Worthy
A belated thanks to everybody at Methvens bookshop in Worthing, who hosted the That's Me In The Corner event on Friday, as part of the Artists & Makers Festival, which is ongoing. (That's Dan on the left, who runs the festival.) It's belated because I've only just had the grinning, slightly blurry group shot forwarded to me, in which I look a bit weird and everybody else looks fine. Thanks also to the surprisingly large number of people who turned up to have a glass of wine and listen to me bang on for 90 minutes about Everett True and Alan Lamb - that's at least two anecdotes that didn't make the book. That's why you have to come and see me in bookshops. Not that I plan to be in any other bookshops for a while. I love bookshops and the people who work in them, especially independent ones, but it's a risky business turning up in one and expecting people to come and see you. I once saw the famous TV chef Rick Stein sitting at a table in Border's on London's busy Oxford Street, alone except for a Border's rep and two big piles of books. It was a heartbreaking sight. Anyway, use independent bookshops, they're ace.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 2:16 PM
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19 Comments:
Nice to see you smart for the occasion.
I feel like I've betrayed independent bookshops now since I got your book from Play.com.
Still, I saved a couple of quid.
I love browsing in bookshops, and then if I want to buy a book I'll often go home and order it online. I am a traitor, I know.
Bugger, just used a large chain to buy That's Me In the Corner, the Alex James book and the Andrew Marr book for the price of two. At least the large chain is connected to the ratings computer though, so we stay with the plan.
Peter
You have, though, stumbled upon the flaw in Herring's evil plan, Peter: if you don't buy the book in the correct shop it won't be counted. I guess it's a bit like chart return shops for records, in the olden days when people bought records in shops.
I think I know the large chain you're talking about. A very good offer. I often get a novel I would never normally try in those offers. Two non-fiction plus a fiction.
What was the Everett True anecdote? I used to like his writing when I was a teenager, I imagine it might be a bit cloying and sentimental now I'm older and more wizened.
Also, I have a spot of professional advice I'd like to bend your ear about, Andrew - if that might be alright? Perfectly fine if not but it's just a couple of queries relating to Tv reviewing...
I only do that one live, Swines.
For private consultations, contact me via the "contact me" bit.
Blast - I want the anecdote. Perhaps you think we can't handle the Everett truth.
Ok will email... thanks.
Cheap digital cameras are designed to create the most unflattering portraits imaginable.
I can vouch for the amusing and satisfying properties of the Everett True anecdote. It was a jolly nice evening all round - and what a good bookshop.
I remember seeing Gillian Taylforth sitting at a table outside Smiths in Waterloo Station at a book signing. Not a soul went anywhere near that table. I felt incredibly sorry for her.
John
Shallow from Worthing ( you'll vaguely remember who I am ) says many thanks for coming down, but I won't tell Allan Lamb that you've spelt his name wrong, otherwise he'll whisper menancingly in your ear " you've gone too far this time "
I saw Richard Thompson on a makeshift stage in a New York CD store, with shoppers coming in and out who had no idea what was going on. At one point he said "I'm Richard Thompson, I'm famous" and we, the fans, all laughed along with him. Artistic merit and publicity don't always go hand-in-hand.
Mark Steel showed up though.
Yea the 3/4 length trouser/shorts tend to work against one, n'est-ce pas? Been caught out myself a few times. I own a couple of pairs and, frankly, I rarely likes the look of 'um. Capri pants I believe they may be called. Mines are for the bin as soon as I get home. I may even leave early to force the issue.
I think the three-quarter-length short looks good when you're standing up, but less so when you're sitting down. I always stand up on public transport for this reason. (Also, I need the air on my calves.)
I never sit down in pubs (for philosophical reasons) so perhaps I can use this opportunity to wear my capri pants. I'll let you know how I go.
That's Me In The Corner played an integral role in my holiday last week - and I happily turned down the plethora of movies available on the flight back from Europe to the States so that I could finish it off. A really good read (he said, trying not to sound sycophantic).
Actually, I was working at the MTV awards in Dublin and Stockholm too. The catering wasn't that good was it?!
I thought the catering was great! Maybe I'm not jaded enough. Thanks for your positive review of the book by the way, which, people may have noticed, did not make the Sunday Times Top 10, so Herring's evil plan failed.
I had TMITC in my hand the other week in WH Smiths but couldn't find anything else in the B1G2ndHP offer I wanted so I put it back. Why didn't I just buy only the book I wanted? Good question and therein lies the deep, dark, unfathomable question at the heart of consumerism. Possibly.
Turned out for the best though a I made the train by a matter of seconds. I sat down and ploughed on with Cormac Mcarthy's "The Crossing" at which my dreadful recent luck with books escalated to unforeseen levels. The main character moved in a single page (actually sentence) from guiding a wolf off his ranch in New Mexico to being accosted by bandits at the Mexican border. The single page had moved from page 581 to page 621. I read on anyway but the trilogy is going back to the Borders from whence it came. I read on anyway as quite why Billy was intent on leading the wolf back home to Mexico was less than clear anyway.
But, Andrew, you'll be glad to know I finally ordered the book from Play yesterday with free delivery to Ireland. The bad news, from my perspective anyway, is that I also ordered series 4 and 5 of The Shield as well. Am I supposed to be made of money?
I bought TMITC yesterday - 1/2 price with Andrew Marr's "A History of Modern Britain".
Felt worried this morning as I got on my train at East Croydon that you might be on it and you'd see me reading your book and it'd be all awkard and that.
I've just re-read that paragraph and it looks like the sort of thing you'd see in a letter to a top-shelf mag. Sorry about that.
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