Hall Seattle

University Book Stores


December 13, 2011


I don’t know what exists in heaven but hell must be a cocktail party full of Economists with no booze.

Filmmaker,John De Graaf and EconomistDavid Batker showed up today to discuss their new book "What's the Economy for Anyway?"

This book is based off of the movie/info/documentary the two men made that has received a great deal of notice. It’s backwards since usually the movie comes after the book but hats off to the two authors, for this accomplishment.

The book’s basic premise is that the measure of the economy should be in question, and in fact the whole measurement economic value should be changed. These are utopian ideals based on principles and while some of their concepts are immeasurable and intangible the two men’s presentation was downright solid.

Now I am no economist and I could not be further outside my area of expertise but let me say, economics is a boring a subject but tonight it could not have been any more entertaining.

Inside Town Hall’s basement I am waiting with my friend Nick who tags along
Next door to the lecture hall, there is a raucous reception, (invite only), with about forty people in honor of the authors.

I am sitting in the front row engaged in conversation with a delightful older lady about how she believes this movie was important and the economic concepts are spot on. She is a big fan of the movie (which I have never heard of) and talks as if Nick and I both own a personal copy so we go along with the conversation. Then a man sits between us and he starts talking about the book. Another man seated behind joins in on the conversation. It’s so happy here among strangers, I thought we were all going to have to rent a house together.

Then a man stands next to me. We make eye contact and he introduces himself to me as David. Swear to God he is the friendliest man I ever met and oh yeah by the way I had no fricking idea who I am talking to now.

David: “Nice to meet you Claudio”
Me: “You too. Wow big crowd. Were you over at the reception?”

OF COURSE was at the reception: this was David Batker, he was the guest of honor. But no I’m still oblivious and we keep talking until I make a complete ass of myself asking, “Have you read this book?”

If this had been another author, say Andrew Vachss, I would have been escorted out to the back of the building and beaten until I apologized.

Mr. Batker, could not have been more gracious in telling me he was in fact the co-author. The lack of pretension was so genuine, and so refreshing that I thought more authors could use this man’s charm to connect with potential readers.

Oh yeah, the reading.

John De Graaf, the film maker of the duo starts out the evening. He is a veteran film maker and wears the same mischievous smile you saw plastered on the Caddyshack gopher.

Mr. De Graaf opens well by stating that there will be no boring PowerPoint presentations because in his words, “power corrupts and PowerPoint corrupt absolutely.” It’s a funny line which leads into Mr. De Graaf showing the first part of the documentary that staring who else but the man I didn’t recognize: David Batker.

There is a danger in showing a movie at a reading. It has all the trappings of someone inviting you to watch their wedding video. It can be boring and staid and the presenter risks losing the audience or worse, hiding behind celluloid but De Graaf shows just enough to get the conversation started and it works.

Tonight is about left wing utopian ideals. It's about how we all need more time off, how people in other countries besides the U.S. are healthier and less sick when they work less. How other countries are more productive than the U.S. with more time less stress and a greater sense of community.

They wrote a book about problems of the world and they actually offer their own solutions that support their arguments.

Tonight they fed us statistics about what Americans feel, what the world should be and how wealth should be distributed. They talk of how outdated the GDP is as a measuring tool for the economy and how it is relied upon so much that it handcuffs progress. De Graaf and Batker would like to include the Bhutan’s National Happiness Index.

They believe the economy will grow if we change accounting practices, not like Enron changed accounting practices, but a new paradigm; such as including the environmental value of wetlands protecting the Gulf Coast. Batker argues that the value of a wetland protecting the Gulf Coast from tropical storms should be included so that the inland destruction averted by wetland preservation would save millions in rebuilding cost for the future.

Regarding the authors, I must say that I appreciate the level of discourse the two men are willing to engage in with the audience. They were entertaining, open, kind men who did not waste my time as they presented their book. (Kudos to Batker, he actually asked people to buy the book. No doubt the publisher is happy as is the sponsorUniversity Book Storeas was the audience.

Tonight they were preaching to the choir but I had the feeling that De Graaf and Batker would have engaged an opposing views if there were any to be found in the crowd. In fact allow me to make a serious observation of the audience; it was so far to the left that we were in danger of going full circle and running into Fox News Corp headquarters.

This audience, resembled the crowd downtown Seattle's "occupy protest movements" and some even had police pepper scented body spray. So help me God if one person stepped up and offered a counter argument to Batker I would have called 911 for that person’s safety.

Questions like how “other” places receive Batker and De Graaf came up. De Graaf mentioned that other parts outside of Seattle had been receptive to their ideas even in the “South” Yes because we all understand that NO SOUTHERNER is concerned about environment, community, or having the desire to change the status quot regarding the economy. No, only people in Seattle have the moral fiber and acuity to understand what is best for the world. We all know there are no are no right minded conservatives here just like we all know there are no liberals in Idaho.


Of course I am being sarcastic. I encourage people to go to these things to expand their minds. I enjoy listening to conversation that moves people and love that the Tea Party and the Occupiers give a damn but to listen to people in this crowd tonight, even if I agree with some of their points it is a nice reminder that liberals too - can be bigots.

During the open mic question, OH DID THE LUNATIC FRINGE TAKE OVER. Nothing makes my Cheetos stained hands clap together faster than when the nuts come out for a book reading and tries to take over the stage. First question is this pickle head who takes five full minutes to make a speech and yell at the audience out for not being involved in government. Earlier this same nut case, handed my friend Nick a card attempting to recruit minions to his movement. I want to yell "Dude get your own lecture hall"

Another believer gets up (THIS WAS A FIRST), he read his question off a lap top computer. WOW! Then as the two authors try to answer this he was typing Batker’s answer in real time as if his blog followers could not wait for the answer in real time. Oh yeah, question was about globalization. It was so long, complex and disjointed, that he must have been working on the question for over a week. Somehow Batker and De Graaf got through it, but I swear I still don’t know what the kid wanted to know.

The whole Q & A session was a hot mess and it was great. Mr. Batker kept up his energy and showed his charm while Mr. De Graaf kept that gopher smile on his face like a drunk at a open bar enjoying the moment. Still they had to be wondering if Malcolm Gladwell or Hernando de Soto got questions like this.

Still they were worth checking out

CHECK OUT SEATTLE TIMES BOOK REVIEW

Author Michael Ondaatje Book Tour Review

Seattle Public Library

October 24, 2011

Tonight is going to be huge and I am so sure of it I get off work early to ensure I get a prime seat. One of the true masters of prose, Michael Ondaatje has arrived to promote his newest book, “The Cat’s Table.”

Mr. Ondaatje’s appearance was advertised in the Seattle times as part of the Library author series and as expected the place was packed.
Now, I honestly believe that Mr. Ondaatje writing is some of the best prose by any living author. Too bad his author reading stunk.

Rick from Elliot Bay Bookstore gives a heartfelt introduction and Ondaatje makes a grand appearance, looking the part of a regal professor from that Ivy League school you wished you could have attended.

This is the biggest crowd I have seen in a long time. Three hundred plus fans of literature appear tonight for an evening that truly sucked. This is the kind of author who is capable of attracting a crowd that might never step out of the house.
Oh a word about the audience. This is not the regular lit crowd. Book clubs came. Groups of students arrive. This is the high snob, I read a book a week and what an intellectual I am crowd. This is the crowd that comes into town with friends for dinner and lectures, plays symphonies. They buy books get it?

Mr. Ondaatje begins with a very brief introduction, so brief in fact that I barely get the premise before he starts reading scattered long sections from his newest novel. “Cat’s Table”

The novel is the story of three eleven year old boys, on a voyage to London. The boys, strangers at first, are traveling unsupervised by adults and the novel follows their journey of discovery as they leave home for various reasons.

Mr.Ondaatje’s reading voice can best be described as hypnotic. He has a soft unique accent that is pleasant to the ear and as he begins reading you can hear a pin drop. The passages he reads tonight lead me to believe this book is of the same caliber as his previous works and his ability to command words that good together is on full display. If you have never read one of his novels, check one out and you will see what I mean.

