Thursday, January 12, 2012

"Thanks, so do I."

"Epilogue" - Robert Lowell

I'm pretty sure this one was about a guy who is trying to write, and he's having trouble imagining. He just keeps fictionalizing his own experiences--a problem to which I respond: it happens.

This isn't analysis, but nobody cares that I'm doing this anyway. The last time I saw John Green, I asked him a question while he was signing all of my books.

John: "I like your shirt." (It had the Nerdfighter gang sign on it.)

me: "Thanks, so do I." (I felt that it was okay to say that because I'm pretty sure his brother Hank designed it.)

[some kind of passing off of books, then in the autographing time...]

I asked him for advice about this very problem, and I would try to paraphrase it for you, but I was simply so nervous that I have very little recollection of any words exchanged, and also I am pretty sure I stammered a lot.

I do remember that his advice startled me. The essence of it was that I shouldn't worry about that. People know the risks when they befriend writers. I wish I'd written everything down somewhere, but I was frazzled and worried about having to drive on the interstate after that.

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