A Chance to Speak

From my boss yesterday:

" I have a big favor to ask. A really big favor. Would you introduce Nicole Helgut on Monday night at the Masonic Temple?"

Silly boy! Of course I will. There will be hundreds of people there and you are giving ME a chance to talk? Never mind that no one (until now) knows I will be talking. I love a captive audience! How weird is it that I love to introduce people? I spend a disproportionate amount of time crafting introductions for the writers that visit the store. What is even weirder is that I don't always give the introductions- my boss does. He hates writing introductions and usually forgets. I salivate at the thought and usually hand them off too early and he loses them. Oh well. But I love finding little factoids about the author that lets them know I know something about them. I wrote this really great introdcution for a bigwig author (Michael Perry--if you don't know who he is, you should. Check outhttp://www.sneezingcow.com/ now and finish this later)who visited in the spring. Of course, my boss read it since this guy was a bigwig, but the author referenced my introduction and pontificated a bit on details I had mentioned which segued into a great story that he added to his talk. Cool! Now, this doesn't exactly jive with my need for praise, but I got through it. And this time, I will be delivering the introduction, which I would have written anyway and passed off to the boss. The occasion is a night with the Winona Reads! author and the book is The Turtle Catcher, which I have read. This reading of the books by the author is mostly a good thing. Occasionally, I have had to introduce people with whose work I am not familiar, which creates a talking-out-your blowhole- sensation and that is not fun. The other icky feeling that can occur is that you have read it and don't care for it so then the acting bug kicks in. As a parent, I feel well-schooled in this department. Feigning interest in the stag beetle book which is 21 pages too long or attempting captivation at the fifth viewing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer' Stone is a skill I had not banked on using. But, I have. I am safe, however, on both counts and do not need to cram or prepare to fake it this weekend. I just need to write and practice and pick my outfit. Yes!

Comments

  1. A message!!! My friend the writer and public speaker?! Go Lisa! Wish I was in town to see you!-oh and the author of course!

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