For instance, Mr.Ondaatje’s protagonist, (ironically named Michael) describes a specific character he meets as “tentative,” “languid”, and “moving like a sick cat.” When the boys place themselves intentionally in harm's way and are discovered by the ship’s spotlight the narrator describes that he and his companions could “sense the outrage behind the light.”

As said earlier, Mr.Ondaatje has a soothing voice, it lacks inflection, but is a gorgeous voice causing the crowd to sway like the rocking of the ship his characters travel. There is however a danger to listening to this kind of author read and that is the danger of falling asleep.

The first twenty minutes go well. Rarely did Mr.Ondaatje take a break from reading to explain anything and when doing so, the author offered little background to the audience. What little bit of the novel’s back story he did expound upon lacked humor or antidotes.

This reading was analogous to a long slow steady love making session; after the initial magic wears off the constant rhythm becomes irritating and then you just hope it ends soon.

Finally when he stopped reading, the author closed the book and said softly, “I will now take your questions.”

Questions about what? He hardly said anything, read for forty minutes and now the crowd was expected to ask questions? I got some questions, Hey Mike why don’t you talk to us about the book's plot, or your motivation for writing or your writing process or you what you had for dinner? Something so the audience has a starting point for a conversation.

So now unfold the worst thing that can happen during an author reading. The audience provides all subject material; the author is forced to deal with the result thus turning a nice evening into a staid, insipid mess.

So what do you get when an author steps on the stage, reads for forty minutes then goes straight into Q&A?

Here are some pearls:

Which of your novels is your favorite? (Ondaatje dismisses the question.)
What are you reading now? (He can’t remember off the top of his head)
Who was your first publisher? (Relevance please)

By now, Mr. Ondaatje looks bored. I’m bored. That is because there is no focus of his reading. The excitement of the audience is reduced to a band of adults checking their smart phones. Give us a conversation starter Ondaatje. Tell us where you lived how you started where you came to love the craft? My God it was more awkward than a junior high dance.

Here is some more questions:

“What novels were your inspiration?” (The author says too many to mention)
“What is your method of writing?” (Long hand then three or four drafts before the finished product.)

Okay, maybe I am being too harsh. To be fair Mr. Ondaatje has been on a huge tour and Seattle was the tail end. He is and older man now; he successful but he is tired. I doubt there are few questions he has never been asked.

I don’t care. People made sacrifices to come here tonight. Seattle is in the midst of one of the biggest paralyzing road projects in its history. It was a testament to Mr. Ondaatje and the city’s literary fans that came out tonight in such impressive numbers most authors will never experience.

At least Mr. Ondaatje could have made an effort to be interesting.

Author Scott Westfeld Book Tour Review

Seattle Public Library
Sponsored by Secret Garden Books

October 10, 2011


Short Version: "Scott Westerfeld is not the adult who tries to relate to younger fans by acting their age. Westerfeld succeeds by being an adult who holds a youth’s attention by being interesting. He certainly had mine tonight."


Here is something adults complain about, not enough adolescents read these days. Well they should have been here this night

A few years back I attended a writer’s conference in Canada and Scott Westerfeld's novel "Leviathan" was hailed by this particular literary agent as the premier novel on the Steampunk genre. Well goodness me anytime the premiere anything is in town it is time to make an appearance. I confess this was an eye opener.

By the time I got in the door to the Seattle Downtown library I didn’t know what the hell to think. Kids. Loads of them, showing up on a Friday night with books to be autographed and dressed in costumes resembling the characters Westerfeld had created.

As a lone adult I had neither a costume nor was I escorting a teenage fan and so I stuck out like a sore thumb as the crowd lined up.

One group of young ladies (Age 13-15 )were dressed up in outfits straight out a scene from a Monte painting. Actually they didn’t look so out of place as they did, well, cute. They were clean cute clean polite proper girls who read books and are into the characters. Moms stayed an appropriate distance away of course but it was heartwarming.

Then there was the smallish prepubescent boy (13?) sporting the Duran Duran Haircut who wore a shirt that said “Step into the Dork Side” What was funny about him was every time another adult appeared his dad would look around with that expression of ‘Please God don’t let anyone I know see me.’

Steam punk is hard to define. Think of alternative universe where automation and technology have no bounds but everything is new and takes place around the turn of the last century. Confused? Think "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" as an early Steampunk adventure novel.


Inside the library I get a good seat when a young man fired up on what seems a lethal combination of Red Bull and hyper-enthusiasm jumps the seat next to right and asks me “Are you pulling a Malone?” Huh?

Malone it turns out is a reporter in the Westerfeld novels and this kid thinks my note pad and tape recorder are part of my costume. I am just playing a character. The young man is old by the crowds standards, (19) and he is fully decked out in military surplus gear (complete with Aviator Goggles of course) and explains to me that he is dressed as a “Clanker” from the novel.

I don’t know what a Clanker is but as the kid prattles on (Let’s call him Wes) I now realize I have a Sherpa to take me inside the world of the Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy.

HOLD YOUR BREATH THIS IS THE DYSTOPIAN BACKDROP OF LEVIATHAN.

According to Wes, Charles Darwin discovers DNA. This allows counties known as Darwinist, (Britain, France, Russia,) use their advanced technology to create an advanced weapon system dominated by gene splicing. This means their weapons are hybrid animals with special powers to be used in warfare.

The Darwinist nations are opposed to the “Clanker Nations” (Germany, Austria-Hungary) who have developed high powered creative War machines operated by Steam and other fuels existing before the age of Nuclear power. The Clankers are at philosophical and technological differences with the Darwinist. The Arch Duke Ferdinand gets assassinated, World War I has breaks out and it is up to the two sides to settle things once and for all.


Get it? I don’t either because IT’S STEAMPUNK but I am hoping Scott Westerfeld will explain as his author reading is about to start. “Wes” is done with me and finds costume company on the auditorium floor.

THE READING

It’s hard to hold the attention of someone across the room but holding the attention of one hundred fifty kids? The atmosphere is that of a high school pep rally and I am dying to see how this middle aged author is going to pull it off.

Westerfeld is tall and comes across gentle even shy, as if he has never yelled at anyone in his life. Rather than stand off stage waiting for the big entrance, Westerfeld sits calmly at the front of the stage taking pictures of the crowd and playing with his telephone. For a man who is here to speak to adoring fans I am shocked how the crowd streams in past him not giving him a second glance. I wonder if these kids know who he is because they ignore him like a substitute teacher.

Westerfeld looks bored, and if he reads like he looks this is going to be a wasted reading. What is the old saying about judging a book and its cover?

After he is introduced by the library staff Westerfeld a portable microphone where the author turns into part history professor and part game show host complete with a PowerPoint presentation.

Unlike the adult who is scared of children, Westerfeld refuses to hide behind a podium. He prefers the portable microphone for mobility and like any good novel, Westerfeld challenges the audience to not only follow what he says but to physically follow his movements on stage.

Now I understand his secret. Scott Westerfeld is not the adult who tries to relate to younger fans by acting their age. Westerfeld succeeds by being an adult who holds a youth’s attention by being interesting. He certainly had mine tonight.

What was so great about tonight? I complain that authors should talk about their novels and read from their books for the purpose of increasing book sales. Westerfeld is one of those rare birds who can sell books without uttering a word from his novel.
He did this through the visual images of his novel’s illustrations.

You see, tonight this was not a reading but a history lesson about illustrations in novels. The author spoke of the power of the illustrator and how they can shape and increase the pleasure of the written word. He talked about how the legendary image of Sherlock Holmes, complete with Deerstalking hat, was not created by the author, but rather an illustrator. Nowhere in the Sherlock Holmes books does it say Holmes even wears a hat of any kind; let alone a Londoner wearing a hat used when hunting in the woods but that first illustrator gave Holmes an iconic image for history.

