Neil in Manchester
Maria Siu-Lee
a certain damn nice author for the second time in my life yesterday.
I was surprised that he still sounds very English (which I cannot deny I am
rather pleased about). <hehe>
I said hello from you guys, and he said to say hi to "Michelle, Tree, and
the usual gang of reprobates." :)
Here's the story. After a certain amount of navigating by following my nose
(having forgotten to call the bookshop earlier in the day to check on its
location), I got to the store to find that the reading had bee relocated to
a nearby church (!). Why, I'm not sure; possibly to accommodate more
people.
Beautiful old church -Jacobean I think? Late 17th/early 18th century??
Somewhat classical with lots & lots of wood panelling all around. Nice
stained glass windows, casting a warm yellowed light. First thing I did was
go to the front of the church and buy the book, and successfully resist also
buying Quotable Sandman. Then I went to sit down in the pews with the rest
of the audience.
After being introduced, Neil took his place at the pulpit, and joked that he
had a bad urge to begin with 'Dearly Beloved...'. He explained that he
would read from American Gods, then take questions, then sign books. He
said he'd been asked not to swear (being in a church and all), which would
prove to be rather a problem when reading from AG. He settled on reading Mr
Ibis's account of the life of Essie Tregowan, which would thereby avoid both
swearing and giving away any plot - he also said this would spare us his
unconvincing rendition of American accents.
(I think he was being over modest about the accents - he managed a Cornish
one OK, and quite a few others during the Q&A session later). Anyway, this
bit of the book is rather dry, learned and old-fashioned in tone (since it
is being written by Mr Ibis) so it seemed a little awkward to start with -
but by the end I tell you, we were all totally spell-bound by his
storytelling, and he got a huge round of applause.
The first question he took was quite unusual - he was asked about the
afterword where he mentions Japanese internment camps. He explained that
this was going to be one of the 'coming to America' stories that are
scattered throughout the novel, but it would have ended up much too long and
so he didn't use it. It was from the same writer he quotes at the start of
AG, the folklorist who speculated on the fate of immigrant gods. When
Japanese-Americans were rounded up and put into desert prison-camps, it was
reported that strange things happened - they collectively hallucinated
figures from Japanese folklore, including ghostly foxes, and some other
thing that was only native to Japan.
Then he was asked about Harry Potter, and he explained that he didn't mind
at all about Harry Potter, and that fantasy writing is rather like a large
stewpot, into which people put ideas and stuff and also take things out. He
said that if anything, both he & J K Rowling should be paying off T H White.
The only thing is that the HP film means that in the Books Of Magic film,
Timothy Hunter will have to be something other than a dark-haired boy with
glasses.
Asked if his writing influenced Tori Amos's musical work, he said no not
really, but that he was writing stories to go with the songs from her new
album. He also told us about borrowing her house(s) to write in, and gave
us a very funny story plus vulture impression, about how he found himself
stalked by said birds at her Florida house.
Then he was asked if he had any Dave McKean collaborations in the pipeline,
and he told us about The Wolves In the Wall and the illustrations for
Coraline. He also said they will be doing a film together - they've been
approached by a minor Hollywood production company that has offered them a
project for which they will have no budget BUT a promise of 100percent
creative control. Neil thoroughly recommended a previous Dave Mckean short
film, whose title I cannot remember, but was about what God did in the week
before he created the universe.
Second to last question was how many black T-shirts had he brought with him?
He said he was actually accumulating more as people gave him T-shirts during
the tour. He said that he had previously amassed around 300 that he
eventually signed and donated to the CBLDF, who auctioned them as 'Neil
Gaiman's dirty laundry' (he says they were in fact perfectly clean).
Apparently it's getting close to a similar situation now.
The answer to last question was the most interesting for me I think. He was
asked what he had been reading when he was the same age as Harry Potter/Tim
Hunter. He said it had been a strange mix. He discovered Michael Moorcock
(and "graduated from C S Lewis with a thump"!) and read everything
SF&fantasy that he could lay his hands on. But at the same time he was also
working his way through the school library, acquiring an obscure knowledge
of writers from the 1920s/30s whose books were all that the library really
had - this was how he discovered G K Chesterton. This explains a lot to me,
a certain sense I always get when reading Neil's stories, which I don't
think I can really explain adequately or pin down properly. But it is
something like a sense of rummaging around old forgotten books - and I think
now what I was picking up on was that old school library. Sorry, I'm not
explaining very clearly, not sure that I can.
