November 5, 2006

Celebrity Encounter OR I MET SEBASTIAN JUNGER!

When one of my former teaching buddies in Delaware emailed me about a Book Fair that was going to take place in Delaware, I was, at first, only mildly interested. I pictured it as a place to buy books. But when I went to the website, I was amazed at how many awesome authors and illustrators were going to be there and I just had to be there. I especially had to be there when I was that one of my all time FAVORITE writers was going to be there: Sebastian Junger.

If you don’t know the name, Sebastian Junger wrote The Perfect Storm which was turned into an international best-seller and blockbuster movie. He also wrote Fire; his latest book is A Death in Belmont.

Back when I was first married, I worked as an assistant editor for a small literary journal. I went to a writing conference and met some really cool writers like Gay Talese, and Tobias Wolf who wrote This Boy’s Life. After the conference was over, some of the talks and readings that the authors gave were broadcast on C-Span’s "About Books". They were interesting and my husband and I would occasionally check out who they were featuring. One particular night, Sebastian Junger was giving a reading from The Perfect Storm. He was mesmerizing and his writing was just amazing.

With a degree in English Writing, Creative Nonfiction, I found his writing particularly intriguing. He was the kind of writer I wanted to be someday. My husband and I went right out and bought his book and we both loved it.

On Saturday he spoke (or tried to anyway while I snapped about eight pictures of him from the front row), and was amazing.

He’s such an interesting writer and a nice person. He spoke about his latest book and then took questions. He said we had time for one more and another man and I both had raised our hands. He said, "Ok, well two." He answered the first question and then gestured in my direction and asked me for my question. I asked him about his writing process in relation to how he balances being immersed in the moment with taking accurate notes/recordings. He spent a good deal of time answering my question and then ended the session.

I jumped right up and asked him if he’d mind taking a picture with me. He said, "Not at all" and seemed almost shy about it. And then. . . HE PUT HIS ARM AROUND ME and my friend snapped our picture. I gushed about what a big fan I am of his writing and how I think he’s such an amazing writer, and how I first saw him on C-Span and went right out and bought his book and loved it. . . etc. etc.

Then, I followed him over to the book signing and he signed my book. I watched people. He signed most of them "To ‘name’, Sebastian Junger." He signed mine, "To ‘my name’, BEST WISHES, Sebastian Junger." BEST WISHES!!!!!!

I told him what a pleasure it was meeting him. I think I might have jumped up and down a bit, or a lot. It was so cool!

We also met young adult authors, Lara Zeises and Jordan Sonnenblick. They were both so interesting and really made me want to go out and get their books. Big I got a book signed by Steven Kellogg (The Mysterious Tadpole) and Mr BBM sat in on his presentation with the girls. He said he was incredible and that he illustrated the entire time he spoke. He actually made a personal illustration in every kids book.

It was an amazing day, full of really inspiring presentations that just made me want to read everything and try to write a book.

But for now. . . I MET SEBASTIAN JUNGER!!!!! And by the way, his new book is AWESOME!