The St. George Literary eve

Tatjana Oset, the directress; the lovely singing lady whose name I have to re-check; moi, Asta the mediator and Drej.

Like I said, the event was positively lovely. It's always different when they stage it somewhere where you're known. In this case Drej knew a lot more people, obviously, as she grew up here and called all the librarian ladies by their first names, but it's safe to say people there are somewhat even more familiar to me than the people where I grew up in. You can tell when a work environment is comfortable - same work there for the duration of a lifetime. In our city library staff changed all the time. Nobody particularly liked others. We just had very cool books. 

            It remains in my nature to feel more at home with books then I do with people. Every time I lost sight of Drej or Asta, I hid among the shelves. I get frightened. Not like a weeping idiot frightened but like 'just let me read a book an leave me alone' frightened. Until the General came and I could see him in the audience, even though he was still feeling poorly from the shot, I was okay. Other than that I had to focus on texts. 

            First we had a sort of prep interview with Asta. She a pretty art history major who's about to get a doctorate and it's always cool to be treated as an author by someone who knows what you're talking about rather than just random folk doing their job. Funny, my favorite media interview was done in St. George, too. And as it turned out, Drej and I make a really cool duo even in front of an audience. We laughed and told funny stories about how our books are made and it really was very friendly. The audience regarded us as if we, quite literally, grew up on the same knoll and were proud of us. My sister-in-law and her little ones came, which was again very nice. I don't get so scared when I am in front of familiar faces. Also some people that I may have insulted at some point came, too, probably because they were curious. 

            In the end, after Drej read her chapter, I decided not to read from the Under Zurnizip, but Why is the Earth not Missed essay from The Gorgonaut. I had to improvise in-situ, because it's not fully formed yet. I had it in one of the earlier drafts and when Drej and Asta were talking about how old these books already feel and we've read them so many times, I got the idea to take a leap of faith and just kind of bend the rule somewhat. I read it to all of those who already read Under Zurnizip. It's about detachment from reality and passion and hubris. All of my work is about detachment from reality and passion and hubris. I am really starting to miss reading from the next one :)))

              Gen-Gen took the pickies this time and I must say he's a natural :D <3  >.< Love. 

             One thing I have to teach him is that when doing a reportage, you don't do it from the back of the room but in the faces of people you're portraying. :)) Shyness bucket. :D Also, there was a young lady who sand folk songs. Except for the fact that I really don't like music and find it difficult to endure, she sang really, really lovely. I asked her if she ever just sings to her mate. She smiled. Oh, yes.