(Anyhow, I think this feeling nags at me because I used to do much the same
sort of thing, first in my school library & then in my college library - but
probably more popular stuff than literary stuff from a similar era)
Finally there was the signing queue. (Before starting on this, Neil gave us
all a thorough update on all film projects related to his work, to save
himself time during the signing). Got a middling place in the queue, (but
still managed to miss my scheduled train home). It was really nice to meet
him again, and I wasn't at all tongue-tied. He did pictures! I got eyes in
AG, a moon in Stardust, and silvery Morpheuses in the 2 Sandman books I
brought. He asked me how I got hold of my proof copy of AG and seemed
impressed that I hadn't flogged it on ebay (I hadn't been being particularly
saintly or anything - I was just pleased I got to read it so early, and I
wasn't about to let go of it!). And I said hiya from the newsgroup of
course.
Can't get over how nice he was, even after meeting thousands of fans already
throughout the tour. (He seemed on really good form, which was great -
after following his tour journal I was half-expecting to see a toured-out
wreck of an author bravely struggling on). Moral of the story: if you haven
't met Neil, do take the opportunity when you can, he's lovely and he
genuinely appreciates meeting people who have enjoyed his books.
Sorry, I'm posting this blind, I haven't had time to catch up here for at
least a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will get around to it next week. Got
hectic weekend, working out of town doing a big bookstall (but should be
back for chat on Sunday). My housebuying is rolling along fairly ok.
Lots of love to all
Maria Siu-Lee
Mute at 33 1/3
>Then he was asked if he had any Dave McKean collaborations in the pipeline,
>and he told us about The Wolves In the Wall and the illustrations for
>Coraline. He also said they will be doing a film together - they've been
>approached by a minor Hollywood production company that has offered them a
>project for which they will have no budget BUT a promise of 100percent
>creative control. Neil thoroughly recommended a previous Dave Mckean short
>film, whose title I cannot remember, but was about what God did in the week
>before he created the universe.
You've actually quoted the title: it's The Week Before.
-Chris
__________________________
np: the latest UNCUT magazine CD
Patrick MARCEL
> "Maria Siu-Lee" <m-s...@freeuk.com> digitally declared:
>
>> Neil thoroughly recommended a previous Dave Mckean short
>> film, whose title I cannot remember, but was about what God did in the week
>> before he created the universe.
>
> You've actually quoted the title: it's The Week Before.
...And you can download it at:
http://w2.dfilm.com/index_screening.html
Patrick
--
Reason is only a drug, and its effects cannot be permanent.
- Hope Mirrlees -
Mad Mouse Beyond Thunderdome
Maria Siu-Lee wrote in message <9il7i6$va$1...@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk>...
>I said hello from you guys, and he said to say hi to "Michelle, Tree, and
>the usual gang of reprobates." :)
Hmph... :P
>(I think he was being over modest about the accents -
He wasn't. His American accent is AWFUL if he uses it in more than a short
sentence or two (unless he's doing 'Harlan', in which case you don't notice
an accent because you're too busy trying to hear him over your own
laughter). Still charming, but completely unconvincing.
>Second to last question was how many black T-shirts had he brought with
him?
>He said he was actually accumulating more as people gave him T-shirts
during
>the tour. He said that he had previously amassed around 300 that he
>eventually signed and donated to the CBLDF, who auctioned them as 'Neil
>Gaiman's dirty laundry'
I have one of these. (If anyone has doubt about the coolness of thingies,
let it hereby be replaced with utter confidence in the loverliness of
thingies. For it was a thingie goddess who gave me this item.)
>Apparently it's getting close to a similar situation now.
I imagine it will raise a lot more CBLDF fundage this go around.
Glad you had a wonderful time at the signing (even if you did miss your
train).