With this background, Westerfeld began to explain to the audience how his illustrator, Keith Thompson, helped shape the world of the Leviathan series. Westerfeld heaped praise on Thompson’s work as a key component to the success of the series.
Westerfeld said that he would write a few chapters then Thompson would send back the drawings that came to his imagination from Westerfeld’s words. Often times Thompson’s illustrations shaped and changed the novels so that the two fit hand in hand.

Toward the end, Westerfeld, encouraged the young audience, or anyone who dared to write a novel to stretch their imaginations beyond what they think others will accept as normal.

It was an inspiring night even for an adult.

Author Juliet Eilperin's Book Tour Review

University Book Store


7-25-11


The problem with journalist writing a book is that they go on book promotions and that can be painful. Once on stage reporters treat these junkets as if they were at a press conference and on the wrong side of the podium. Journalist are used to being in the safety of the press core asking the questions not answering them. At the podium, they often squirm and produce canned guarded boring responses. I understand. It’s the reporter’s nature to swim around with their kind, waiting for a sign of distress before they attack. Kind of like, well… a shark.

Not so tonight. As a speaker on the subject Ms.Juliet Eilperin's is fantastic and right before Shark Week beings she is in Seattle pumping up her new book "Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks"

It was a remarkable evening. Concise and direct, her speech flows without hesitation or remarkably without refereeing to notes. It’s a shame that due to the time restrictions at University Books she did not use her power point presentation for visual emphasis.

The best part of Ms. Eilperin's speech tonight may have occurred before the Author Event began. I arrive early, sit in the front row and chat with the Book store employees. To my shock, Ms. Eilperin's arrives early as well and introduces herself to the staff with a brilliant smile that would send a dentist into the poor house. I’m now ease dropping.

She is a gracious lady, unpretentious and without entourage perfect manners and speaks to the book store staff with respect. An audience member approaches her sounding like an academic or a researcher. She humbles herself to him by admitting her concern to get things correct. The man compliments her work, saying that she did a fine job at pulling together a vast subject like sharks and Ms. Eilperin seems appreciative. It’s such a sweet exchange I almost need an insulin shot.

As I sit in the front, she makes eye contact and I mention the excellent preview of her book in theSeattle Times by authorDavid B. Williams and again the woman’s face lights up.

“I just saw that today. I don’t know that person, do you?” Actually I don’t but with my note pad and tape recorder out, I guess I look like a media member. I mention write about author tours on this little blog.
“Oh she says. I will look forward to reading what you said about this.”
Maybe she was being polite but by now I found the woman so gracious I think I would paint her house if she asked.
Ms. Eilperin is not a Shark fanatic but admits that her work for the Washington Post led her to this book. The book is a tribute the environmental challenges that sharks fight for survival.

The subject of her talk is the current threat of sharks by man, specifically the Chinese cultural prestige to eat Shark Fin Soup. The author sites estimates of 35million -70 million sharks a years being killed for their fins only. The book, “Demon Fish” is not just political since it covers a wide variety of shark information but her talk tonight focuses on the shark fin trade

Once discouraged by a Communist system as a delicacy, Shark Fin Soup has gone into greater demand by the prosperous Chinese economy, and with China’s prospering, the taste for that prestige is growing. As the author points out Shark Fin Soup is a staple of Chinese wedding receptions and business is booming.

Things seem to be changing according to the author. Several countries are banning Shark fishing and some countries realize that the tourism from sharks may make them more valuable live than dead. It is akin to the fight by African locals to preserve the Elephant as a tourist draw, instead of killing them for their ivory tusks.

One young Chinese-American girl in the audience defends her culture (respectful not hostile) by saying that it is hard for young Chinese environmentalist to go against the grandparents and parent’s desire for Shark Fin Soup to be served. This was a perfectly reasoned statement and one that could invite all kinds of controversy depending on how it is answered or if the author is caught up in her own fanaticism. But Ms. Eilperin is skilled in her response and focuses on the environmental impact of the custom and not a damning of the Chinese people.

This served as one of the better audience commentaries of the evening because it was during the Q & A I wanted to stand up kiss Juliet Eilperin right on her big beautiful smile.

The hijackers were lurking in the audience. These kinds of people don’t ask questions. They look for affirmation of their personal opinions by asking leading questions and disregarding the speaker if the hijacker opinion is not validated. They try (and God do they try) to take over the speakers talk by making statements instead of questions, interrupting the author’s answer and acting like this public forum is taking place in the hijacker’s living room. Too often this happens and I hate it.

When these questions occurred, Juliet Eilperin would simply nod her head in agreement and motioning her hands saying “Uh-huh, uh-huh.” It was like watching a jump roper preparing to enter double-dutch. As the audience member blabbed on and on, Ms. Eilperin revved up her momentum, until that blessed moment when the audience member forced to take half a breath, and BAM, she breaks the hijacker’s speech by jumping in with some amazing fact and then continues on to the next question without appearing to offend anyone. It was brilliant.

I wish I could take that, bottle it up, and spray it around the room before every author reading. It would save a lot of unfortunate author readings.

Sapphire Book Tour Review

July 17, 2011



Sapphireis no joke. That’s the first thing that goes through my mind as she takes the stage to read from her newest novel, “The Kid.” Prior to that, I sit mystified. Yes it’s a warm perfect summer night but who the heck would not want to be inside the cement tinderbox basement of Elliot Bay’s dungeon to listen to an author whose previous work produced an Academy Award winning movie?

I am shocked the crowd is small. Fifteen minutes before the program is to start, I count twenty seven people but I expected over a hundred. I see the faces of the regulars who like myself, attend author readings regularly. Some Sapphire fans are reading her newest novel but many of the audience are engaged in political discussions. (More later) At exactly 7pm, the basement fills faster than a Nordstrom’s half off sale and the staff sets up another thirty chairs. Why do people decide to show up late to these things? And why did the two gay men next to me reek of onions? Damn it, I got a good seat too. It’s not the smell that irritates me it’s the audience.

Putting it blunt, where are the black people? Famous African American authors are few and far between on the speaking circuit. The Seattle African American community, show up in force when Toni Morrison, Terry McMillian, or Walter Mosley came to town but not tonight. Why? What is it about Sapphire that causes such a low turnout from the very community she comes from?

The room is not void of the African American community but the house is filling up faster and faster with that demographic I find highly entertaining/irritating: ex-hippies.

These are mainly female, white middle class AARP eligible folks, who attend lectures like this as a means of connecting to the kind of people they never grew up around. They are an intellectual know-it-all, crowd of elite snobs and prior to the author’s arrival I listen to the opinions of white people speaking up about the problems in poor black communities. Now, I have no problem with people having a point of view, (heck I write a blog) but what makes this gaggle of Subaru driving, left wing Glen Becks experts on the world of Sapphire?

Conversation volume is turned up as they shout their opinions over one another
to promote their personal causes; while trying to tell anyone in earshot that only they understand what the clueless masses don’t understand.Their sentences usually start with “I don’t understand people who…” or end sentences with “these guys don’t get it.”

I love it. Can’t wait to see how the speaker handles the Q & A session because I know some of these people are going to try to hijack the evening. This is why author readings can be so entertaining and here I continue to wait among the stench of onion on strangers.

Of course, Sapphire is not a pretender like these sycophants. She understands the plight of her novels subjects and the demons that fail those in social service organizations. She is a political voice of intelligent activism and when hearing her speak tonight there is little doubt she knows what she is talking about.

Anybody who has ever read Sapphire’s debut the novel “Push” which turned into the academy award winning movie “Precious” are aware of the novels harsh subjects covering incest, rape, illiteracy, domestic abuse and AIDS among the African American community. I’ve never read the book, but when flipping through sections of “Push” but I know someone has talent when their writing makes me physically ill.

