Neil Gaiman came to town this evening, promoting Anansi Boys and MirrorMask, and the University Bookstore arranged a reading-plus-signing in the University Temple. Jeff and I went, of course. (It was decidedly odd to have a SF/fantasy reading in a Methodist church.)
Tickets were required for admission, although they weren’t expensive; they were free with the purchase of Anansi Boys or $3 without. Some people got in line outside the church, without realizing that they needed tickets, and had to get out of line to go buy them at the bookstore, a block away. The tickets were blue and had little numbers in the corner. Remember the numbers; they come in later.
So Jeff and I went in and found a two-butt-sized place in the pews. The spaces up in the front were filled already, of course, except for a space for about five people, very close to the front, that some idiot was saving for his friends. Creep. A few minutes after Jeff and I got seated, someone from the bookstore went up to the microphone and asked everyone to squeeze in as tight as possible to make space for the people still coming in. She especially told people saving spaces to cut it out. Ha.
Neil came in eventually and talked a little, then read a section from the middle of Anansi Boys. It was a very funny section, and he read it very well. I really like the fact that he’s as good at reading books aloud as he is at writing them. He does different voices for the characters and everything.
After the reading came the questions and answers. Neil said, I’ll do the answers,
and he did. Mostly people asked about the status of various movies, and it was interesting. He referred several times to what the statuses of various things had been the previous year when he’d been through, like he was continuing a conversation with old friends that he hadn’t seen in a while. I like that about Neil, too; he hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be a fan.
After the Q&A Neil started signing. People were directed to line up in batches of 100; ticket numbers 1-100 first, then up to 200, etc. I had number 212, and Jeff had 332. Why they were different, I don’t know; Jeff got the tickets at the same time. While we waited for our turn to get things signed, I bought three books that I didn’t yet own: Angels and Visitations, The Last Temptation, and 1602 (unfortunately not the hardback edition).
Also while we waited, the woman who had directed us to squish together started calling out numbers for a raffle. At one point she called 333, which was frustratingly close to Jeff’s number. We discussed the fact that now she’d never call his number, although statistically 332 is just as probable as any other. Eventually numbers 201-300 were allowed into the line, and I inched toward the front of the sanctuary. Jeff, meanwhile, waited at the back.
Eons later, I was at the front of the room (right in front of the microphone), and the raffle-leader called Jeff’s number. He, however, was paying no attention at all. Luckily I got the attention of the leader, who asked me for Jeff’s name and called him through the microphone. What craziness! Luckily I was paying attention and knew his number. A woman standing near me said maybe I should think about finding another boyfriend, but I told her that he’s pretty good otherwise.
Shortly thereafter, I came to the front of the line and Neil signed my books, I thanked him for wearing his wrist out for us, and I went back to sit down and wait for Jeff.
The raffle prize was a beautiful copy of MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script of the Motion Picture from the Jim Henson Company and a pass for two to see MirrorMask at the Varsity Theater. I would have gone to see MirrorMask anyway, but the coffee-table book is extra-cool. Besides, this is the first time Jeff has ever won anything at a raffle, and winning is fun. I’m glad he won it rather than I, because I once won $50 at a raffle in junior high. I already had my turn.
Mmm, I’m tired and happy, and I’m going to bed. Good night.