Neil and Me
Jan. 10th, 2006 01:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fredericksIt's too late for me to be up. I swore before break that I'd start training for the 4:30AM wake-up calls that the spring semester's biweekly clinicals would call for. Oh well.
Tonight was awesome in all the right ways. I went to a reading/interview/signing by Neil Gaiman at the 92nd Street Y. It was the first time I'd seen him live and relatively upclose as I was in the third row from the stage. I'd seen him on an online vid clip and thought him not that attractive (or not as attractive as he looked on his jacket covers). After listening to him talk for an hour and 30 minutes my opinion has changed. He's hot in the same way Alan Rickman is hot - sure, he's cursed with British teeth and his voice was pitched higher than I thought it would be, but over time it grows on you (not the teeth, though; you just have to learn how to overlook those badboys). And he's a pretty good reader of his own work, I'll give him that much (he read a snippet from Anansi Boys). I did a lot of smiling during the whole thing. It was apparent that I don't use those muscles nearly enough, as my cheeks felt weird afterwards.
Prior to the Gaiman event I flashed back to only other reading/interview I attended, with Tad Williams. It was embarrassing, as I did my usual talk without thinking thing and more or less implied that his first work was a derivative of Watership Down which, yeah, it sort of was, but I don't think Tad took too kindly to my saying that. It's possible the only reason he ended up signing the copies of "Otherland" I lugged out there was because I was on crutches and in leg hardware. Anyway, this time I shut up and let other people do the talking. It was great fun. Afterwards I waited what seemed like forever to get him to sign my copy of Anansi Boys and Prelude and Nocturnes. If I'd had the funds I would have bought my two favorite Gaiman works for him to sign, Murder Mysteries (the illustrations by Craig Russell are wonderful) and the collection The Kindly Ones (or maybe The Wake - I have much affection for Daniel). Chatted with Neil for a minute (if that much) and managed not to make a fool out of myself too badly. I told him my mom loved Anansi Boys (slight fudge - she read maybe ten pages before using the book as a coupon repository) and she got a kick out of the West Indian references (totally true - I read the passage about Trinidadian women to her and we both got a good laugh). He seemed thrilled and shared with me the opinion that, from reviews he's read of the book, half of the readers don't realize the characters in it are black. Neil and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fredericks = BFF. I didn't work up enough nerve to interrupt Neil's flow so I could get a picture in (I regret that now) but laughingirl was in attendance as well and snapped one of Neil with a cute lil bear which you'll most likely be able to check out here in a couple of days. You can also bid on it and do a good deed for a great cause.
I capped off the night by emptying my bladder and purchasing fat free ranch dressing. Good times.
*
I'll be giving admission interviews for my alma mater and I'm extremely excited about the whole thing. Why? because I'm a simple simple woman. I want to meet these kids that are keen on going to Brown andtell them to run for the hills talk to the fresh blood. Interviews don't really count for much anyway; they're simply a way to weed out the REALLY weird stock. I can't see myself blasting anyone I meet.
*
Simply loving the System of a Down disc I borrowed from the library. Who woulda thunk it? I haven't given Toxicity a spin since junior year.
Tonight was awesome in all the right ways. I went to a reading/interview/signing by Neil Gaiman at the 92nd Street Y. It was the first time I'd seen him live and relatively upclose as I was in the third row from the stage. I'd seen him on an online vid clip and thought him not that attractive (or not as attractive as he looked on his jacket covers). After listening to him talk for an hour and 30 minutes my opinion has changed. He's hot in the same way Alan Rickman is hot - sure, he's cursed with British teeth and his voice was pitched higher than I thought it would be, but over time it grows on you (not the teeth, though; you just have to learn how to overlook those badboys). And he's a pretty good reader of his own work, I'll give him that much (he read a snippet from Anansi Boys). I did a lot of smiling during the whole thing. It was apparent that I don't use those muscles nearly enough, as my cheeks felt weird afterwards.
Prior to the Gaiman event I flashed back to only other reading/interview I attended, with Tad Williams. It was embarrassing, as I did my usual talk without thinking thing and more or less implied that his first work was a derivative of Watership Down which, yeah, it sort of was, but I don't think Tad took too kindly to my saying that. It's possible the only reason he ended up signing the copies of "Otherland" I lugged out there was because I was on crutches and in leg hardware. Anyway, this time I shut up and let other people do the talking. It was great fun. Afterwards I waited what seemed like forever to get him to sign my copy of Anansi Boys and Prelude and Nocturnes. If I'd had the funds I would have bought my two favorite Gaiman works for him to sign, Murder Mysteries (the illustrations by Craig Russell are wonderful) and the collection The Kindly Ones (or maybe The Wake - I have much affection for Daniel). Chatted with Neil for a minute (if that much) and managed not to make a fool out of myself too badly. I told him my mom loved Anansi Boys (slight fudge - she read maybe ten pages before using the book as a coupon repository) and she got a kick out of the West Indian references (totally true - I read the passage about Trinidadian women to her and we both got a good laugh). He seemed thrilled and shared with me the opinion that, from reviews he's read of the book, half of the readers don't realize the characters in it are black. Neil and
fredericks = BFF. I didn't work up enough nerve to interrupt Neil's flow so I could get a picture in (I regret that now) but laughingirl was in attendance as well and snapped one of Neil with a cute lil bear which you'll most likely be able to check out here in a couple of days. You can also bid on it and do a good deed for a great cause. I capped off the night by emptying my bladder and purchasing fat free ranch dressing. Good times.
