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| Monday, July 18, 2005 |
| I was there. |
in spirit anyway. Everyone's been talking about it - The Neil Gaiman visit. Some clueless officemates and friends asked me to explain who was this man who could get raise such a clamor and pack Rockwell, Gateway Fully Booked branches to the brim? Unfortunately, having been familiar with this wonderful man's work since my early years in high school, i could barely say a word.
I feel like ever descriptive term i can think of seemed disparaging to what he has achieved in my mind. His books continue to move me to tears or thought. And to discover that he isn’t some psychotic recluse who has buried himself in his mother’s basement creating these books (ok I’m exaggerating) stirs me even more.
An excerpt from his journal:
In the Philippines, the people are enthusiastic on a level that makes the Brazilians look reserved and polite"…what I was trying to say was that until I got to the Philippines, the Brazilians were the most enthusiastic audiences I've encountered. For example, Brazil is the only place I've ever been where, when I finished talking -- an onstage interview -- the people in the audience actually rushed the stage, and I found myself picked up by a large bouncer, handed to another large bouncer who put me through the door out of the theatre and locked it behind me. Doesn't usually happen.
For that matter, I don't usually do signings for 1,200 people, as happened the last time I was in Brazil. So what I was trying to get across was that in terms of enthusiasm and sheer volume, the Filipinos pulled into the number one spot, forcing Brazil (which previously occupied the World's Most Enthusiastic Country spot in my head) to number two. It's perfectly possible that the next time I go back to Brazil it will reclaim its title.
Ten happy little fingers and they're mine all mine...
posted by Neil 7/12/2005 02:28:00 AM
There's nothing quite like coming back from a day of signing and signing and signing and talking and talking and signing, to be met with several thousand people pointing out that though my head thought "Leonard Cohen" my fingers typed "John Cale".
I do not blame my fingers. A number of times in the last two days they have happily written inscriptions for people while my head has struggled to catch up. "Gosh," I think. "It's a copy of Good Omens. What are some of the things I write in Good Omens?" while my fingers have already efficiently written most of Burn This Book. Probably they just got confused by "Hallelujah" or something.
I don't think I've ever been more exhausted at any point in a signing tour than I am right now. (Having said that, I don't remember ever having felt so loved by so many people.) But I get to sleep until I wake up and that's so good...
PS. I think I'm now addicted to calamansi juice.
I go, farewell. Farewell, I go.
posted by Neil 7/12/2005 03:58:00 PM
Okay. Leaving for the airport in a minute, in a thunderstorm of epic proportions. And I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who made my trip to the Philippines the most memorable trip ever. I'd thank you all personally but there are several thousand of you, and my fingers would start to hurt again.
But thanks again to you all. And yes, I do want to come back.
On to Melbourne... |
posted by maldita @ 12:07 PM
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