Today I got to meet Clive Barker at Screamfest Orlando, and got him to autograph my copy of "The Hellbound Heart". It was amazing since he's not only one of my favorites, he's also a super nice guy. Any similar experiences?
I met Larry McMurtry a few times at his book store in Archer City, TX. He used to work there and welcomed people who came to visit. His book store basically keeps the little town where he's from alive. He bought up several old buildings around the courthouse in the town square and turned them into a huge book store. It's worth a visit and gets literary folks from all around Texas. I found him quite friendly and ready to chat while he worked in the shop. He was good friends with Ken Kesey and had some good stories about their time together and the Merry Pranksters. He's a great author too, Lonesome Dove for example, and I think he captures Texas better than anyone in his books.
in my 'old life' i lived in westport, ct, which has long been a renowned writers' and artists' colony... as a writer myself, and board member of the westport arts council and volunteer hostess for both that group and the famous westport country playhouse, i had the great pleasure of knowing many of the area's well-known talents and best of all, entertaining them in my home... just a few of the many i had to dinner or cocktail parties: robert ludlum [author of the 'bourne' series and countless other bestsellers] and his lovely wife, mary... keir dullea [best known for his role in '2001, a space odyssey'] and his theatrical director wife, susie fuller... robert moore [author of 'the green berets'] noel behn [noted novelist, screenwriter, theatrical producer] writer/cartoonist legend mel casson ['boomer' and 'redeye' comic strips] eileen heckart [star of stage, screen, tv] and too many other artists, actors, writers to remember... with only one exception, they were all just friendly, 'regular folks' with me... no airs put on, no noticable awareness of their public stature... it was a wonderful time in my extremely eclectic life... ---------- Post added at 05:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:29 AM ---------- in my 'old life' i lived in westport, ct, which has long been a renowned writers' and artists' colony... as a writer myself, and board member of the westport arts council and volunteer hostess for both that group and the famous westport country playhouse, i had the great pleasure of knowing many of the area's well-known talents and best of all, entertaining them in my home... just a few of the many i had to dinner or cocktail parties: robert ludlum [author of the 'bourne' series and countless other bestsellers] and his lovely wife, mary... keir dullea [best known for '2001, a space odyssey'] and his theatrical director wife, susie fuller... robert moore [author of 'the green berets'] noel behn [noted novelist, screenwriter, theatrical producer] writer/cartoonist legend mel casson ['boomer' and 'redeye' comic strips] eileen heckart [star of stage, screen, tv] and too many other artists, actors, writers to remember... with only one exception, they were all just friendly, 'regular folks' with me... no airs put on, no noticable awareness of their public stature... it was a wonderful time in my extremely eclectic life... ---------- Post added at 05:33 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:32 AM ---------- site still acting up... tried to edit and it wouldn't 'take'... so tried to post a corrected version and it came out like this!
I met John Ringo and Harry Turtledove at ConCarolinas 2010 and 2011. I got to chat a bit (I certainly remember it, but I'm sure they don't). Unfortunately, I didn't participate with them on any panels.
site still acting up... tried to edit and it wouldn't 'take'... so tried to post a corrected version and it came out like this! ---------- Post added at 05:38 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:34 AM ---------- still having probs... can't edit the above post to delete the dupe...
I'd have to be a fair bit older - perhaps between 50 to 150 - to have had the chance to meet some of my favourite authors. I've met a couple of not-so-famous authors. One who writes children's books lives somewhere closeby.
I've got all of my Darren Shan books except like 3 by him. I've also met him twice. Does that count? Is he considered famous?
I've met some of my favourite children's authors, or rather I've really enjoyed books by them. These are Jacqueline Wilson, Celia Rees, Meg Rosoff, David Almond, and Melvin Burgess. When I met them/got books signed, I was too shy to ask them anything but it was nice putting a face to the books I've read by them.
Penny Vincenzi is my mother's old schoolfriend, among others. Her friends mostly use different names when they write, and I didn't learn they were writers until I was an adult! The sister of my aunt (by marriage) writes and illustrates children's books and her daughter is a moderately well known chick-lit author. As mammamaia says, these people are mostly nice, unassuming, regular folks. I didn't like Leslie Thomas of Virgin Soldiers fame when I met him (about thirty years ago) but I think if I met him now I'd have something to talk about with him--I was too young, and he was slightly socially inept back then.
I've met Iain M. Banks and Ramsay Campbell at the Middlesex University Literary Festival (in different years). I've also met Joe Hill at a signing in London. One of these days I'll catch Lavie Tidhar on twitter when he's in the UK and ask him for a drink. Same with Gary McMahon.
Although I've never met her, I speak regularly to Anne Rice on her facebook! She even corrects my grammer when I get stumped as to how to word a sentence correctly, she gives me her opinions on many things. She is so awesome, on any day, sometimes several days I have had tiny facebook chats with her. And yes, it really is her! lol And every time I speak to her I am as equally star struck as the last time.