*
I'll be giving admission interviews for my alma mater and I'm extremely excited about the whole thing. Why? because I'm a simple simple woman. I want to meet these kids that are keen on going to Brown and
*
Simply loving the System of a Down disc I borrowed from the library. Who woulda thunk it? I haven't given Toxicity a spin since junior year.
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 09:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:28 am (UTC)I'm one to talk, btw - my teeth are gappy, even though I endured braces for 2 years.
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Date: 2006-01-10 09:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:29 am (UTC)How you be?
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Date: 2006-01-11 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:53 am (UTC)I'm channeling those chicks on the tasting panel of Iron Chef when I say "so good", btw.
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Date: 2006-01-11 02:54 am (UTC)*uuuurrrrp*
ugh, sushi makes me gassy/
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Date: 2006-01-11 03:14 am (UTC)No AIM for me tonight. Lots of reading and notetaking to get under my belt. You go on being crazy, though
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Date: 2006-01-10 01:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:32 am (UTC)It was such a surreal experience I was smiling on the way home.
What's your favorite Sandman collection, btw?
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Date: 2006-01-11 04:14 am (UTC)Bada$$. Hope is greater than any evil.
It was so good I made it my Quote of the Week (check my user info).
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Date: 2006-01-10 02:53 pm (UTC)anyway, was just going to say that i only did applicant interviews once in north carolina, when the alumni association there was desperate for interviewers. they actually count for a lot, and they followed all my recommendations. but i wasn't one of those people who was like, "yay, harvard!" i was like, "um, i appreciate the degree but i knew people who were happier at other schools."
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Date: 2006-01-11 02:38 am (UTC)Brown's a lot more lax than Harvard when it comes to interviews. It really is only the most basic screening, and I have to tell the student that the meeting has only a small bearing on their overall application, even though the interviewer's impressions are kept in the student's application folder. I see it as something that can only help the students over the hump if they make a good impression, and I more or less told them not to worry too much when I called them up. I intend to speak frankly on my lasting impressions of the school, worry not.
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Date: 2006-01-10 03:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:44 am (UTC)I saw when you took your bear pic of Neil. It was very cute. *grin*
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Date: 2006-01-13 12:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:46 am (UTC)Apparently he was in the city because he's working on the audiobook for Stardust. Judging from the way he read the excerpt of Anansi Boys I might actually get it when it comes out.
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Date: 2006-01-10 07:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 02:48 am (UTC)I read Harlequin Valentine. Coolness. Some guy had an original copy of Violent Cases with him and had Neil sign it. Neil was impressed and made a quip about checking for the item on eBay in a couple of days. :)
He did smile, btw. A lot. It was lovely to see.
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Date: 2006-01-11 04:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 07:59 pm (UTC)Then I said to myself, "You know damn well she already knows and is first in line."
Glad you had fun.
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Date: 2006-01-11 02:55 am (UTC)Thanks, T.
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Date: 2006-01-10 11:49 pm (UTC)And in other news, I actually like System of a Down. My brother saw them in Columbus a few months ago, with the Mars Volta (mmmmmmm) and he said they were on. Very cool.
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Date: 2006-01-11 03:00 am (UTC)Neil was all sorts of cool. Dressed in all black, like a good goth. :)
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Date: 2006-01-11 01:42 am (UTC)I've heard only good things about Neil Gaiman. I may actually have to pick up some of his work one day. And Alan Rickman hot, you say? Where do I sign up? *grin*
Good luck with those admission interviews. I hope you don't come across any weirdos. Well, bad weirdos, anyway. :P
And yes, Mesmerize is an awesome CD. SOAD just has that way of growing on you. It's quite odd, don't you agree?
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Date: 2006-01-11 03:09 am (UTC)I spoke to some of the kids over the phone to set up the interviews. The ones I talked to seemed pleasant and non-homicidal (always good). I'm going to have to brush up on my Brown knowledge, though. I haven't been on campus in 3 years and things have most likely changed a bit since.
The thing about the new SOAD discs I like is the lyricism. Serj and the other guy make a nice combo. I'm sure the other guy's baritone might turn some people off, but I like the contrast (then again I do like AFI and the lead singer there consistently sounds like someone has his testicles in a vice grip).
And thanks for the kind words, Lynn. You know, we totally have to meet up one of these days. Come out to the city and we'll go out to a movie or show or something. Or just run crazy through the streets. :)
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Date: 2006-01-12 12:44 am (UTC)Non-homicidal people = a good thing.
I agree that they make a nice combo. It's much better than just listening to Serj pelt out the tunes.
And I definitely plan on taking a trip into the city to meet up with you, hopefully very soon. (:
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Date: 2006-01-11 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 03:13 am (UTC)A Stardust movie is in the works, btw. Should be interesting, at least.
Speaking of Martin, I had no idea he was on a signing tour right as Feast of Crows came out. Grr. So mad I missed that.