Category Archives: book signing

Garrison Keillor in Union Square

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Saturday’s Mo Willems event kicked off an incredible line up of fall book readings/signings all over the city.

Yesterday I went to see Garrison Keillor at the Union Square Barnes and Noble, for his new novel Pontoon. It made me pleasantly nostalgic because the first book signing I went to after moving to New York was a Garrison Keillor book signing, for the script of A Prairie Home Companion. That was a little over a year ago.

Here’s a secret: I don’t really like book readings. Might sound strange for someone who goes to so many, but I often get a little bored if an author is just reading a piece of their work. I’d usually rather read it myself. There are exceptions. Garrison Keillor is an exception, because his voice is more soothing than butter. Chuck Palahniuk is another example, because he’s a great reader and his stories lend well to vocal performances. But most of the time, I really enjoy hearing the writer talk about the book, writing, and other things, rather than read aloud. And Garrison did just that yesterday. He entertained us with many great ideas, including how he’s decided that now, having reached age 65, it’s time for cheerfulness.

He read a small (1 or 2 pages) excerpt from the book, but mainly just talked to us and answered questions. That’s just the way I like it. It was also fun to get to talk to him for a minute while he was signing my book; after I told him I lived in Hoboken he was interested in hearing all about the Hoboken Ferry.

I’ve started to notice something about large book signings, especially the ones for authors who are quite famous. In any large group of author fans, there is one person who feels compelled to stand up during the Q&A and pronounce a fact or a personal opinion, rather than ask a question. Often times the person wants to state an opinion about the book or tell how they related to a certain part or character. Then, at the end of their own speech, they somehow work in a pointless question that loosely relates to the opinion they wanted to share. Last night, it was a man who enthusiastically stood up to ask his “question” and said that he first met Garrison Keillor at the corner of 57th and 5th and that he (the “question” asker) asked Garrison if he could yell out “Garrison Keillor!!” and point at him. He then repeated what Garrison said to him at the time, which was “It would be good if you didn’t.” Glad we all gathered there to hear that. Fortunately, we all moved on from that and all the other questions were intelligent, and Garrison’s answers were graceful and witty.

The entire event was filmed and is going to be featured on www.bn.com in October. Garrison was at his best and I highly recommend it to any other GK admirers. I wonder if they’ll cut out the part with the 57th and 5th man.

Garrison Keillor
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Mo Willems at Books of Wonder

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I love children’s literature. Most people forget about it after they grow up and move on to other things. But I was lucky enough, through my mom (studying to be a children’s librarian) and my best friend Emma (studying to be a teacher), to rediscover their magic and creativity. One of my favorite kid’s book authors and illustrators is Mo Willems. Today I went to his reading and signing at Books of Wonder. (Books of Wonder is awesome, by the way. It was the inspiration for the kid’s book store in You’ve Got Mail. Plus, there’s a cupcake cafe right inside it. Definitely worth checking out when in New York.)

This was the first book signing I’ve gone to for a Kid’s Lit author. It was awesome, I sat on the floor with all the kids and their parents and listened to him read aloud his two new books, Knuffle Bunny Too and I Am Invited To a Party.

Later this month I’m going home to visit my family in Michigan, and I’m going to be a guest reader in my brother Ben’s 1st grade class. I’ve decided to read Knuffle Bunny aloud to them. I’m ridiculously excited.

Here are a couple more pictures from the event:


And here are pictures of the books I got signed:

Signed Knuffle BunnySigned Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the BusSigned Leonardo the Terrible MonsterSigned Knuffle Bunny Too
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Chuck Palahniuk at Strand

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“The Future you have, tomorrow, won’t be the same future you had, yesterday.”
-Rant

Today’s Chuck Palahniuk event was incredible. The best book event I’ve been to so far. Strand and Palahniuk agreed to ticket the event and limit it to 150 people (Strand’s first ticketed book signing ever) so that it could be a more comfortable and intimate setting for his fans. His last event at Strand had 750 people – a bit crazy.

