Yesterday after work, Jeff and I headed over to the University Temple United Methodist Church. To see Neal Stephenson. As we sat in the pews of the church, hymnal books in front of us, Neal Stephenson stood at the podium with the mighty stained glass Jesus behind him. He briefly introduced himself, fumbled with the microphone and then he got right to the point. He had decided to read a dialogue from Anathem and its continuation a few pages later but before he could start, he said a few words about David Foster Wallace. I appreciated that. Without lingering too long on such tragedy, he started to read from Anathem.
We sat there, ears perked up, trying to hear every word, adjusting ourselves on the uncomfortable wooden seats. And laughing. Anathem is filled with that trademark Stephenson dry humor. After he finished reading, he went into Q&A. Folks asked questions about the analemma on the cover and what its significance was to him. They asked about his writing process to which he replied, “I don’t know that I have a process, but now that you mention it, I guess I do.” Jeff even raised his hand and asked a question about the sudden move to a new planet.
After questions were answered and minds satiated, he did a very organized book signing. Since neither Jeff nor I have bought the new book, we brought others that we loved. I carried Snow Crash. Jeff brought Quicksilver (Book 1 of the Baroque Cycle).
It was a brilliant way to cure the Mondays.
to Lena
Future Events: Friday, October 3rd, Neil Gaiman will be making an appearance in support of The Graveyard Book.
Filed under: Literature , Analemma, Anathem, Baroque Cycle, book reading, book release, Literature, Neal Stephenson, science fiction, scifi, Snow Crash, UW event
[...] Lena has a blog entry on seeing Neal and getting her copy of Snow Crash autographed (with a PIC!) [...]
That was my copy of Snow Crash right up until her name went in the front of it
What Jeffrey really means is that in our relationship, we don’t play “mine” and “yours.”
Oh how I love using that against you.
shmily.
Sweet!
It’s never “mine’ or “yours” until the relationship falls apart. In which case, I’ve decided should that happen. All I’m taking are my clothes and computer.