On the vulnerability of the artist

events, readings, book fairs and reviews ...

As writers, we spend a lot more time hovering over our computers and reconsidering words than we spend presenting them to audiences. In fact, presenting our work can feel like a pressurized situation at times because it requires an author to represent a complex journey and story in a concise amount of time.

Many of the people reading this blog are familiar with my journey toward novel publication. For those who aren’t, the short story is that it took me a while, but the time investment was worth it because the story meant a lot to me, and the characters needed those years to fully develop in my mind.

But now that the book is out, now that I’ve shared it, I need to let it go. Meanwhile, I find myself in the familiar position of vulnerability that arrives with the artistic share. There are events, readings, book fairs, and reviews. Oh my! Here are a few notes on each.

Book fairs:

A part of me loves events. As an ambivert, I need my quiet time in general and could do with or without a house party, but wow do I love the stage. Moreover, I LOVE talking about writing, philosophy, women’s rights, and big-picture issues, which I’ve found writers are able to tackle in a way that encompasses the patience needed to explore complexities.

Waiting for Ohioana Book Festival for things to get started with my hippo full of Werther’s Originals

When it comes to events, writers and book lovers are a wonderful crowd because they inherently care about the nuance of the human experience. Also, they want to be entertained. And they are often quite entertaining in their own right—those who devour stories are able to create them seamlessly.

And this proved true at the Ohioana Book Festival this past weekend. Aside from logistical issues (authors often have one or two major bookstores order their books from publishers for such events, which sometimes need to be tracked down, and we have to find our table and set up), the event itself is usually pretty straightforward for the visiting author and participants.

These events are usually free. People wander in and stop by a table. You, the author, sit or stand, ask them about their day, and they buy your book or take a piece of candy. Sometimes they walk by very quickly or try to pretend not to see you. When people do stop, you can either try to sell them your book, or you can just relax and ask them about their day. I did a little of both.

When people stopped by my book table on Saturday, I remembered (it’s been quite a few months) that book fairs are an excellent opportunity to get to know interesting people. I learned so much about life and human experience. Moreover, I found the experience incredibly entertaining and, at times, full of characters. Here’s a glimpse:

-A lovely young woman taught me how to properly blow dry my bangs (thank you, lovely young woman, also, for buying my book despite your mother’s hesitancy).

-A local politician’s wife stopped by my table. I complimented her purple dress, and she shared that Queen Victoria wore a shade of purple that was so expensive only she could afford it. I thanked her (for this piece of color elitism trivia) and fought the urge to tell her husband to change his stance on most things.

-An elderly man who took more than his share of the Werther’s Originals I had on hand shared with me (as an ice breaker) that redheads will likely soon be extinct. If you read this, thank you, sir, for coming to my table to say that - you are a character indeed.

-I had engaging conversations about women and writing and stigmas and what’s changed and changing.

-There are many beautiful writers I met for the first time, and I unexpectedly ran into a few students, which was delightful.

-A homeless man told me he was a ghostwriter and worked on books similar to those of Dr. Suess, but, he said, “My work is not as strange.” One never knows.

-A teenager roamed the aisles and stared at ALL the books with disdain, never making eye contact with the authors. (I love this kid.)

All this to say, events can be fun! They can be energizing as well as draining, and my best advice for writers is to simply show up with a healthy curiosity. Odd, wonderful things happen every moment if only we pay attention.

Any nerves or worries over losing energy during such events are valid, but they can also be replaced with wonder when we just pay attention to just how strange and beautiful the shared world of storytelling is.

Panels:

I have been on my fair share of panels, and they are always a bit unpredictable. I often find that panelists come in with some idea about what they’ll say, but then they end up getting sidetracked.

For this reason, I think writers should have a few notes, but just answer honestly. In an age of derivatives, why not just focus on authenticity? Even at the potential cost of slipping over words.

For Ohioana, I was on a panel with three other women who shared both different and similar perspectives, and we all wrote in very different genres but shared similar stories and tips on the writing life. It was wonderful to chat with these women and hear their perspectives.

So I stand by only one tip for panels: be authentic. And maybe make eye contact with a few folks.

I have a few more for tips readings. My next one is late May at Prologue Bookshop (all are invited).

Readings:

-Show up early, so you know what the stage or space looks like and how you can best position your book. Sometimes lighting is awkward or a podium is there/not there, and it’s all important to the way you are able to see and hold your book.

-If you tell a story about the writing you’re going to read, audiences usually offer bonus points if it’s funny or relatable, in some way.

-Read with flourish but not too much (unless you’re already a voice actor, and this rule is mute for poets).

-Please do not set up special flashing lights or entrances that are convoluted or overly theatrical. I once saw a poet read at AWP who had flashing lights and mood music as she struggled up to the stage. It was cringe-worthy.

-Break any rule you want if it’s authentic to you.

Reviews:

They’re coming in, folks. I’ll save this for next week. In the meantime, I’ll be grading final papers and listening to philosophical podcasts.

Wishing you a lovely week ahead.