LA IS TOO FAR, AND I HAVE FINALS IN APRIL/MAY

Dear Claire,

I am jealous you can go to the Festival of Books. According to this list you will be able to meet (among others) Sherman Alexie (who I have heard is kind of a prick, and whose latest novel for young adults, Flight, was pretty much... awful), Tobias Wolff, and T.C. Boyle (!!)* And Maxine Hong Kingston! Even though I am at Berkeley, and she supposedly used to teach here and live in the area, I never see Kingston around, and it sucks. Because I love her. Or maybe I have seen her and it's because I don't know what she looks like. Another Berkeley wet-dream come true: Laurence Yep! I think he used to teach at Berkeley but also in San Francisco. He is my childhood hero. Dragonwings, anyone?

Do my eyes deceive me and is Aimee Mann really on the list? I get that sometimes songwriting is like poetry blah blah blah, but maybe the LA Times could have just sprung for Bob Dylan? And hey! Dylan and Cole Sprouse will be there, too. Aren't they like 15? And on a syndicated Disney channel show? I'm so confused. Is this a book fair or a self-promotion fair? Maybe they will give Valerie Bertinilli tips about staying relevant in the entertainment industry.

Actually, a second look-through on the author list really makes me want to go to this thing. Ray Bradbury will be there! I know everyone loves Fahrenheit 451 but I wasn't a Bradbury convert until Something Wicked This Way Comes, which is the most eerie book I've ever read. A note of self discovery: the title comes from a line in Macbeth, which I never noticed until this semester in my Shakespeare class.

I hope the authors are not arrogant or awkward or a combination of the two (UGH) but I think they will be. And they will destroy your hope of being in the presence of greatness when you realize they are not articulate, well-written folks but self-absorbed AND extremely sensitive weirdos. What? This is just my experience from five different writing workshops at Cal. Who knows? Maybe the authors will be fantastic. And the crowd will be anti-scenester and non-chain smokers.

Have fun!
Love,
Tiffany

currently listening to:
Feed of Man
Billy Bragg & Wilco

* I haven't actually read anything by the man, just hear about him ALL. THE. TIME.