[Gary Wassner]

I'd like that.

When I first began to read him, I had never even heard his name before. I was 16 and I discovered The Complete Works on a shelf in an attic at my friend's house. No one wanted it, so I took it. It really did change my life. Because of how fascinated I was with what he said and how he said it, I became a philosophy reader and eventually, a philosophy major in college. That then turned into a career for a while.

So I read him before I read anything whatsoever about him, and I quickly became a fanatic. He was my guidebook. If he mentioned an author, I read that author - Schopenhauer, Goethe, Hegel, Kant etc. I remember so well the first time I went into a book store to ask for Faust by Goethe. I pronounced his name Go-ee-thee. They didn't know what I was talking about. So, once I figured out how dumb I was and how uneducated, I began to study German language as well.

I know very well what you mean. But isn't it easier just to read about people? ;) We are a vouyeristic culture and a lazy one. I actually hate reading about Nietzsche. I much prefer just to read him again if I feel the compulsion.

[saintjon]

re costumes: none sounds good
re tchochke's: what are those?
re filking: again, clueless

so basically don't bother?

[Gary Wassner]

Well SJ, if Matt was going to do a reading there, then it might be worthwhile, right?

I've read at the last four I went to. Amazingly, some of the most well known authors read to almost empty rooms. I had a big crowd of course ;) each time. I went to one reading by an author whose name I won't mention, and ther were four people there in addition to me. One was his wife and one was his editor.

Oh, and tchotchkes is a Yiddish word. It means inexpensive flashy novelty items. Cheap give-away stuff, in other words.

You got me on the filking too, Matt

[Shehzad]

Y'know, Madison is just over 7 hrs drive away from here, but registration for the convention is already closed, and I have no clue as yet whether I'll have the weekend off.

I might just drop into town to meet people if I have time, though...

[MWStover]

You got me on the filking too, Matt

You are blessed by your ignorance. May you never, ever learn.

Ever.


Shez? Dunno if it's worth the 7-hour drive or not (that's a long damn time in a car, for me) but there's gonna be several people there you know -- Scott & Jenn will be in attendance, and I think gabe's coming . . . I need to check the list. Gabe Mesa has made it to at least one of these, as has Bob Urell . . .

[saintjon]

Seeing as the registration's closed can you still come at all?

Hehe I have to drive 7 hours just to get to Sault Ste. Marie and cross the border, then about another 10 hours to get to Madison probably, but the way I've been going to Wisconsin every week for the last month and a half for work it would be nice to go for fun. The old Taurus might not appreciate the idea though and that would be a pretty expensive weekend. I'll have to mull it over.

BTW sorry about the super-short post earlier. That's a bummer you had to stretch yourself out like that. Given the tight deadlines and the strict guideline on RoTS are you happy with how things turned out? I haven't read that one yet although I did get to read Shatterpoint last winter (and thought it was great). Often times when I feel I rushed something I'm not happy with how it turns out though, so I'm curious.

[MWStover]

Given the tight deadlines and the strict guideline on RoTS are you happy with how things turned out?

Given 10 weeks on the NYTimes Bestsellers List, I'd be an idiot to say I'm not.

And, overall, I'm very proud of that novel. There are some things the Powers That Be altered that I wish They would have have left alone, but that's the tie-in biz. When all is said and done, I'm not at all displeased that this is my most famous novel.

So far.

[Dominus]

Matt, do you know your latest sales figures on HD and BoT? I was curious if there has been a significant rise in sales since your SW books came out.

[Shehzad]

Shez? Dunno if it's worth the 7-hour drive or not (that's a long damn time in a car, for me) but there's gonna be several people there you know -- Scott & Jenn will be in attendance, and I think gabe's coming . . . I need to check the list. Gabe Mesa has made it to at least one of these, as has Bob Urell . . .

It is a long time, indeed-- first the 5 hr drive to Chicago and then 2 hrs further to Madison, and it'll probably be a difficult solo drive. However, there'll be a whole lot of former-DCians there, so I'm waiting to see how my plans develop.