High Profile

The extremes one goes through as a new author are pretty hilarious--the juxtaposition of the high profile and the distinctly low profile.
I felt pretty damn high profile the other night when Larry Dan (no relation we've figured out yet, though we're in negotiations about him adding a second "N") hosted a reading for ANECDOTAL at his Cow Hollow home in San Francisco.  His home must have been designed for this sort of thing: you kick in with the literary entertainment right after the guests finish viewing the epic sunset over the Golden Gate through the panoramic set of windows.  I wanted to pass along "thanks" to the great group of  Cow Hollow-ans, Pacific Height-ites and Marinapolitans who came.
Not quite as fancy or schmancy is the time I spend in cafes around the Bay Area, sipping mocha with a little laser-printed "please come talk with me about my new novel" sign scotch taped to my table.  They read the sign while attempting to avoid eye contact with the starving artist.  Well, it's no use--once they start in reading the sign, I'm going to use all of the tricks of the trade to establish that eye contact and reel them in to talk about the book.
The other day at Mountain View's Dana Street Cafe, one  espresso-sipper in particular didn't required the patented JBD stare down to come over.  Gilbert Marosi bought a copy of ANECDOTAL within 12 seconds and within 15 offered to send me his notes and comments within 72 hours.  We talked for half an hour about writing, art and Bay Area women--but mostly about writing and art.  He asked if he could do my portrait in profile from the table next to me while I talked to a couple of more cafe-customers who came by to discuss the book.   Who was I to refuse?
Twenty minutes later, he presented me with the portrait.  I was amazed how he not only saw my essence, but also captured many of the key elements of ANECDOTAL: the isolation of man in an overly mechanized society, the inevitability of hegemonic decline in a world of neo-Bismarkckian statecraft and the importance of a well-balanced diet featuring leafy green vegetables.  His art can be viewed at www.gilbertmarosi.com.

Comments

[Lawrence]

A book AND a blog? You, my friend, are the new KING OF ALL MEDIA (printed category)

Seriously great book, good read, especially those supporting characters seem so life like