Her newest novel “The Kid” is the tragic follow up to “Push” The book begins with Precious, having died of AIDS leaving her nine year old son, Abdul to the government social service system. This is Abdul’s story. A tale of abuse and choice that leaves him with a crack of hope in a world that has damned him to life in institutions.

Tonight, despite a hectic day of interviews, Sapphire finds the energy to read sections from the book as if she is trying to impress the audience: it works.

The author’s background (a veteran of the Slampoet circuit) serves both she and the audience well. It wasn’t a reading but a performance.

She has complete command of the stage. Maybe I shouldn’t be impressed given Sapphire’s background. Maybe I should have expected this magnificent reading tonight but night after night of hearing bad readings performed by unrehearsed authors has made me numb. I don’t write about all of them. So when I see an author on stage, remarkable as Sapphire was this evening, I appreciate the effort and I wish to God others were here as well.

“The Kid” is a collection of hard words describing a hard world and Sapphire’s talent makes these words palatable. She reads prepared comments off hand written notes, then reads sections of the novel as we follow Abdul’s journey.
She explains a lot of the novel. In fact she reads almost too much to entice the reader into buying the book. Thankfully, Sapphire doesn’t give away the ending, but she doesn’t leave much for the audience to discover about Abdul either.

The audience follows Abdul at his mother’s death bed to the bureaucratic nightmare of Foster homes, disconnected family relationships, self-awakening and graphic sexual abuse (both as victim and perpetrator)

Oh and sidebar about Sapphire. I loved her fearless nature. I loved how she called Andrew Sullivan a racist for his insensitive comments. It really frosted my cake, however, when during the Q & A session, she said Abdul should not be considered a pedophile because he himself is only a child.
So when fourteen year old Abdul sexually molests another boy in the orphanage what does that make him? A pedophile or a rapist of minors?

As I said it is a hard world that Sapphire writes about.

Cara Black vs Jacqueline Winspear a contradiction in Author Reading

Short version: Two authors come to Seattle with much in common, but one had the better author reading.


In novel writing there are few things the author has control over but one of them is the author reading. It is the one opportunity where an author can connect with the reading public in a way that is both personal and professional.

What makes a good author reading is the question. So many things can happen. So many things are unforeseen. Some are boring, but if done properly it can leave a lasting impression. This brings us to the show down between two ladies of literature.Cara Blackand Jacqueline Winspear

On the surface the two authors have a tremendous amount in common. They are mature, polite, educated and worldly women. It is not hard to imagine them being neighbors and visiting while trimming roses or drinking tea.

Both women write an established mystery series with character’s set overseas in the 20th century. Ms.Winspear’s character Maisie Dobbs is set in England after the end of World War I while Ms. Black’s private detective Aimee Leduc lives in 1990’s Paris.

Why compare these two female authors? Because both recently appeared in Seattle and demonstrated how, despite the similarities, there are differences in each author reading.

Start with atmosphere, which is important. The French organization, I’Alliance Francaise and University Books sponsored Ms. Black to read and discuss her newest novel “Murder in Passy”. Her reading took place in one of the rooms at Seattle’s Good Sheppard Home. This is a unique setting inside a beautiful one hundred year old building now used for various events. It is also worth mentioning that the Good Sheppard Home is centered in a quiet neighborhood with few distractions. No car horns or sirens or heavy traffic as the room window opens up to the large grounds surrounded by an old stone fence and heavy foliage.

Tonight the biggest distraction was I’Alliance Francaise selling French wine by the glass. (an excellent idea)

The spacious classrooms large enough that the soft spoken Ms. Black was concerned about being heard as no microphone was available. Her anxiety was unwarranted as the crowd remained attentive and cell phones silenced without being asked.

They came to hear her speak of Parisian culture and her how her years of research lead her to the inner workings of a French private detective agency. It was a simple straight forward uneventful presentation. Nothing spectacular would happen tonight and the audience was comprised of mainly people from I’Alliance Francaise some fans and other writers.

Still Ms. Black had a large challenge ahead of her. She was presenting her novel to a group whose interest lay not in her books but that of French culture. This was her eleventh book. The question is how does an author present a new novel, (and not a standalone novel but one from an established series, no less) to a crowd unfamiliar with her work.

More later.


The reading for Jacqueline Winspear presenting her novel "A Lesson in Secrets" was the exact opposite of Ms. Black. Her novels have a strong following in this region and the impressive crowd size placed a strain on the Lake Forest Park branch of Third Place Books.

She read on the main stage is known as the Third Place “Commons” where it is located in the center of a large food court and multitudes of long tables are used by the public for personal meetings. The chairs are set and the curtains are drawn, but only the biggies read here.

It is impossible to close off the noise of the conversations in the Commons. On a busy night such as this, the conditions were reminiscent of the days when European Opera singers sang for the wealthy in their boxes while the proletariat were milling around the floors selling chickens, gambling and throwing the occasional tomato at a bad actor.

Even so, Ms. Winspear has a formidable presence, on stage. She has a gorgeous English accent that marries to a rich gentle voice. From the very moment she takes the stage she is prepared and more focused than Cara Black or several authors for that matter. If you hear her speak there is little doubt she is an expert in her subject.

Ms. Winspear also avoids one of the great blunders that author’s make on tour. She is here to sell books. Early on she tells the audience that she will divulge little information about her new novel and politely encouraged the crowd to buy the books. This is an admirable trait, but one that can be taken too far.

Ms. Winspear’s talk was more of a history lecture than an author reading. Her intention was to leave the crowd with hints about her newest novel which was strange for a woman who desires to sell books. Tonight she spoke on the subjects of secrets, unappreciated contributions by British women during WWI and of all things “Winnie the Poo.”

Neither woman was a particularly entertaining reader but this is not a damnable sin. Not every author has the talent to sound like they perform at the Globe Theater and to their credit neither woman read more than a couple of pages.

So what was the difference?

Here lies the lesson. Ms. Winspear assumed her audience knew her work where Ms. Black did not.

By her own admission, Ms. Winspear had been to Seattle on many occasions which might explain why she addressed the audience about her main protagonist, Maisie Dobbs, with such familiarity.

Ms. Winspear’s intended, on this evening to create interest in her new novel but her “clues” were so abstract and so cryptic that she failed to leave any understanding about what Maisie Dobbs will do to warrant investing twenty five dollars to find out.

By the time the Q&A session came about she left no room for the audience to ask questions about the new novel and the All the questions were regarding past novels and the standard, “What are you reading now?”and “Will we see Maisie Dobbs in a movie?”

In defense of Ms. Winspear, it is appreciated when authors try to bring something new to their base core of readers. A tired old speech given repeatedly to fans is a big turn off but tonight people learned a great deal about Winnie the Poo and nothing of “A Lesson in Secrets"

The majority of Cara Black’s talk was about her characters development, history and plot lines. She brought the crowd of unfamiliar fans into the world of private investigator Aimee Leduc. Granted this took time, (she spoke longer than Ms. Winspear) and thank God for French wine, but by taking these steps in an intimate setting, Ms. Black was able to draw the crowd into both her newest novel and the entire series. Proof of her success this evening was demonstrated as Ms. Black was peppered with questions about her entire catalogue of novels and the amount of books bought by the more modest crowd.

Both women are deserving of their success but putting aside writing talent, prose and plot, it seems that to gain new fans in these hard economic times, it pays for a mystery novelist to be less mysterious.

Connie Willis Book Tour Review

2-18-11

University Book Store


The short version: The good, the bad and the ugly was all seen tonight.

Author Connie Willis graced University Books with her presence this evening to promote her newest book "All Clear." When someone enshrined in the Science Fiction Writing Hall of Fame comes to town it is best to arrive early. The audience packed in one hour before Ms. Willis is to take the stage. Strangers start conversations asking what books they have read or if they have seen Ms. Willis speak before. This seems promising.

Ms. Willis arrives on time and chats with some audience members. The large crowd arriving is causing a delay and University Books, Sci-Fi book buyer, Duane, is doing his best imitation of Sampson by moving whole bookshelves and setting up more chairs for the growing crowd.

