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Feeling Follows Form

September 9, 2008 | 2 Comments

Hello. I am wondering if you plan to do any book signing when you are in Alaska on Sept 10, or if that kind of thing makes you feel generally icky. Does it annoy you when people bring in books of yours they have already purchased? Do you prefer they buy something you might be selling at an event? I ask this because I was once snubbed by a writer for this reason. It was a rather sad experience.

In any case, I am looking forward to seeing you live! Thanks for all the great poetry over the years.

Annie E.
Anchorage

I was brought up to be polite, Annie, as no doubt you were, and the thing about manners is that, first, you learn to be kind, and then you learn to enjoy the people you're being kind to. Feeling follows form. I like to meet new people, look in their faces, see what hair preparations they use, check out their outfits, their cologne, their hairdos, and the best way to do that is to stand up close to them and sign a book. We make small talk and sometimes they want their picture taken with me which gives me an excuse to put an arm around them. I don't come from a big hugging tradition so this sort of physical contact is rather, uh, thrilling. I'm not selling anything at events, though sometimes other people are, and it doesn't matter to me if the book I'm asked to sign is some old waterstained paperback of "Lake Wobegon Days" with a price pencilled on the first page (35 cents) or the latest and greatest. What matters to me is that I get to meet the person who wants me to sign it. So I'll see you in Anchorage and if you want me to sign your socks, just take off your shoes.

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