Signed Books, and Barry Manilow

[j_cheney]

I told MP that I would probably be posting this, so first, let me begin by saying how I feel about getting signatures.

I've never been the kind who cares much about celebrity. Those people who ooooh and ahhhh over Tom Cruise or Brittany Spears? They're just people, folks. They get paid more than us, but they're still just people. I'm more interested in whether or not they're nice to other people.

Authors can be the same way. I'm not going to stand in line to get Dan Brown's signature. Yeah, he's famous. He makes more money than I do. Woo. Do I respect him or his work? Well, I've never read anything of his yet, and I don't know him at all.

I do have some signed books....but they're mostly signed by people I know and like. That has some meaning to me. (I also have a book signed by PD James, whose work I do admire, but I seem to have purchased it that way.) Collecting signatures just for the sake of signatures is...odd...to me.

So, I present for your perusal, two incidents in my personal life, the polar ends of fame, both of which really stuck with me.

Item 1: In which I do not collect a signature.
Famous Author is speaking to a group of people and hands out copies of one of their books to everyone. Leaves quickly, so no one gets to talk to FA afterward. Later, at dinner, one person comes by with said free book and asks FA to sign it. FA does so and then turns to me and says something like "I can't believe that X is the only one who asked me to sign my book. When someone gives you a book, it's an insult not to ask them to sign it." (insert lofty tone)

I recall mumbling something about not thinking of this (dinner) as a proper venue, and would they be available to do signings later?

But I was thinking....I didn't even ask you to give me one of your books, I've never read one of your books, and now I'm pretty certain I can carry on without ever reading one. I was quite put off by the implication that I supposedly owed the FA homage of some sort simply because they'd given me a copy of their remaindered novel.

It was....weird.

Item 2: In which I do collect a signature....but not for me.
One night in Manhattan, I was at Club 44 with a bunch of other buyers eating dinner when Barry Manilow walks in with his bodyguard (back in the early 90s)

OK, I'm not a Manilow fan. His music was never to my taste, but....

One of the buyers in the children's division (we'll call her Mary R.) was. Mary R. was a HUGE Manilow fan, and the true irony of this was that she would have been with us that night, except for the fact that she'd decided at the last moment that she didn't have enough money to spend to warrant the expense of 10 days in NY...so she cancelled.

Manilow was sitting alone by himself over at the bar (it was early, so there weren't any bar patrons yet). And, thinking that this would be a chance I shouldn't pass up, I grabbed up a napkin, surreptitiously walked over there (hoping not to draw attention to him), and I quietly explained about Mary and how much it would mean to her to have his autograph. (He probably did believe it was for someone else--not me--because the other girl had a clrearly hispanic surname, whereas I am clearly not hispanic in appearance.)

Mr. Manilow was sooooooooo nice about it. He wrote a little note to Mary R. on the napkin, saying how sorry he was that they didn't get to meet, and then gave it back to me. He was polite, friendly, and not at all condescending.

I was about to sneak away and leave him in peace when I saw that the other 4 girls from my table had spotted him as well.....and descended on him en masse. After a bit of polite chat, he took his drink and left. (I'd actually been talking to the bodyguard during that time, apologizing profusely for drawing attention to him and ruining his quiet...the bodyguard said it happened all the time, not to worry.) Yes, I ruined Barry Manilow's night.

Anyhow, these are my two most notable celebrity signature experiences. They are the two opposite ends of the spectrum, I think....but both really stuck in my mind. How a celebrity should act, how a celebrity should not act, from my POV.

So, I'm not saying I don't believe in signed things. I just don't think that I understand the drive that pushes some people to get things signed by someone just because that person is famous. There should be more to it than that, I think.


In fact I'm bidding on some signed books on the HelpVera site. Because I know, like, and admire the author...and this is a good way to both contribute and get something cool at the same time. And my old copies of the books? I'll pass them on to someone else....

