Margaret Atwood speaks...
and we listened. She was terrific. She delivered this beautifully written, coherent lecture about the idea of novels v. fiction, and how different types of fiction work, and, ultimately, what it means to be human, particularly in her books, and how she bases her "speculative fiction" upon what she terms factoids...and oh....Suzanne, help me out here, you're the writer. My brain was mushy. She was smart and funny and dry and very charming and likeable. She even handled the dumb questions gracefully, and told one well-meaning 9th grade teacher that she writes her books for grown-ups, not fourteen year olds. (I know several very intelligent and discerning 13/14 year olds, but I was right there with ole Margaret on this one.)
Suzanne bravely stood in line to get a copy of Oryx and Crake signed, and I told her that if she got Ms Atwood to go out for drinks, to give me a holler. I told Suzanne last night, and mean it wholeheartedly, that if any of my friends could coerce an author into going out for drinks, it would be her. Although Gina had a chance to seduce David Sedaris once....I think it's just me lacking author pizazz.
Suzanne told me this morning that Ms Atwood seemed "a little fragile for purple hooters" - my suggestion was PHI and what does one drink there BUT purple hooters?
I had left my copy of Oryx at home by mistake so did not stand in line, but it probably all worked out for the best anyway as I am always sort of disappointed when I finally get to meet an author in a situation like that anyway, that they
don't immediately realize what an intelligent and discerning reader I am and
scoop me off for drinks and a nice long chat about books.
posted by BabelBabe @ 4:08 PM
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