He read an unpublished short story to us, “Cold Calling,” read from his upcoming 2008 novel (Snuff), did a Q&A, asked trivia questions from his books and gave out prizes, read fan mail, told true stories, took a photo with all who desired one, and gave everyone a stuffed monkey. Entirely too much fun.

I got Choke, Rant, Fight Club, and Stranger Than Fiction signed. I also got my “wedding picture” taken with him. I look strange in the picture (and not just because of the wedding veil) but I’ll post anyway, because it’s hilarious.


I hope Strand does more ticketed events. Very affordable too – $35 per ticket, which got you a seat, a signed copy of Rant, and a Strand tote bag.

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Cynthia Kaplan Book Signing

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In 2004, I read a collection of autobiographical essays called Why I’m Like This by Cynthia Kaplan. I enjoyed the collection very much, and was delighted to hear that she had another collection coming out called Leave the Building Quickly and that she would be holding a reading and signing in New York. Her essays are often humorous, and always relatable.

It was a rather small and intimate event, with a lot of her friends and family showing up to support her. She’s not the most well-known author around, so her event was not as “large scale” as others I’ve been to – which was an extremely nice change. It’s nice to not have to show up an hour and 30 minutes early to get a seat, and wait an hour in line after the reading to get your copies signed. Another plus – she is incredibly nice. Sincere, friendly, and appreciative.

If personal essays are your cup of joe, especially humorous ones (she’s been likened to David Sedaris), then I recommend checking out the lovely Mrs. Kaplan’s books. (And I think you should start with her first, Why I’m Like This.)

She also has a website, where you can listen to free audio files of some of her essays: http://www.cynthiakaplan.com/

Leave the Building Quickly: True Stories
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Marisha Pessl Book Signing

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The Marisha Pessl book signing was awesome! It was incredible to meet her – she’s so young and talented. Very inspiring. How amazing to be so successful with a first novel, and so young!

She told us the reader’s digest version of how she became a writer, and then read 4 passages from the novel. The passages were: the first part of the introduction, the part where we’re introduced to Blue’s father, the first time we meet Hannah in the grocery store, and the scene in the woods with Hannah – after they wander off from the group.

Marisha told us about how she grew up in a book friendly home; she was always reading. She grew up with Dracula and Catcher in the Rye, among many others. In college she wrote two failed novels. The first was a Who Dun It murder mystery, that she says was way too obvious – it was very clear from the beginning “who dun it.” The second was a southern novel that had no plot. It wasn’t even a stream of consciousness, it was more like a “stream of unconsciousness.”

She graduated from college and took an entry level job at Price Waterhouse Coopers. It was there, under the florescent lights, in her tiny cubicle her co-workers called “veal fattening pens” she thought of the idea of a novel about a father-daughter relationship.

Marisha was extremely warm and friendly to the crowd, and talked to each of us as she signed our books. Along with personalizing it and signing, she wrote a quote from Blue’s Father: “Always live your life with your biography in mind.” I love it! Here is my book:

My signed copy of Special Topics in Calamity Physics
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Mail, Birthdays, and Book Signings

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First thing first: Happy Birthday Dave Eggers and Jack Kerouac.

Today’s mail included:
A $1020.68 federal income tax refund
A $34.45 check from my insurance
A $50 Barnes and Noble gift card.
…..pretty much one of the most profitable day’s mail I’ve ever had.

Tonight’s book signing was wonderful – Jhumpa Lahiri with the  director of The Namesake: Mira Nair. It was a very interesting conversation, they both told the story of turning the book into a movie. Very cool to hear the process from the director’s point of view as well as from the author’s. I got my copies of The Namesake and The Interpretor of Maladies signed. I love them, but am a little sad that they wouldn’t let them personalize our books – there were too many people. I was surprised how many people showed up – heaps of people. More people than for Norman Mailer, I’d guess.

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