Normally an author on book tour would speak about the book; say a little something about what is was about and even read a selection or two.

THE READING

The Good

Ms. Willis is an interesting lady and it is easy to see why the audience is expecting great things. She comes across as an experienced speaker deep, irreverent, funny, satirical and for the most part thoughtful. I like the fact that she is still involved with the writing community by virtue of her willingness to teach writing courses and seminars. (Check Richard Hugo House in June)

Tonight she talks about tabloid politics, watching cable news, Astronomy, quotes Chekov on books, the academic work of Donald Norman, the trouble with the Kindle and all e-book readers and her love of the television show Prime Evil. The best parts might have been about the e-book readers.
She espoused a love for the physical book in a beautiful romantic manner. She spoke of how paper bound books create an attachment in a way that electronic books cannot.

She draws comparisons of e-book readers to Netflix. She states that although the Kindle holds several works. . Much the same way people forget why they ordered a movie on Netflix, E-readers, can forget the book and by the time a person gets around to reading a particular book they might forget why they downloaded it in the first place and dump the novel off into cyberspace rendering the book meaningless unlike a cherished copy of a book once owned by a family member or given as a gift.

She addresses the complaints by her fans, who have told her they can’t finish books on Kindle because saying the lose interest in the novel. With a physical novel, the reader’s progress and finale is visually clear. In the opinion of Ms. Willis, the Kindle falls short in this regard, and detaches the reader further from the novel. She gives the examples based on the work of Donald Norman. It’s an interesting anecdote. She is not preaching, rather just addressing the differences/challenges with the new media.

The Bad.

This was supposed to be a reading. Not one moment did she promote her book, read her book or talk about her book. The audience was full of fans happy to be in the same room with her on a Friday evening. They laughed, smiled and went along with everything that Ms. Wills discussed. For them it was pure entertainment; the opportunity to be in the same room with a hero and lacking of expectations.

This bothers me in general and not specifically to just Ms. Willis. Sometimes the author can become so large and has been on reading tour so much that they change subjects just to keep from getting bored. Maybe writers assume their audience has heard it all before. Perhaps they have become complacent in their thoughts and work. It’s hard to say that is what Ms. Willis was thinking, but it felt like she wanted to speak of anything but her newest work.

If tonight’s reading would have been advertised, Author Connie Willis Talks about Whatever is on Her Mind and Not Her Newest Book. It would have been more honest.

The Ugly.

This is difficult. I took time and thought about this. Let’s be clear, Ms. Willis believed she was talking to her deep devoted fans. I realize she thought she was joking or at least making an attempt at humor to a room full of her base but it wasn’t funny. This night Ms. Willis said something so outrageous that it would have shocked and even angered the average person.

I won’t repeat the comment. It only adds fuel to a conflagration of American politics.

Even more appalling Ms. Willis followed her “joke” by threatening the audience “and if this comment shows up on your websites I’m going to be really mad.”

Well then don’t say it and if you do then don’t threaten to your fans. In light of the public anger being carried over to congresswomen getting a mature woman like Ms. Willis should know words have power; they also have consequences. The “joke” or wry comment said in the living room among friends does not work at a public reading where mixed company could be offended and can kill a book sale, hurt the store and most of all, incite violence.

Drunk, stoned or sober (she was very sober) public figures and authors especially, should know that you own your words when spoken in public. An intelligent deep thinking woman like Ms. Willis, who teaches the craft of writing, should know the power of words and know how to edit herself.

Tonight there was at least one fan recording the whole reading and it could end up on You Tube. Trust me I know it was meant to be a wry comment but it was very poor taste. Repeating it here, might even endanger Ms. Willis by some deranged idiot unable to separate truth from purely insensitive comment. It was one comment, stated early in her talk but it ruined a decent evening. I came to hear an author talk about her book. I left with ten minutes left before the Q & A started, because I had enough.

Susan Vreeland Book Tour Review

Elliot Bay Book Company 2-09-11


The short version: An author reading not to be missed.

Author Susan Vreeland came to Seattle to promote her fifth book, “Clara and Mr. Tiffany.”

Based on historical facts, “Clara and Mr. Tiffany is the story of the woman who designed and created the legendary Tiffany Lamps, which until recently have been credited to the company owner, Lewis Comfort Tiffany.

Ms. Vreeland’s story of Clara is a profile into the life of a ground breaking individual whose thoughts and lifestyle were years ahead of her time. Until the last few years, little to nothing has been known about Clara Driscoll, nor the group of designing women she supervised, known as the “Tiffany Girls.”

Before her reading begins Ms. Vreeland, is quick to acknowledge the recent academic work of Professor Martin Eidelberg, who is credited with the discovery that Clara Driscoll and not Lewis Tiffany had been responsible for design and construction of the famed lamps. This research combined with Ms. Vreeland’s own detective work, provide the accurate depictions of the Gilded Age when this story takes place.

The Reading

The basement of Elliot Bay is arranged with the stage set for a slide presentation on a large projected screen which does not bode well for an eventful evening. Often times the slide presentation is a mask to cover the inability of the author to present the book on its own merit. Here it proved to be an integral part of the evening’s success.

A former school teacher, Ms. Vreeland understands what it takes to hold a class’s attention. She is that rare combination of grace and intellect that illuminates the room the moment she arrives. She looks smashing in her outfit that contradicts the dank boiler room decor of Elliot Bay Books. She emits the aura of a lady holding court at a charity function.

She is the perfect hostess. She arrives early, and soon the audience is no longer in Elliot Bay Books but in Ms. Vreeland’s room. She owns the place. Before her introduction, she glides through the crowd, introducing herself to people, thanking them for attending on a winter evening and then (AND THIS IS A CLAUDIO FIRST) proceeds to pass out her business card to the audience so that she may be contacted with further questions or comments afterwords.

She is the perfect guest. This is Ms. Vreeland’s fourth time to Elliot Bay and before beginning her reading she encourages the ample crowd to make all their future purchases at this store.
She is a publishing house dream. Author readings are about selling books. She presents a fascinating synopsis, giving the audience enough details to leave them wanting; then saying with an unequivocal frankness, “If you want to know more then please buy the book.” She elicited this polite response to a few members in the audience asking in depth questions, showing a deft grace of salesmanship that would have sent the most petulant used car salesman into therapy.

In regards to the last comment; it is so rare that an author actually helps sell the product for the book store and themselves that other writers should take note.

At first glance, the books subject seems dry begging the question how could anyone take the creation of glass lampshades and spin it into an intriguing tale?

Then Ms. Vreeland begins to tell the story, rather her story, of Clara Driscoll. The audience is taken back in time to the Gilded Age where America began its economic ascent and began its ability to produce, not just admire, serious art.

She reads her novel without hesitation, demonstrating that she has practiced for these moments. Ms. Vreeland changes the inflection in her voice for each character, accentuates the important descriptions that place the reader in her world. Like a rehearsed actor, she changes reading speed and uses just the right amount of hand gestures on stage to draw the audience into her tale.

The presentation is informative without being condescending or pedantic, but as the evening goes on the reading turns into less about the book and more the lamps construction and design. As the screen is filled with images, the author’s knowledge fills the cavernous room to the point where even the cars from the book stores underground are drowned out.
Simply put, this portion of the program is a hypnotic presentation, convincing enough to believe that the creation of the Tiffany Lamp is on par to the construction of the Great Pyramid. This is all due to Ms. Vreeland’s skill as a storyteller. Only when she admits that she simply spent seven months of research on Tiffany does she break her spell.

Only seven months?

It would be easier to believe Ms. Vreeland has written her Masters dissertation on this subject.

Ms. Vreeland knows the history of Clara, the inner workings of the Tiffany production, how the glass was designed, who selects the glass, how it was cut, molded and placed before being sent off to be soldered into place. All of this done on a simple, even stale subject matter, but proof that the passionate author can change a perception, seal a reputation and sell books.

