fajrdrako | Meeting authors... (Reply)

From Oct. 11:

I said in August, when we talked about fan mail, that I planned on expanding that to live meetings when the time was right. Well, that time is now!

Have you ever met one of your favorite authors? Gotten their autograph?

Yes. I met Dorothy Dunnett many times; at six or more Gatherings, and once at a reading in Toronto, when we went for drinks afterwards. She was as interesting and intelligent and sharp as you might expect her to be, and phenomenal with names. At one point, she remembered me on sight when she had only met me once two years earlier, and not just my name, but who I was and where I was from. I have her autograph on at least one copy of each of her books, and hers autograph as well as Alistair's on The Scottish Highlands.

You can probably imagine how happy I was to know her, and what it meant to me. Her autograph, I might add, is a godawful scrawl. Handwriting was not her best thing.

I have autographs -invariably on books - from other favourite authors too. Guy Gavriel Kay, on most of his books. Karin Lowachee on all of hers. Dick Francis, on In the Frame. Jo Beverley. Stan Lee. Neil Gaiman. I even have Lois McMaster Bujold's autograph, even though I've never met her in person. I have it on two different books, which two wonderful friends got for me, at different times.

Though I'm not generally into getting autographs, there are a handful of authors I haven't met whose autographs I would love to get because I love their writing so much: Elizabeth Knox, Megan Whalen Turner, Brian Michael Brandis. For example.

How about an author you felt only so-so about, but got their autograph anyway? Like, say, at a book-signing a friend dragged you to?

Yes. Mostly at conventions, when a number of authors were signing. I don't usually bother with autographs, especially when it means standing in line. Sometimes books are sold, already autographed, which is rather fun. I got a few that way.

I got Theodore Sturgeon's autograph that way. In person, he was wonderful - Ask the next question - but I still haven't read his books.

How about stumbling across a book signing or reading and being so captivated, you bought the book?

Yes, definitely. That happened with Guy Gavriel Kay. I'd actually already met him, and knew from talking to him that I'd probably like his books, but when I heard him read from Tigana I was so enthralled I bought it at the first opportunity.