As the days pass before entering the warm, vibrant liminal space surrounding My Personal Hero, I am merely marveling that there is a new novel, and that the current world is so amazingly like what he's written before.
This morning as I walked to the subway down one of the alarmingly plastic suburban streets of Far Rockaway, NY, I saw my first piece of "21st Century Detritus". I could hardly believe my eyes, but then I remembered what notch on the timeline was dashing quickly forwards...
I looked down at the sidewalk, littered with gum wrappers and the odd pile of doggy excrement, and saw, with great awe...the crushed and discarded box of a Sprint PCS cellular telephone. Left on the street as though someone had run to the supermarket and hastily downed a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
Instant gratification has never seemed so creepy. I lifted the sole of my navy Dr. Marten's boot to the sky, so the surveillance satellite above could read my shoe size. For future reference, I mean...
Obliquely yours,
Carol A. Wade
"Simply put, I want to grow old; dying does not meet my expectations..." -- Stephen Malkmus
Posts: 84 | Location: New York City, NY | Registered: February 05, 2003
Thanks to Donna Djordjevich for this, taken at San Mateo's "M is for Mystery" bookstore. The picture is of Gibson once he finished reading chapter 17 of Pattern Recognition.
I'll split these up because I have a good number of them. Those below are courtesy of Peggy Tanusukma, from the Book Signing at B&N and the office of Mr. Gibson's US publisher [Penguin]
My boyfriend (tempted to bring with him his entire Gibson collection) and I arrived there many hours in advance with our copies of Pattern Recognition.
Thank you for a great evening and for another amazing book.
a Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1 | Location: Brooklyn, NY | Registered: January 14, 2003
I took a bunch of pics that I can hopefully assemble into a panorama. I'll post tomorrow. Accidentally hit Charlie's with a friend when he was done talking and people were lining up for the signing (hopefully didn't miss much) and got sh*tefaced. who knew WG'd be so FUNNY?
I went to the signing in Vancouver and found Gibson to seem "pissed off" or maybe it was his fatigue. Anyways, it seemed to lack the "magic" that everyone else found in other tour spots (like in the US).
Made me wish I didn't rush there after work.
"How grand this illusion, in all its hurt and joy. What magnificent detail."
I just ordered my ticket for the first London reading (I may or may not line up at Forbidden Planet 2 days later). It made me recall the last time I went to a WG signing: When I got to the front I found I was totally undable to speak, apart from a stumbling "thanks" after he signed.
If I can find a mike for my mini-disc, I might just record the reading.
Posts: 5583 | Location: London | Registered: April 02, 2003
Speaking of, what is that gold shape in the centre of the tie? I can't tell and for some inexplicable reason, desperately need to know. Double-sized the pic and still can't tell, but it vaguely resembles either Spongebob or Disney Pooh, neither of which can possibly be right...
Kradlum, did you post your signing report somewhere else on the board? Wha' happened there? I'd like to hear your perspective.
Crash, "I went to the signing in Vancouver and found Gibson to seem "pissed off" or maybe it was his fatigue. Anyways, it seemed to lack the "magic" that everyone else found in other tour spots (like in the US). Made me wish I didn't rush there after work."
That's a pity. I often keep a distance between myself and my hero/ines - It can be a tiny sting when they turn out human (or worse). For what it's worth, I try to go to signings with a question or two in my head, and I endeavour to think of something fresh. I usually stay away from talking about the work itself, and ask what movies they've seen or what they're currently reading or what music they've been listening to - like that. Sometimes you get a story, sometimes you get a sig and a weary smile.