Atlantia Book Signing -- The Long Version
Br00se
anything is new, but I wanted to post it all for the sake of being
complete.
Robert Jordan Books signing for Winter's Heart
December 5, 2000. - Atlanta, GA. - Chapter 11 bookstore.
The signing started at 7:00pm. I was late however, arriving around
7:30. I took several pictures and brought along a borrowed tape
recorder. It didn't pick up everything that was said, but after
running the tape through the EQ, I got a good bit from it. I usually
had a harder time getting the questions since those asking the
questions had their backs to me. Here is what I was able to collect;
much of this has been reported on a number of times.
The first question I heard was concerning his favorite character. His
reply was whomever he was writing at the time. He then went on to say
that his wife could guess whom he had been writing just by looking at
him
I missed the next question, but the answer was: "Don't name your son
Chad."
The next question was concerning other projects he was working on.
His reply was that he wasn't working on any other projects, and that
he can only work on one project at a time. When he was working on the
Guide and New Spring, he had to stop working on the novel during that
time.
I missed the next question, but it was something about his computer
use. He said that whenever he was at his computer, he was writing.
Apart from checking his E-mail and updating his virus definitions
files, about all he did on his computer was write.
Someone asked what year he graduated from the Citadel. His answer was
1974. The follow up was a comment about the school turning out some
great writers. He said that it was not so much the school as the
person.
The next question dealt with the sizes of the countries and cities.
The larger cities had between 300k and 600K. Tar Valon has 700K
people. Andor has a population of 10 million.
The next question was about the heights and weights of the three
amigos. I had seen the heights reported before, but not the weights.
This might actually be new info.
Rand is 6' 5" to 6' 6" and 235lbs
Perrin is 6' 1½" and 235-245lbs
Mat is 6' and 180lbs
Q: Would a hero tied to the wheel be seen in T'A'R after he'd been
born.
A: No.
The next question dealt with him designing cultures. He gave a
familiar answer about how he started by saying if one thing is true
about the people, he would ask what three other things must be true.
He then repeats this until he is satisfied that he has enough to work
with. He used the Aiel as an example, starting with them living in a
dry wasteland, what else must be true.
The next lady that came through said, "I think Isam killed Asmodean."
He smiled as he signed her book and said, "You do?" And he left it at
that. For some reason I got the idea he was thinking, "Of course he
did." But that was just my mind reading powers at work.
The next question prompted him to discuss how he drew from many
different cultures and mythologies for his inspiration. This has all
been reported on before.
The next person asked about the WOT computer action game. He said
that the game designers did a fine job with it, but didn't get
everything he wanted in there. This is mostly because of the
limitations of the Unreal engine. His role in creating it was pretty
limited because he was writing a book at the time.
Something came up about Wizards of the Coast. He said that they were
working on an online WOT game. If he gave more details, I missed
them.
Some one asked him if he was going to Dragon Con in Atlanta. He said
that he had been told that he received an invitation. He didn't say
if he would go or not.
The next question was about his favorite authors, he rattled off a
long list, most of which have already been listed elsewhere. If
anyone really wants to know, I'll go through the tape again and see
what I can recover.
At this point he paused and said that he was glad that no women had
asked a question that make him blush yet. Usually at signings this
size some woman will.
Someone asked about the cover art. He described the process as
working something like this: He writes a description of what he wants
for the artist. The artist then makes a sketch of how it will look.
RJ then makes comments and corrections and sends that back. He
doesn't see it again until it is finished and ready for publication.
Someone asked about prequels or books from the AOL. He said that were
would be no prequels.
Someone asked another culture development question, and got a shorter
version of the same answer as before.
Someone asked him whom he favored in the election. He said that it
was his private business. He added that he did get an absentee ballot
and that he did vote.
Then he told the story about being in England and a woman brought an
18-month-old baby through a signing line. She wanted the book
personalized to the child - Robert Jordan Smith. He said that he
waited till after the signing to tell his wife about it. When she
heard she asked how old the child was. Upon hearing 18 months, she
said that it was OK because she knew where he was 27 months before.