Comments

[tinaconnolly.livejournal.com]

Ooh, what did your friend say when you produced the napkin?

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

It was a combination of shreiking/squeeing sounds. She was pleased, but upset at the same time because she'd decided not to go.

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

Glad you took my nudge. Enjoyed this. And I don't really care about signed things either. I enjoy my writer friends sending me a zine they're in and signing it, but I don't care about writers I don't know, no matter how famous they are. Actually, I'd rather not meet them. It somehow puts a buffer between reading their fiction.

I will share my Barry Manilow cartoon with everyone, if you don't mind. ;o)

(http://pics.livejournal.com/marshall_payne/pic/0002yxft/)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Like that one you're not watching today? Oh wait....you didn't have a good image of them to start with ;o)

[displacedtexan.livejournal.com]

I usually don't even like seeing actors on talk shows. It almost always ruins the image I have of their character when the real person opens their mouth. I'd rather hold on to the illusion.

On the other hand, maybe I'd like some actors better if I met them and found that they were opposite of most of the characters they play. Bruce Dern comes to mind.

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

I will amend what I said above as to my role as interviewer. I enjoy getting to know authors in a professional sense. Must be the musician in me that doesn't want to be a fan. Years back I was hanging with a group of jazz musician, who are known for their arrogance. I mentioned someone famous I'd met and one the guys looked at me and asked, "Did you drop something?" And then he looked to the floor. Took me a moment. "Name dropper!" Guilty as charged. *hee*

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Name dropping is human nature, isn't it ;o)

[marshall-payne.livejournal.com]

Absolutely. But you know why celebrities like to date and marry other celebrities? My theory is that everyone else is an outsider. They can be themselves around their peers. Often fans don't want to know the real person, who'll be a disappointment to the image they created in their mind. This probably isn't a big problem with writers, but actors and musicians...you bet.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Hmmmm....probably true most of the time.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I do like the cartoon. ;o)

I like most of the works of CJ Cherryh, but have always thought that I wouldn't enjoy meeting her. I can't exactly say why, but I've always felt that way.

[displacedtexan.livejournal.com]

I share your view on this (as you know). I have little patience with “celebrity” and don’t understand why people buy the Hollywood rags and follow the doings of such people, let alone beg for an autograph. That said, I have collected a couple of signatures in my time, from people who have done something I admire.

Bob Dole comes to mind, and I have a couple of Olympian’s signatures, too. All garnered at the 1984 Republican Convention in Dallas. Yes, folks, J is married to a Republican (gasp)! I had the pleasure of attending the Convention as a Host Delegate with the State of Texas. One day Bob Dole was standing off to one side, apparently alone, and I had the opportunity to wander over and introduce myself. Nice man. Unfortunately, I never got to meet Jeane Kirkpatrick, though she was there and addressed the Host Delegates one evening. Inspiring lady.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I like those commercials where the guys playing basketball are wearing Abe Lincoln t-shirts. ;o)

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a great story of Barry Manilow. I'll always have good thoughts about him, now :-)

(And that's embarrassing about the author! Honestly!)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I discreetly discussed that statement with another FA later, wanting to know if that particular belief was a standard in the industry that I'd simply never heard before. The second FA just laughed it off and told me "Yeah, they're just like that." I took that to mean that they were the exception. I suppose in any industry you'll find people whose fame changes their perspective on things.

And to be honest, I found that FA otherwise perfectly amenable to talking to peons like myself. It was just that one statement that really turned me off.

It makes me well disposed toward Mr. Manilow too. Still not a fan of his music, but I do like him.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Yeah, not my type either, but still, a nice guy, and the world can use more of them:-)

[jtglover.livejournal.com]

Interesting and instructive stories both. Years ago I occasionally collected signed books, but I eventually stopped when I realized that they weren't any more valuable to me than the others. It's the story itself that matters, though I am swayed by physically attractive books more than by cruddy-looking books. This is also why I rarely buy special editions (aside from cost) unless I've got extra money or there's a substantial amount of actual new content.

