LBC - Gooood. EWN - eh
In the immortal (well, you know) words of Amanda Bynes:
Bacon - gooood. LBC - gooood. EWN - not so much.
Today I vistied a few different Borders locations, and one in particular had three of the current LBC titels under discussion on their front table - Ford, Murphy and Heti.
The three copies of Heti's Ticknor caught my eye, especially as a woman who I'd guess was in her early fifties was picking one up. She didn't glance at the blurbs, or skim the inside flap jacket - she just grabbed it like there was a line for them. I said, "Excuse me, do you mind if I ask you where you heard about that particualr book? Did you read her short story collection?"
Her response was "It's being discussed on the Litblog Co-op this week and it sounded good."
I smiled and said, "That's so cool that you're just grabbing a copy because of the LBC -I'm actually one of the members." I then extended my hand and said, "My name is Dan Wickett of the Emerging Writers Network."
Remember, LBC - gooood. EWN - not so much.
Her reply was to quickly shake my hand and state, "Oh, that's one of the links I didn't like so much." She then took her Ticknor towards the counter, leaving me with the front table to try to hide under.
Oh Dan. Sorry, but that is really funny.
Posted by: derik | April 27, 2006 at 05:47 PM
you should have said, "Too bad, I have an extra copy of the book I was gonna give to you."
Posted by: Jeff | April 27, 2006 at 05:48 PM
Dan -- this is why I never leave home without my disguise. I'm so sorry, but it really is her loss!
Posted by: Kassia | April 27, 2006 at 05:57 PM
No way! I can't believe she said that.
Actually, I'm stunned by both of her replies.;-)
Posted by: Sam | April 27, 2006 at 07:00 PM
People. They're the worst.
Posted by: Rake | April 27, 2006 at 07:04 PM
Too funny & horrid, Dan. Like something out of a novel.
And indeed, you could have said, "I have **five** extra copies I could have given you..."
Posted by: CAAF | April 27, 2006 at 07:36 PM
I can't believe you didn't get her address. She could have, like. 50 copies of the book winging her way in ... punishment.
:)
Posted by: Gwenda | April 27, 2006 at 07:47 PM
You know, I told my mom to be more polite. Sometimes she doesnt take her meds.
Posted by: steven gillis | April 28, 2006 at 06:54 AM
I would have been crawling under the table, too.
Posted by: Mary Akers | April 28, 2006 at 07:13 AM
We love you, Dan!
Posted by: Erika D. | April 28, 2006 at 07:31 AM
As I recall, Jeff did offer a copy to chuck at someone as needed ... ?
Posted by: TEV | April 28, 2006 at 10:38 AM
I actually only have one copy of Ticknor. I'll just have to buck up and assume the store doesn't hate me since they had two copies of Garner on the shelf, one of Wells' Skin, and I swear they must read the LBC site - the three I mentioned were on the front table (minimum of 3 copies of each), and Ford's The Girl in the Glass was in the SciFi/Fantasty section, two copies. And many copies of Case Histories in paperback.
Posted by: Dan Wickett | April 28, 2006 at 11:08 AM
I have set up my copies of "Ticknors" in a careful triangle on my desk. This is why I'm nowhere nearly as good as the LBC and the EWN. I'm worshipping the Illuminati.
Posted by: ed | April 28, 2006 at 01:47 PM