THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO “Carol Scampoli,” “KC,” and “Mercedes”…WHO EACH WIN A BAG FOR THEIR COMMENTS BELOW.
The Mixed Bag Challenge: a new question each week for the 15 weeks leading up to the Festival. Prizes include a bag for the best each week, and a raffle chance at Festival event tickets for each entry.
We’re on to brushes with fame this week. This week’s challenge: 3. What’s your best story of an author sighting?
Deadline: Mar 4, Noon. New challenge then.
11 Comments
February 25, 2009 at 8:31 pm
This wasn’t an author sighting, but a serendipitous sighting of the relative of an author. I had just been reading mystery books by Eliot Pattison, who writes about Tibet. I was purchasing a new cell phone from a kiosk in Fashion Square Mall. I mentioned to the very kind man, Robert Pattison, that I worked with the Festival of the Book. He said, Oh, you should invite my cousin, Eliot–he writes books.
I said, Well, we just DID invite him. Though he declined, saying he was too busy. I am hoping that lobbying by cousins will change Mr. Pattison’s mind.
February 26, 2009 at 9:43 am
Years ago, I attended a book signing for “Big Stone Gap”, the first book by Adriana Trigiani. I struck up a conversation with a lively woman, who was early and waiting along with me. We talked and I kept thinking how much we had in common. After about 30 min., she stood up and said “Well, I better get started…” IT WAS HER! LOL Guess I should have looked at the author photo more closely!
February 28, 2009 at 10:31 am
William Faulkner was sighted last night at the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. He addressed a delighted crowd of eighty patrons in the library at some length over a bottle of Old Crow bourbon when it suddenly hit me: We were being duped by the same imposter who portrayed W.F. at last fall’s Spirit Walk. So then, Mr. Faulkner was sighted in spirit with spirits last night by an inspired Old Crow crew of conspirators at the spookily spirited Historical Society.
February 28, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Many years ago I found out that Maurice Sendak would be signing books at a department store near me. I convinced my new husband that it was worth the hour and a half wait in line to get Where the Wild Things Are signed by the aurthor. Mr. Sendak sat at a table and said a few personal words to each person that stood in the line. He wrote a few words with his signature.I still have the book and treasure it each time I read it. Any child who visits and every class I have taught get a chance to hear the story about the badest wild thing of all.
March 1, 2009 at 4:18 am
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Making Money $150 An Hour
March 2, 2009 at 10:23 am
My favorite author story takes me back to a romantic getaway with my husband a handful of years ago. We were at a bed and breakfast in Winchester, VA. How thrilling to have a beautiful room with an Italian-tiled jacuzzi until…we could not get the water to turn off! The spa water filled higher and higher as we sopped up water with the high-cotton count towels. So…my husband dressed and ran to the front office. No one was in sight except for a gentleman sitting at a corner table signing books. My husband proceeded to ask him if he knew how to cut off a jacuzzi. He did not have this knowledge but felt that the owners would return shortly.
Long story short…the wild jacuzzi was cut off and all was well. However, my intuitive husband told me that he thought the gentleman was a children’s author. I gave it no thought.
The following morning at breakfast we passed the guest book. There, easily recognized from previous autographings, was Pinkerton, the Great Dane! Steven Kellogg had left a message about his wonderful visit and his trademark character’s sketch. Next time I WILL listen to the wise words of my husband! What a funny author sighting!!
March 2, 2009 at 2:48 pm
I sutured up John Grisham’s yellow Lab after it had been in a dog fight.
March 2, 2009 at 3:57 pm
My meeting Linda Fairstein in person at the Festival 2005 and having had the opportunity to speak with her was a touching occasion for us both. Her dad was an anesthesiologist in the hospital where I trained as a registered nurse back in the early 60’s. The night before the luncheon she and David Baldacci spoke and I headed quickly out of the auditorium as they finished their presentations so that I could meet her as she prepared to sell and sign her newest novel, Entombed.
I approached her and related how very much admired her dad was by all who had the pleasure of working with him, especially the nursing students. She hugged and thanked me and had tears in her eyes as we agreed on how very special he was.
The next day after the luncheon, where she and David Baldacci again spoke about the intricacies of writing Crime novels, I headed quickly out of the ballroom and was the first one at her table once again. I presented my yearbook from nursing school opened to her dad’s picture in the operating room in his anesthesia gear and her eyes moistened up once again as we hugged. She signed a loving message in that 1961 yearbook and presented me with a personally signed copy of her novel , writing yet another loving memory of years past. She also gave me her e mail address so we could continue to stay in touch.
The experience was related to my fellow graduates at a recent reunion and brought back warm memories of our days in training and a Doctor who treated us each individually , with such utmost respect.
March 2, 2009 at 5:12 pm
I may have had the opportunity to sight authors many times – aside from on the Downtown Mall during Book Festival time. But alas, I tend to have my nose in a book when seated and to stride purposefully toward my destination when out walking –thus unintentionally snubbing even close friends. So, only one author sighting comes to mind – of an author few, if any, of you will have heard of. I was at the hairdresser, in Paris, in the late ‘90s and idly glancing around while waiting my turn. Suddenly, coming toward me, wearing the salon’s signature pink peignoir, and respectfully accompanied by another hairdresser, was an elegant and familiar elderly woman I recognized from TV. Her name was Françoise Giroud – at different times, journalist, member of the French government and author. For the next several years, I saw her regularly as we seemed to make our appointments at the same time. Gradually she grew frailer and then, one day, I didn’t see her. So, I was sad, but not surprised, when I heard on the news that she had died at the age of 87. I never spoke to her since I felt that would be intruding on her private life. But for several years, I looked forward to seeing her on Saturday morning. Google her. She’s was an amazing woman and some of her books have been translated into English.
March 3, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Some years ago, I was traveling on the train from Washington back to Charlottesville. I had a lot of work to do and so was dismayed when a garrulous gentleman sporting a very wide-brimmed hat sat down next to me and immediately started talking. After a while I realized that he was Donald McCaig, the author of “Nop’s Trials” and other wonderful books. My dismay at the interruption quickly disappeared, as we talked about border collies and sheep (the subject of Nop’s Trials, more or less). In another book he tells of his journey to Scotland in search of a border collie, and I shared with him that my Scottish forebears still would send to Scotland for their border collies, after they emigrated to eastern Oregon in the 1870s and started sheep ranching. Apparently the Scottish-bred border collies are still the cream of the crop for working (and lovable) dogs.
March 6, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Yay! I am so happy that I won! yay yay yay