Anyway, I'da done just like you did in scenario one, all the while thinking WTFBBQROFL-who-do-you-think-you-are-statistically-speaking-probably-nobody-will-be-reading-you-in-a-hundred-years-anyway. (Or something like that. :)

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

I did try to keep a polite smile on my face. I also noted that the FA was nice otherwise, that one statement was simply terribly jarring.

I also like pretty books...

[yourbob.livejournal.com]

I'd rather collect Authors than Signatures.

Like you, I've got the odd signature. The day Jack Williamson died I was in a used bookstore and browsing his titles and came across a signed paperback of one I didn't have, so I bought that copy. Now I have the memory to go with the book, so that's cool.

But my idea is if it's worthwhile getting their signature, it's more worthwhile to be their friend, NOT for name-dropping and never forcing myself on them, but because I find them interesting people. I'd much rather surround myself with interesting people than pen scrawls.

I've had a couple moments with very FAs, like your moment with Manilow. I don't have their signatures, but I have the pleasure of knowing that for 30 seconds they were part of my life. And I have ample evidence to know that I was only part of their life for that 30 seconds - and I don't care about that part.

I've also bought directly from the author, and they (you) tend to assume you want a signature, so I don't kick. It's not like it ruins the book (Grin).

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Very true, all of it. I will always like Mr. Manilow, even if I don't buy his music--and that's worth more than a dozen celeb signatures of people I don't know. ;o)

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

I've never gotten overexcited about the prospect of getting signatures either. I have a total of 4 signed books, but I never actually set out to get the signatures. One was a gift, so the value's more in that than in the author's signature. I won another one in a contest, though I was far more interested in the free book part than I was in the signature. The other two were from guest writers who gave us copies of their books while I was at Odyssey. I wouldn't have thought to ask for a signature, but just about everyone else in the class was, and the writers in question were awesome people, so I figured might as well.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's simply expedient to have something signed....or risk looking like you're the only ingrate in the room. ;o)

[babarnett.livejournal.com]

Exactly. I certainly wouldn't want to leave nice authors under the impression that I thought they sucked or something. :)

[amsaph.livejournal.com]

The only time I've ever gotten a sig was from Michael Stackpole at GenCon. And that was DH's book. I like MS's non-Battletech books (not into it like DH is) but did this favor for DH, since he was busy Battletech gaming at the time. Very nice man. I attended his lectures later that day and, while he didn't add much to what I already knew, he organized the information in a way I hadn't considered and was quite entertaining to listen to also.

He made a big impression on me of how to act among fans--don't expect anything and treat people like...well...people. They're all just people too.

A certain older celebrity's MIL lives in my town. I had to do a double take in the grocery store parking lot when I saw him with her and his wife. I couldn't believe it, but didn't want to stare either and be impolite. I had no inclination to ask for an autograph but thought it cool just to see someone of his status in this area doing ordinary everyday errands.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

It's wonderful when they act like normal people, too. ;o)

[alaneer.livejournal.com]

This sums up my own feelings so well. I don't care for famoust people or their signed things either, unless I know them.

I'm bidding on the Help Vera too, and I actually forgot to ask the person whose book I won to sign it.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

My auction's not over until the 20th, but signing was aprt of the deal. I already have things signed by this author, but I do like her work a lot ;o)

[rcloenen-ruiz.livejournal.com]

I'm not into the celebrity signature thing, but I confess signature collecting when it comes to writers. If you are a writer with a published book sitting next to me at a convention, I am very likely to buy a book off of you on the condition that you sign it. .

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

And that makes sense, I think. ;o)

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

I like to ask writers I meet to sign books as a souvenir of meeting them. I don't understand wanting the autograph of someone you haven't met.

[j-cheney.livejournal.com]

And that approach makes sense.... ;o)