The next lady asked some question about one of Min's viewing of Rand
with three women. She was confused because Min didn't recognize
someone in the viewing that she should have known. JR had to repeat 3
or 4 times that the viewing wasn't clear at the time. He seemed to be
stressing that Min's inability to recognize the person didn't mean
anything important. Her viewings don't always tell everything. This
is only important because it means that you can't use anything that
was missing from Min's viewings as proof of anything.
After some more stuff I didn't hear very clearly, he told his "I could
have writing the last chapter 15 years ago" story.
The next person asked if he typed, to which Jordan replied, "If I
wrote it longhand it would take 8 years between books."
Several people had photo's made with Jordan, he kept looking back to
make sure no one was putting up bunny ears. He said that he uses his
cane to make sure the culprits don't get away because the cane adds 3
feet to his reach.
The next question was by Daniel Rouk I believe, correct me if I'm
wrong. I've posted this part before, but included it for
completeness.
Q: "How do you keep track of all the information, do you have, like,
a database?"
A: "I have a database. Yes. I have a database, in a way a rather
rudimentary one. It's is simply a huge collection of files organized
on characters, on cultures, um (pause) organizations, anything that I
think I might need to know about the world. But to tell you the
truth, I usually go into those files to add in new things that I've
come up with. It's not that often that I go in there to check on
things."
Q: "Do you keep a list of all your different threads so you don't
have a whole bunch of hanging....."
A: No, no, no, no, no, no that's all in my head. It doesn't exist
anywhere except in my head."
Q: Thanks.
When asked about the total number of books, he gave the stock answer
of at least 3 more books. When I suggested that 13 is a nice
symmetrical number, he looked up at the ceiling and said "Don't listen
to this man." I can only assume by his reaction that he took my
comment to mean 13 additional books, instead of 13 total books.
I then asked him if there was going to be any more short fiction, he
said, "I don't know. Maybe." He went on to explain about how the day
that Bob Silverberg called him about Legends, he had been going
through some notes about Lan and Moiraine's meeting. Lucky for us.
He had to stop work on the novel to write the short story.
The next person also asked about the cover art, and he gave a shorter
version of the first answer.
Some one asked about the first printing hardbacks of TEOTW and how to
identify them. He went on to say that the rumor that some of the
early trade paperbacks were re-bound as hardbacks was an urban legend.
He said that he checked.
The next question was about the tying up of all threads, to which he
said it was not going to happen. He then told how he didn't like it
when in most books all the sub plots are tied up and that you could
put the world in a bell jar and put it on a shelf. He wants his reads
to imagine his world still living after the series is finished. He
said that he was going to set a hook at the end of the last book and
walk away.
He again stated that he only worked on one book at a time.
He explained that the host bookstore sets the rules for the signing
and he follows the rules. He told a story of when he was doing a
signing where they allowed only 2 items per trip through the line,
after that you had to get back to the end. When the last fellow came
to the table and had 4 books. Jordan signed 2 and said that he
couldn't sign the other 2 until he went to the back of the line. The
guy said, "But, I'm the last one." Jordan said, "I don't make the
rules I just follow them." The guy stood then for a second then
walked in a circle and came back to the table where Jordan promptly
signed his other 2 books.
He then told a story about some neighbors of his which I didn't
transcribe. It had something to do with his soul and the number of
times he's leased it out.
The next kid asked about the color of the glow of saidar. There was
apparently a bet riding on the answer. The answer is white. The kid
was very distraught with the answer. Jordan then asked the kid if he
was going go back and lie about the answer. He said, "It that's OK".
Jordan made some quips about honesty as the kid left the store. It
was pretty funny.
Another question followed about the number of books. Same answer.
He said that he writes about 8 hours a day 6 days a week when he is
not on tour. He said something about when he was fishing, unless he
was fly-fishing or was on the boat really having to work at it, he
felt like he should be home writing.
He then answered a question about living in Charleston; about how it
was his favorite place to live out of the half dozen or so cities he
felt that he would like to live in.
He said that for this book it took 2 months from the time he handed in
the final manuscript until he went on tour.
The signing was finished by the point with only a few people wondering
in late to get some signed. He signed some store stock copies, and
chatted a little bit more. He told a few more stories from other
signings. He explained that there was overlapping periods from the
last 2 books and would be for the next one as well. When he said
something about the next two signing dates in Columbia SC and in
Charleston SC, I told him that the Tor website didn't have them
listed. He seemed a little concerned about that. He told the story
about getting his hat in Montana. And about how the current one was a
replacement for one that walked away from for a signing.
