Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

Anything happening in the non-digital area?
  

    

Reva hon, do you have to tour?  Do you have to do signings?  Did you fill
out the author's interview thingie at amazon.com?
  

    
I did the author review for this book, but not the interview thingie. I know
that really helps sales, and I should just get on it and interview myself.

Most of my signings so far have happened in conjunction with conferences
like Online World and Internet Librarian -- venues where, ahem, My People
hang out. Or the people who became My People as a result of my previous
books (psst: Ask me about my previous books).

I've done a couple of radio shows in support of Researching Online For
Dummies -- Point and Click Radio, which is produced up in my neck of the
woods, has archived the interview I did with them; it's at www.kzyx.org/pc
I did a chat on Talk City a couple of nights ago. I guess this kind of book
lends itself to virtual promotion. But an actual bookstore signing would be
a thrill, hint hint.
  

    

just remember my rule -- the last person in line to get her book signed is
the psychopath.
  

    
I remember that woman in rainbow garb who showed up at your Cody's reading!
  

    
or how about that long-haired heckler...
  

    


I want to hear more about the rainbow-garbled woman and the heckler!

Meanwhile, stepping briefly out of the virtual realm, there is indeed an
IRL (e.g., In Real Life) book event in store for Reva on Wednesday,
November 4, at 7 p.m. at the Exploratorium, 3601 Lyon Street at Marina (at
the Palace of Fine Arts), in the Learning Studio.

This is going to be a tres fun event - the Exploratorium folks are going
to do a live audio stream on their Website.  Admission is free, although
the (nonprofit) Exploratorium will accept donations. 
  

    
Y'all come on down!
  

    
Oh WOW.  SOunds WAY fun.  Does one need to get a ticket or anything?
('Cause free doesn't always mean Just Waltz In).
  

    
That sounds like great fun -- the Explo people have great attitude!
  

    

(fom)'s son works there and can take us around afterwards.

reeeeeeeeeeeve, has Amazon.com treated you with the reverence you deserve? I
am fond of amazon but others make the good point that it stifles the
independents.
  

    
I've got mixed feelings on this.  On the one hand, it is hard on the indys,
and I love my local book sellers.  On the other, I know enough people who
live in  places without any non-chainn book stores, and at least Amazon has
almost everything you would ever want, which the mall and megastores do not.
  

    

I shop at both amazon.com and my local bookseller, which is why I have so
damn many books. 
  

    

I find that the books I buy at amazon.com tend to be books I would not 
remember to buy (or get a chance to buy) elsewhere, if not forever, 
then for weeks.

When I go to Powell's or even Borders, I browse and pick up what looks 
good, often distracted from the books I had in the back of my mind to 
look for when I set out.
  

    

Yes, they are very different forms of book-buying.  
  

    
I browse in Amazon as well as RL stores.  And I had too many books BEFORE I
discovered the place!
  

    
I'm really conscious of supporting my local bookstore, seeing as how I have
just one. And they took an incredible beating when Amazon.com went online.
But I've gotta say that Amazon has been very supportive of Researching
Online For Dummies. And so have my friends who've voluntarily submitted
glowing reviews to the site.
  

    


She has hunted us down, one by one.

  -signed, A Reader In Portland, Oregon
  

    
Heh. Heh.
  

    

As long as we're just hanging out here, with the whole world watching and
unable to answer back, I'm gonna do what authors always do in this
situation.  I'm gonna spew author publicity.

Here's your chance to prove to yourself that I'm not just words on a screen
or a page, folks.  I'm a material being, I occupy space and have mass.

I will be speaking publicly in San Francisco this month as
 part of the ongoing New Minds Lecture/Performance series.

 October 14, 1998
 7:30 pm (doors open at 7pm)

 Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
 701 Mission Street,
 San Francisco,
 California USA

 Advance tickets $15, on day of show $18

 For tickets:
 415-978-ARTS or www.ticketweb.com

 For more information on the series:
 www.newminds.org
 415-641-9000

bruces@well.com
  

    

and what will be your alleged topic, Bruce?  You are the *greatest* speaker.
  

    
He's going to present his platform. He's running for president.
  

    
Finally, after 4 books, I've been getting some bookstore Events!
My new book's an anthology - What Book!? Buddha poems from beat to hiphop
(http://word.to/whatweb.html - for more info) and we kicked it off at the
Zen Center with 13 poets (including Jane Hirshfield, a Wellite).  Then I did
a gig at Readers' Books - a great indie in Sonoma.

Rick Fields, Wes "Scoop" Nisker, Ok-koo Kang Grosjean, 'n me 'll be doing a
gig at Cody's, this Week - Sunday the 18th, starting 7:30.  (The Cody's on
Telegraph, not the new one.)

City lights - November 19.

It's fun to meet readers - and great to support local independent
bookstores.

[end of shamelessly opportunistic self-promotion]
  

    
I take it back ... <erase> ... I see my posting has frozen the topic.
<erase>
  

    

oh, please.


Does anybody know who else is on tour now?  I never read calendars in
newspapers.  Well, I never read newspapers.
  

    
Sounds cool, Gary.

Anybody else going to see Bruce Sterling tonight at the www.newminds.org
gig??