How exciting! We have an annual author's luncheon here and I have met all the authors-three I remember for different reasons:
Jennifer Weiner was a hoot-she had just come back from the filming of her book into movie In Her Shoes so she was giddy-told us how she had gotten her Grandmother a role as an extra in some of the scenes, and how nice Shirley MacLaine had been to her-and she read aloud from the next book, which was Little Earthquakes and had us all crying with laughter. I don't especially love that genre, but she was wonderful in person. Very charming.
John Brogan was just as you would expect-very laid back.
Mimi Sheraton was mean. I guess if you are a "critic" by profession, being pleasant isn't part of your makeup-but she was rude and patronizing.
This year we are having one of the authors of Three Cups of Tea and I am very excited.

cc - I've never read a Jennifer Weiner book and am not familiar with the other two authors you mentioned, but we read "3 Cups of Tea" for my book group a couple of months ago, and I think I would also be excited to hear one of the authors speak. That was such an amazing story. Let us know what you think after your luncheon.

What a wonderful experience, and one I am sure you will remember the rest of your life! It must be very rewarding for Fowler as well, to learn how deeply her books have touched people.

Love to hear good stories like this!

How I wish it would be possible to meet some of my favorite (living) authors. The only author I can claim to have met is Cynthia De Felice, a children's author. She lives in the area where I used to live and is a friend of the children's librarian I used to work for.

Sara Canary, how wonderful for you to meet Karen Joy Fowler. I hope the next photos you take of your shirt come out for her!

Cc, it sounds like you're in a good place to meet authors!

Jennifer Weiner writes "women's relationship stories," and John Brogan wrote Marley and Me, about his "very bad" dog. Mimi Sheraton is a food writer and restaurant critic who wrote for the NY Times and Conde Nast Traveler among others. She's written many books, but she was mostly speaking on her book Eating My Words about being a restaurant critic. She came in to town the day before, had requested an authentic Amish meal, we found an Amish family who would allow us into their home to share their evening meal (can't get much more authentic)...and she was mean-critical and snippy. I have to think Ruth Reichl would have been more gracious!

once a year, anyway. We have an annual Author's Luncheon.

When my children were in elementary school there was a conference and children's book authors were there. The children and parents could meet them but also each author was in a different room with a craft project set up that the author's participated in. It was a lot of fun and very memorable. I remember Tomi DePaolo the most. It was called "Raise a Reader". Each child was sent home with a book and a flashlight. The idea was that years ago it was thought to be bad for our eyes if we read in bed with a flashlight under the covers. Of course we know that doesn't hurt our eyes at all and we should encourage our kids to read whenever and wherever (within reason of course).

cc....Three Cups of Tea is probably in my top three books ever! To meet one of the people involved will be fascinating. After I read the book I wanted to hop right on a plane to Pakistan. What a determined guy Mortenson is. PLEASE report in after you meet the person! Do you know who's coming?

I believe it is the journalist-when I find out more info I'd be happy to post it-anyone close to Lancaster, PA is welcome to come!
Our author's luncheon raises money for our community projects, and we were very pleased with last year's turnout. Last year was Elizabeth Gilbert, and we sold out and had a few people coming the day of the luncheon-they knew there wasn't room for them to eat, but could they sit in the back and listen?

Sarah Canary, how wonderful! It sounds as though it went well, too. I've met a few authors I admire but alas, find myself babbling incoherently while that little inside voice says 'just shut up now'. It is nerves. Favorite authors bring me such rich experiences that I am filled with admiration and come off sounding like an idiot.

What an enjoyable experience you had, though, an actual conversation, clearly satisfying to both participants.

Rosefolly

Yes, Rosefolly, I really admire talented writers, too. In fact, I'd much rather meet an author than an actor or celebrity any day ... especially if I like his or her writing. I'd love to meet Alice Hoffman or Tony Hillerman, for example.

That's so neat, Sarah_Canary! I love hearing authors read from their books and admiring them from afar. But like Rosefolly, I invariably become starstruck and babble incoherently.

Recently, I was able to go to the American Library Association conference in Anaheim. Three of my favorite authors were there. Leif Enger was signing So Brave, Young and Handsome which I really enjoyed, though not as much as Peace Like a River. Sadly, no one else was in line to get his autograph (he was up against Greg Mortenson--Karalk's fave). I think I blubbered something about admiring him the way I admired Kent Haruf.

Ron Carlson was signing Five Skies and we had an interesting conversation about food--and the fact that one of the main characters in his book was named after him.

Finally--and here's my most embarrassing moment--Sherman Alexie was signing The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I waited in line for a while and when I got up to him all I could say was "I love you." How stupid and embarrassing! I was already embarrassed because I feel like I am the exact wrong audience for his books (what business do I have as a middle-class WASP relating so heavily to his books--he should hate me!). Luckily he was very gracious and just said "Thank You." Then, he noticed from my name badge that I was from Whittier and commented, somewhat ironically, on the fact that I share my hometown with President Nixon. I just blushed and thanked him for signing my book. He was such a nice guy!

phaedosia -- I know what you mean. I guess we feel like we have to make some pithy remark when we meet a writer. I'm also an Alexie fan, although I haven't read that much by him. I still remember the character who only drove her car backwards. Who knows, maybe you were Native American in a previous life. :)

Regarding Karen Joy Fowler: I sent her a follow-up e-mail and included a thread that we had here several years ago discussing "Sarah Canary." I thought she'd get a kick out of it... and she did. I told her if she wanted to answer any of our questions or make any comments that I'd love to hear what she had to say -- especially in regards to the Emily Dickensen quotes she started each chapter with. She asked if there were any quotes in particular that I wondered about, but I was away from home when I received her e-mail and didn't have a copy of the book. I plan to look back over the quotes and see which ones I couldn't connect to the story. She also said she'd recently attended a conference where someone delivered a paper about "Sarah Canary." So I guess I'm not the only fan out there.

My daughter and I met Ian Rankin in London when she had him sign a book for her. He was really friendly, and there was no line at the time, so he asked where we were from and got into a discussion about bourbon vs. scotch. Well, more a monologue because neither of us drinks.

Locally, I've attended book signings of Anne Perry, James Lee Burke, and Martha Grimes. Missed Dick Francis, doggone it!