By now I had worked up enough courage to actually ask him some
questions. I went out the car to get my note pad and to step to the
Subway Deli a few doors down to use the restroom. When I returned, he
was gone.
--
Br00se Br00se (at) br00se .com
http:\\br00se.com
Oh, what a goofy work is man! -- The Tick
Sydo Zandstra
Br00se <garn...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:7bkd3t883squncivu...@4ax.com...
> This is the long version of a post I made last week. Very little,
if
> anything is new, but I wanted to post it all for the sake of being
> complete.
>
> Robert Jordan Books signing for Winter's Heart
> December 5, 2000. - Atlanta, GA. - Chapter 11 bookstore.
<snip>
>
> I missed the next question, but the answer was: "Don't name your
son
> Chad."
>
So, what did Chad do/say to RJ to deserve this?
--
SZ
Michelle Haines
> The next lady that came through said, "I think Isam killed Asmodean."
> He smiled as he signed her book and said, "You do?" And he left it at
> that. For some reason I got the idea he was thinking, "Of course he
> did." But that was just my mind reading powers at work.
Pah. He's just enjoying being a bastard about it now. He's going to have
"I still ain't tellin' who killed him!" engraved on his damned headstone.
Michelle
Flutist
Daniel L. Rouk
Sydo Zandstra wrote:
> > I missed the next question, but the answer was: "Don't name your
> son
> > Chad."
> >
>
> So, what did Chad do/say to RJ to deserve this?
I'm not certain if you are being sarcastic or not since your email seems
to indicate you are not in the US. I'll answer anyway:
This joke is in reference to the Florida vote situation. At issue of
course are "chads", or the tiny pieces of paper that are supposed to
detach from the ballot when properly punched in a votomatic machine.
Some however can hang, some become pregnant or dimpled. All in all, the
word chad is likely not to get a good response.
Greg Pobst
"Daniel L. Rouk" wrote in message
>
>
> Sydo Zandstra wrote:
>
> > > I missed the next question, but the answer
> > > was: "Don't name your son Chad."
> > >
> >
> > So, what did Chad do/say to RJ to deserve
> > this?
>
> I'm not certain if you are being sarcastic or not
> since your email seems to indicate you are not
> in the US. I'll answer anyway:
>
> This joke is in reference to the Florida vote
<snip Florida election chad's>
When I first read Sydo's reply I immediately thought
of "Oilcan", pretty sure his first name was Chad and
can't for the life of me think of his last name, he went
to UMD. Met him at a DFS in D.C. in 1994 as well as
some other long time raswr-j old timers. Anyone know
if he's still around. I've seen some of Mark Loy's
posting's. I used to enjoy his and Oilcan's the most.
Just wondering...
Long time lurker,
gpobst
Sydo Zandstra
news:917c5v$sj9$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
>
> "Daniel L. Rouk" wrote in message
> >
> >
> > Sydo Zandstra wrote:
> >
> > > > I missed the next question, but the answer
> > > > was: "Don't name your son Chad."
> > > >
> > >
> > > So, what did Chad do/say to RJ to deserve
> > > this?
> >
> > I'm not certain if you are being sarcastic or not
> > since your email seems to indicate you are not
> > in the US. I'll answer anyway:
> >
> > This joke is in reference to the Florida vote
>
> <snip Florida election chad's>
I didn't know about those chads, and I must say I haven't been
following the Florida elections in the last three weeks.
>
> When I first read Sydo's reply I immediately thought
> of "Oilcan", pretty sure his first name was Chad and
> can't for the life of me think of his last name, he went
> to UMD. Met him at a DFS in D.C. in 1994 as well as
> some other long time raswr-j old timers. Anyone know
> if he's still around. I've seen some of Mark Loy's
> posting's. I used to enjoy his and Oilcan's the most.
>
I was referring to him. (but I'm sure RJ didn't, though).
--
Sydo Zandstra
Doug Hobbs
address(es), i would appreciate a posting.........thanks.......this might be
premature.........
Br00se <garn...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:7bkd3t883squncivu...@4ax.com...