It may be a long time before Seattle has an author whose reading can match Susan Vreeland.

Amy Chua aka "Tiger Mom" Book Tour Review

Elliot Bay Book Store 1-21-11


http://www.elliottbaybook.com/search/apachesolr_search/amy%20chua


The short version: The hottest author/lawyer/tiger mom/ in the United States comes to Seattle to defend her work.

I have been to a hundred author readings and have devoted a Blog to the subject of trying to sort out if an author is worth people’s time to see. I have never been to anything like this. Back in October, when Elliot Bay Book store’s scheduled this reading, they had no clue the fire storm created by author Amy Chua and her book “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom” The crowd was so big they should have had this in Town Hall (860 seats) or better yet Quest Field (67,000). My God you would have thought the Rolling Stones were in town. One woman even passed out from the heat in the basement.

Raw meat that is what you feed Tiger Mom’s and that is what the crowd came to see. Half were from Seattle’s large Asian population (including India) while others were curious American’s (read white people)drawn by the curiosity of this author. I talked to several Chinese American’s this night. Some expected to laugh, having experienced that kind of parenting. The author admitted that she saw the humor in the harsh way she was raised and believed it carried through the book. One older Chinese American immigrant man, however, told me he came in support of Ms. Chua and to see how "American's" (again read white people) in his town would judge the Chinese way.

Maybe that is why Ms. Chua is getting such a backlash from some national writers in the Asian community. There is a real fear among Americans that they have lost their status as the world’s great power. Having seen America’s reaction to the way immigrants are treated after 9/11, Pearl Harbor and Mexican Immigration, it’s understandable that the American Chinese might not wish to be the next xenophobic target.

I doubt anyone; including Ms. Chua would have expected the reaction her book has created. Despite the fact the book has started a national conversation; it is not a parenting book. “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother“ is a peek into a specific sub culture and the timing for book sales could not have been better since the President of China has arrived to visit the United States, reminding us that his country owns a majority of American IOU’s

I don’t like to categorize people into such lables as “Western” and “Chinese” but that way but that is how Ms. Chua describes America in her talk tonight.

Yes, she grew up a strong independent American even keeping her maiden name (her husband’s name is Rubenfeld), dresses like a college girl and distracts the hell out of you while constantly playing with her hair as she answers questions. Yet close your eyes and her northern California accent gives no clue that Ms. Chua is of proud Chinese heritage.

She is a second generation immigrant. Like so many in that classification, she torn between American culture and the ways that their family brought from the old country. So I can understand why she identifies with herself as Chinese despite growing up and educated in U.S. public schools, among American culture, speaking better English that many “real Americans” and to some she should be considered as American as the President. (Insert your own “Birther” joke here)

Even the thorniest rose, however, can have its flowers plucked and it is obvious the last ten days since the books release have taken a toll on Ms. Chua. She is understandably defensive. Do people have so much hate in their hearts as to wish harm on her daughters?

Let’s not forget for one minute that Ms. Chua is a lawyer and a teacher. The stage is where she is most comfortable and here she is impressive. She takes control in a public forum and it is in the court of public opinion where she frames her message more effective, than a three minute spot on the Today show. If the “Tiger Mom” is a control freak at home and the national media is beyond her reach then it is during appearences like these where she will conquer America.

I came to watch people hate her, but instead I believe the majority of the audience came to an understanding.

The Reading:

Let’s just get to the bullet points Ms. Chua made during this reading. Brackets are my commentary.

-This was not a book about parenting.
-She is NOT nor ever claims to be an expert/ just tells the truth of how she inserted her upbringing into children's life
-The Wall Street Journal excerpt was here words, but Ms. Chua is adamant that she had nothing to do with the articles title “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” and that the headline did damage to her books message. (She never mentions the boost in book sales)
-By reading the book, readers will find that it is the story of a family and how Ms. Chua comes to terms with how she was raised will not work for her own daughter. (No more violin)
-“Chinese parenting” is love not abuse. It does in fact make more self responsible people. It teaches children to own thier mistakes and teach personal responsibility.
-Chinese love their children, no different than the enabling “helicopter parent” who hovers over their child’s every move into adulthood. (Parents do not have to move to college with junior.)
-She downplays the idea that she believes that Chinese parenting is superior to “Western”methods. She does not explain those methods much.
- She emphasizes how her Chinese upbringing is no different than other second generation children from Europe. (This helps Ms. Chua reach out to a readership beyond the Asian community in the rest of America's with common experiences)
-She defends the idea that striving for excellence is a bad thing. “A 96% on a test is a good thing, but let’s just examine those other four percentage points “
-She has regrets, but that has been well documented, and her pat answers make for boring questions.
- In trying to relate to the audience, she claims that her husband is from a “Western background” (I know some Jewish people who would argue that one)
-Sleepovers are not bad, it’s just that in an age of Mean girls’ exclusion, and kids committing suicide based on what is said about them on Face book, a little protection from potential bullies to preserve self esteem is not a bad thing. (I agree)

Beware America, the Tiger mom is coming to an Author reading near you. Go see it and judge for yourself.

Jerry Gay Book Tour Review

http://www.jerrygay.com/

The short version: Socrates with a Nikon.

Photo books can be as provocative and powerful as any written word. Pulitzer Prize winner, Photo author and philosopher Jerry Gay has something to say. His book “Seeing Reality” is the result of a three year journey in search of commonality among people. Suffice to say Mr. Gay is a really, really, nice man and that comes through by being in the room less than five minutes where he reaches out to the individual as well as any author alive. He is a preacher of sorts, (his first subject of study in school before photography) and speaks of people trying to discover the reality of life and how those things we experience place us in a community of men. Everyone together all with common experiences and feelings.

There is, however, a violence that exists in gentle men. The depth of the soul that allows recognition of deep kindness can also has the ability to recognize its polar opposite and this is displayed in much of Mr. Gay’s work. The photos of the discarded waste of man’s existence are evident. The commentary about violations such as a photo of a school bus sign destroyed on the ground by man’s action, or a warning road sign full of bullet holes are presented throughout his work. The best example is the juxtaposition of two photos’s shown during Mr. Gay’s book reading. One was a flawless photo of the Dali Lama, preceded by a disturbing photo’s of serial killer Ted Bundy in leg irons.

Madison Avenue images these are not but nor are they staged props to make a statement. “I take photos of things as they are.” Said Mr. Gay during the Q&A. The contrasting display of both the good and bad of the United States are shown equally, whether it is Mr. Gay capturing the image of a discarded toothbrush lying in the middle of a U.S. highway or three happy children working their lemonade stand. “The trick is this. If you give out energy,” Mr. Gay says. “you get a picture back.”

Like all artistic work, the intentions are sometimes received different than what might be intended. Where some see Mr. Gay’s black and white photos as nothing more than a picture, others could see them as engravings on the country’s condition. What the artist intentions sometimes are of no consequence.

THE READING:
½ hour before the discussion begins, Mr. Gay is there speaking informally to the audience and working the room which always impresses me. The reading starts right on time. He claims that he is new to public speaking but the crowd on a cold raining night is modest and Mr. Gay looks comfortable on stage. Think of the late television artist Bob Ross and his giant Afro painting pictures of landscapes or better yet go to Mr. Gay’s website and listen to the audio. Feel the calm come over you.

Another plus to the evening: Mr. Gay does not spend one moment on explaining the type of camera film or F-stop used when he took each photo. That kind of camera-gear head talk is for photography seminars and magazines not a man trying to sell books.

The pictures are impressive and you would expect so coming from a Pulitzer winning photographer, but it is difficult to make a statement with photography yet Jerry Gay has the talent to capture a millisecond of life that bring out the energy of his subjects and the times. That is not to say all the pictures are worthy of deep reflection but they often result in a response that goes like its author, go deeper than the glossy cover. Mr. Gay comments on each photo with interesting antidotes for the more fascinating pictures. Some images come across the screen and when the author has little to say about them he feels compelled to fill the silent room with an unnecessary caption.