Thingies rule and stuff (and it's all Neil's fault).
-MM & the ME
who is supposed to be sewing, not typing.
o..o o..o o..o
>\/< >\/< >\/<
"Reach and you won't lose me. Destroy the objective but still survive"
y2kshack
news:9il7i6$va$1...@newsg3.svr.pol.co.uk...
> Well, here I am, wearing big stupid grin and rather re-smitten
after meeting
> a certain damn nice author for the second time in my life
yesterday.
>
Sounds like my wife & I at the Walsall reading Thursday night ...
small crowd, but all good fans ...
Neil told us the tale of the Manchester reading in the church ...
then we got the full benefit of *all* of the language in chap 1/2
of AG!
<snip>
> ... but by the end I tell you, we were all totally spell-bound by
his
> storytelling, and he got a huge round of applause.
>
Same at Walsall ... Neil is an *excellent* reader and storyteller
...
<snip>
> The only thing is that the HP film means that in the Books Of
Magic film,
> Timothy Hunter will have to be something other than a dark-haired
boy with
> glasses.
>
.... and no owl!
<snip>
> Can't get over how nice he was, even after meeting thousands of
fans already
> throughout the tour. (He seemed on really good form, which was
great -
> after following his tour journal I was half-expecting to see a
toured-out
> wreck of an author bravely struggling on). Moral of the story: if
you haven't
> met Neil, do take the opportunity when you can, he's lovely and
he
> genuinely appreciates meeting people who have enjoyed his books.
>
Yeah, absolutely!
Sue (my wife) went along to the signing to *keep me company* ... she
sat through the reading and Q/A session totally spellbound, talked a
while with Neil while he signed our little pile of books ... Sue
thanked him for signing and he said 'You're very welcome' ... and
she came away *totally* hooked ... muttering all the way home ...
'What a nice man! So talented, so modest, so nice ...' etc. Another
fan was born! And guess who has grabbed my copy of AG?
Couldn't resist saying 'I told you so!' :)
Colin
--
Mute at 33 1/3
>Le 13/07/01 10:54, Mute at 33 1/3 a écrit :
>> "Maria Siu-Lee" <m-s...@freeuk.com> digitally declared:
>>
>>> Neil thoroughly recommended a previous Dave Mckean short
>>> film, whose title I cannot remember, but was about what God did in the week
>>> before he created the universe.
>>
>> You've actually quoted the title: it's The Week Before.
>...And you can download it at:
>http://w2.dfilm.com/index_screening.html
I can't get that to come up, but if it's the site I think it is, it
only has a few minutes of the film, not the whole thing.
-Chris
__________________________
np: WAH! The Maverick Years
Patrick MARCEL
> I can't get that to come up, but if it's the site I think it is, it
> only has a few minutes of the film, not the whole thing.
It stops when God discovers what to do with the third dimension. As there
are no end credits, nor any THE END mention, it does look as if it is not
complete. Still, better than nothing.
Maria Siu-Lee
<favourite_stalker(removetoreply)@snafu.org> wrote:
>
>Glad you had a wonderful time at the signing (even if you did miss your
>train).
It wasn't too bad, just an extra hour or so of waiting at the station
- spent time going on with my re-reading of American Gods
>Thingies rule and stuff (and it's all Neil's fault).
>
That is so very true :)
Maria Siu-Lee
Maria Siu-Lee
<mant...@wanadoo.fr> wrote:
>Le 13/07/01 10:54, Mute at 33 1/3 a écrit :
>
>> "Maria Siu-Lee" <m-s...@freeuk.com> digitally declared:
>>
>>> Neil thoroughly recommended a previous Dave Mckean short
>>> film, whose title I cannot remember, but was about what God did in the week
>>> before he created the universe.
>>
>> You've actually quoted the title: it's The Week Before.
>
>...And you can download it at:
>
>http://w2.dfilm.com/index_screening.html
>
hm, I tried to download it and got a totally different film! Will try
different res version - thanks for the link
tons of family hassling me variously to a) get offline b) print off
things for them, c) hand over the coputer for them to use :(
Maria Siu-Lee