It is at the end of the reading where Mr. Gay returns to his original message that comes across as preachy. He does not invoke God, but rather a Spirituality that places each of us in the same place. Your God, my God and Mr. Gay’s God all have a part in the same world. His message, however, carries too long afterwards even into the Q & A at the end of the presentation. What works in the coffee shops and living rooms of friends does not always translate well into the arena of public speaking. But for that small glitch, Mr. Gay’s talent speaks for itself.

THE UPTOWN WRITERS BOOK TOUR REVIEW

THIS BOOK CAN ONLY BE BOUGHT ON AMAZON



Editor note: Deeply sad to say I found out that one of the Uptown writers Sandra E Jones passed away not long after this reading took place. Words cannot express how sad I am for this little group of writers. I wrote this review before this news but would like to add Seattle’s loss can only be comforted by the knowledge that Ms. Jones lived to see this book published.

The short version: Who says independent spirit is dead. Not these ladies.
Eight local authors calling themselves “The Uptown Writers” combined forces to produce an independent published anthology of poems essays, excerpts of plays and fiction called “Sunday Ink."

The Richard Hugo House is a Castle Keep for the Seattle community of writers. Inside Hugo House, a full bar sells booze providing a café setting to go along a variety of literary activities. Tonight they sponsored a reading by the Uptown Writers and their new anthology “Sunday Inc.”

The Uptown Writers Carol Bolt, Pam Carter, Geri Gale, Sandra E. Jones, Susan Knox, Stacy Lawson, Arleen Williams, and Janet Yoder are members of the same Seattle writing group the past eighteen years. Someone got the bright idea to combine their material and publish something and thus the birth of “Sunday Inc.” This is an eclectic, independent book designed to find something genre appealing to many readers.

THE READING.

It’s a packed Hugo House on the small stage with perhaps 150 souls stuffing themselves in on a rain dark Seattle night. I hate when readings are delayed but there is a bar and drinks are flowing so I can wait knowing that a liquored up crowd makes for a potentially exciting author reading.
When it finally gets going there was a long (22 min by my watch) introduction to how the book came about and then special acknowledgements by the authors to those who made this project possible. The book designer, the editor, the cover art, the person who made the book marks, Amazon.com, family, friends, Romans, countryman, MY GOD START ALREADY. I need a drink. Could I make my way through the packed crowd for a glass of box wine or leave for the Comet Tavern? The tavern was winning out: Until…

It occurred to me, no agents were thanked. The “Uptown Writers” accomplished this on their own with support of friends and those dedicated to making a dream come true. I sit my ass down.

Producing a book is damned hard. Just try it. Getting published is harder. I realized a dream being fulfilled by these women. They had a vision and completed the task and knew that nothing as seemingly simple as publishing a book could be done without great effort and energy and support of individuals, not making a whole lot of money.

Independent publisher and author Nathan Everett, from Long Tale Press, once told me that that in 2009 there were over 400, 000 books published in the United States but only 15% of all those books sold over a hundred copies. Sell a hundred copies and you are ahead of 85% of all authors out there.

I took in the huge room of supporters. I applauded the Uptown Writers and those who helped these women, knowing that my snark criticism will be saved for another time.

I have a soft spot for first time readers. It’s hard to entertain and sometimes it has the embarrassing aura of my sixth grade book report. (I did my best, so kiss my ass Mr. Nelson)

Of the eight authors favorite reading was done by the elegant Geri Gale. She is a mature, refined writer and tonight she read one pissed off poem with a soothing voice of an NPR moderator.

It was strange hearing that voice expressing those words. Her poem was a sharp clear message of anger, opinion and call to action and yet the juxtaposition could not have been stronger. I thought of a thousand actors who could have read Ms. Gale’s poem and blown the roof off of Hugo House and yet I wonder if it would have had the same effect. For the rest of that night, I could not remove that portion of the evening’s program out of my head.

Brandon Sanderson Book Tour Review

http://www.brandonsanderson.com/


This was an oversight on my part not posting this earlier. Reading date was Sep 14 2010

The Short Version: The fantasy community turns out in force to hear a great reading by an author I admit to knowing nothing about. The author demonstrated a rare display of humanity not seen before at any author reading and joined the cause to support small book stores.


Never been personally attracted to Fantasy literature but this blog is not about the genre. It’s about the author, how they present their product and are they worth going to see.

With Jonathan Franzen in town tonight charging $50 bucks a ticket I decided to give “some guy” named Brandon Sanderson a listen. I don’t have time to check out Mr. Sanderson prior to attending and I admit know nothing about him or his work. I decide to show up believing that it is going to be a quiet reading with few people attending.

Sometimes I’m not so bright.

This “some guy” turned out to draw the biggest crowd I have yet to see at the University Book store. It was to the point that staff were moving back shelves of books and squeezing in every chair they could and it still wasn’t enough room. If the fire marshal walked inside his teeth would have fallen out of his mouth.

The size of the crowd wasn’t the only first to this reading. I was shocked to find out how many had read a book after only three weeks post release. By my count nearly twelve people were reading the book while they waited for Mr. Sanderson to appear.

Mr. Sanderson new novel “The Way of Kings” is the first of a ten part series. At a thousand pages and nearly $30 a copy this novel had all the makings of a marketing nightmare not to mention the publishers risk involved if this series doesn’t take off.

But Fantasy readers are committed fans. No they didn’t come to the reading, dressed up waving swords and wands the way they do at Comic-con. They came to listen and learn. From my point of view this crowd asked some of the most engaging questions I have heard during an audience Q + A.

The Reading:

The second this round face icon walked in the room there was a huge burst of applause few authors receive.

Even the introduction by University Book Store buyer, Duane Wilkins, was entertaining as he fed raw meat of inside Fantasy lit jokes to the crowd that went right over my balding head.

Now I am not a fan who drinks his Kool-aid but I liked Sanderson as a presenter. You could tell he loved his craft and was so comfortable in front of the crowd that he had that special ability to shrink the room down to an intimate feel. He is young (34) and yet his body of work is profound. He explained how he can work on multiple projects at the same time.

For Sanderson the process of editing is different than writing. The compartmentalization of the two disciplines allows him to work on the various projects simultaneously. The author claims he maxes out at 6 hours writing new material but often edits and revises up to fourteen hours a day.

Another interesting point was his admission that Mr. Sanderson wrote 13 novels before the first one was accepted.

Nothing earth shattering at this reading. It was a classic well done presentation UNTILL…

In the middle of a question Sanderson stopped talking. A man from the audience, holding a book in one hand and a small child in the other, got up to leave the reading.

Most authors would have let this pass but Sanderson, realizing the man had his priorities with his child first, STOPPED EVERTHING and offered to sign the book right then so the man could leave with a sighed copy. It was so human and cool that I began to applaud along with the others. This is what any author reading should be about, the fans first.

Then Sanderson went an extra step that should be required of every author in the Galaxy. He finished his Q & A session early so that the store could ring up last minute sales and then Sanderson actually implored the crowd to buy something, if not his book, any book or anything from the University Book Store. His was a battle cry to support the independent book sellers was as loud and as passionate as his fans were for his work.

That is a Fantasy we all can share in.

Terry McMillan Book Tour Review

Town Hall Seattle
Elliot Bay Books (Sponsor)

Short version: An entertaining reading by a poignant sometimes-controversial author. She was funny, direct and to my surprise a superior orator reader.

I stand in line to buy tickets to see Terry McMillan at Seattle's legendary Town Hall. Her latest novel "Getting to Happy” is a sequel from the now legendary "Waiting to Exhale." Fifteen years later, the author revisits the fearless Phoenix foursome of Savannah, Robin, Gloria and Bernadine, as they ride again: post hysterectomy and pre-menopause.

This is a brave thing by Ms. McMillan, as she makes the brave attempt at a sequel to her most famous work. It's exciting, standing in line, I am the only male. I am the only person under forty-five and I am the only non African American. This is the land of the angry woman. They look at me as if I climbed off on the wrong bus. Terry McMillan is their author and their voice. She galvanized a whole generation of women that shared in the commonality of an experience I will never understand. Terri McMillan lived it and wrote about it and no I don't understand. I do know Ms. McMillan is an important author and one of the great narrative voices of the last twenty years.

The Reading.

I grind my teeth because of course the 7:30 reading didn't start until 7:56pm. Sponsored by the Central District Forum for the Arts (CDFA) and Elliot Bay Books. Ms. McMillan gets not one but three introductions, which is two more than any author (or the Pope) deserves. Even Ms. McMillan appeared overwhelmed by the pomp and circumstance. She had been on Oprah recently, so maybe the CDFA wanted to try and top the mighty O.

McMillan looks radiant on stage and I had to double check to make sure her true age. The reading is long. She reads the first chapter prefacing it by saying "I’m sick to death of Savannah. I'll be honest." I thought the thing would suck with such a negative beginning but then McMillan took off during her reading. Changing speeds as she went along. Talking fast when describing men and slowing her words down to near crawl when it came to Savannah’s own reflection about her life.It was as if I were watching a great actor. Half way through the reading McMillan the author disappeared and Savannah emerged. Maybe they are the same person but I believe a writer of McMillan’s skill has the ability to channel the characters she’s created. So few authors have these moments of clarity where the writer and entertainer mix.

Even as an audience member refused to leave the reading as her three-year-old son acted out during McMillan’s performance, (RUDE) the author carried through never allowing the child's antics to break her concentration. It was impressive.

What is not impressive is the bitterness of her life and divorce that come through during the question and answer period. Ms. McMillan can say she is not the bitter person she once was and she can show up on Oprah with her ex husband and say all is forgiven, but the body language and the tone come through like an martini made from alum."I think men are the cause of most of women's problems. Not all of them but most of them." I looked around the room at the nodding heads of her fans and left.

Mishna Wolff Book Tour Review

Mishna Wolff Elliot Bay Books 6-28-10

The short review: Why did this author bother to show up?

It's taken me awhile to write about this one. Though I try to find something good there are some readings that are not worth attending.

Mishna Wolff is a tall comedian/comic writer, ex-model whose memoir "I'm Down" is a comic look at a white girl whose white father thought he was black.

Ms. Wolff now lives in New York but she arrived to the place of her birth (Seattle) to sign and read from a bestselling memoir. Raised in the Seattle's Central District attending black functions with a black step mom and a father who epitomized what Norman Mailer wrote about his famous 1957 essay "The White Negro".

Her book is funny in a rare way that frees the barriers of race and allows people to examine, without malice, the differences in American culture. Race, however, is a delicate issue in the world of comedy. It tends to fall into a special category of acceptability if performed by those who are in the minority and often a bad idea performed by members of the establishment unless you are Mel Brooks.
Maybe that it is the subject of race that caused Ms. Wolff to be so uncomfortable on this night. Maybe she has gotten sensitive to some of the response to her book. I could have been because the books main subject (her father) was sitting in the audience. Either way, Mishna Wolff didn't care about reading tonight.

The dungeon of Elliot Bay's reading room is packed. More chairs are added, and then all the folding chairs are opened up and filled. It's standing room only. This is her home town and friends’ family and fans are pouring in. The book has been out for a time and this is the launch of the soft cover. This is a book sellers dream evening.

The reading should start at 7:00pm. In the back of the room, Mishna drinks her coffee and waits making small talk with the Elliot Bay Employee as if this reading were a Court order Community Service. Its 7:19 when the New York transplant decides to start the show. (DAMN IT) For a comic she was in no hurry to take the stage.

Unlike novels, Memoirs are one of the few acceptable times when an author can read from any part of a book. Her selection is great. She explains about her background as a comic writer and stand up performer but she wants off the stage. The audience is with her still. They want more,

She reads more. It is funny and yet respectful of her past and her family.

In the Q&A session Ms.Wolff is not funny, she is defensive about everything. Audience questions of race are deflected; questions of her family are minimized to the point where her constant side to side swaying motion on stage and her agitated playing with her hair became a distraction. Admirably, Ms. Wolff tells the audience she wants control of the television pilot so that someone else does not reduce the material down to a stereotype.

She offers to read more but comments that she is sure the audience is sick of her reading by now.
Talk about the inability to read the room. They are here to see her and listen and laugh and buy books and Ms. Wolff looks as if she has just had oral surgery. It was sad to see the success so many authors crave go to waste on someone who didn’t want to be here.

Craig Johnson Book Tour Review

Bellevue Public Library (University Books Sponsor ) 7-10-10

The short version: Author Craig Johnson is a must see on the Book Tour circuit.

The real life cowboy/author/ volunteer deputy sheriff, from a town in Wyoming so small only twenty five people reside there came to the big city Seattle and knocked the socks off the modest audience while promoting his newest mystery “Junkyard Dogs.”

There were so many reasons why this reading was fantastic.
I arrive half an hour early as my usual habit, to find someone sitting ON the authors table talking to four fans.

After years of watching out of town authors delay readings hoping more people arrive or show up late after hiding in green rooms, here was an author who intentionally came early to informally meet readers "so they don’t get bored waiting around for the thing to start." I dare you to not buy a book from someone like this.

Mr. Johnson's only requirement from Library staff was confirmation his motorcycle was parked in the right place. That’s right, this cowboy mystery writer goes on his tours from town to town riding a Steel horse and showed up in the land of Bill Gates
complete with Cowboy hat (removed like a gentleman off his head when inside a building) motorcycle boots and the Western style shirt. For a moment I wasn’t sure if he was going to read from his new book or feed cattle.

The author is funny and polite with a delightful laugh and never once interrupted an audience question or concerns. The Librarian tries to set up a microphone. “Don’t bother with that thing. I’ll just use what my daddy called my ‘field voice’”

It's a rare sunny Saturday in Bellevue. A smaller crowd attends but it matters little to the cowboy. Mr. Johnson reached out to people as if he were hosting a family reunion at his Wyoming ranch. “Hey how you doin? Come on in.” If this behavior might not seem like a big deal you have never been to an author reading.

The veteran Bellevue Librarian, accustomed to the pomp many authors treat as a birthright, comes to the front of the room to begin the obligatory, ego massaging, intro speech. She evaluates the cozy environment created by the author, then she actually giggles before saying “Okay I guess we started” It was perfect.

The Reading.

Mr. Johnson writes a mystery series with the protagonist Sheriff Walt Longmire, modern day law enforcement man of letters who deals with the characters and times of the modern Western United States.

As all good reading should, Mr. Johnson reads from the beginning of the novel. Every good reading should be this way. There is nothing worse than having to listen to an author prep an audience before reading. The work should speak for itself and then the audience decides if they want to buy.

Oh, by the way, when did you ever see a Western Crime novel open with a poem from Robert Browning? No wonder Walt Longmire is in development for a television series.

The opening of "Junkyard Dogs" is funny, but Mr. Johnson, who has a passing resemblance to comedic actor Blake Clark, reads hysterically funny. Only one other author I ever saw, the actor Marc Acito, ever read a multiple character chapter using distinct voices and body language as if the pages were a one man play.

In fact Mr. Johnson doesn't read so much as he launches the scene off the pages and into the audience.

On Writing

“I always wanted to write novels. The fact is that I ran out of excuses not to write.”

“I don’t believe in writer’s block. That is just being lazy.”

-He never planned on writing a series. First novel was a stand-alone until President of Penguin/Viking Press asked for more.
-Mr. Johnson praises Penguin/Viking for the freedom they allow him.
-Refuses to write the same novel over and over again so not all recurring characters appear with the same amount of page time and removes the formula from the series.
-He always outlines. This can take as long as six months or longer. He writes one novel a year while doing research for next novel.

This man is a book seller's dream.