Neil Gaiman and Politics & Prose, Thank you.

by Aine C.

Quick editorial conundrum: I went back and forth on the use of names. "Neil" is far less formal than the more journalism ish "Gaiman." However, I opted to use Neil. I mean, I am a rather unabashed fan: I follow his Twitter; I got excited about his wedding; I cried when his dog died. The conundrum reminds me of this Wondermark comic. 

A few weeks ago, Brannen and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend Neil Gaiman's reading in DC to promote his first adult novel in eight years, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. If you are very quick, and very lucky, a few signed copies may still be at Politics & Prose, the bookstore, coffeehouse, and wonderful event organizers that collaborated with the George Washington University staff at Lisner auditorium for this reading and signing event.

This Coraline promo video is my favorite way to introduce
friends to Neil Gaiman, and test how squeamish they are.
(screen capture by guiltx)

The last time I saw Neil in DC was at the National Press Club. I was absolutely stunned to hear he was doing another signing tour - and I understand why this is his last. At the Press Club, Brannen and I were at the end of the line, simply because we were polite, sitting at the wrong place in the auditorium, and weren't willing to hockey check the elderly to jostle into an earlier slot. Unlike that impromptu signing, the organization this time was nothing shy of clockwork.

Neil began his speech by describing the accidental writing of the short story, novelette, novella, really long novella, "I seem to have written a novel" as a product of missing his wife, Amanda Palmer, while she was on tour (more from Michael Cavna at WP). Neil read us the fourth chapter of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. His reason being that he'd read the first chapter "quite enough times, thank you" at his previous tour stops, and he wanted to move on a bit. So this was his first performance of the chapter since his recording of the audio book. 

As Neil read, I couldn't help thinking, "If only the protagonist had read Instructions!" Fantasy Life Pro Tips: once you cross that line into the other world, obey everything your (hopefully) benevolent guide says - immediately and without question. Be careful what you say, ask for nothing, don't eat anything, don't drink anything, don't touch anyth- HIDE! NOW!

The cover art still gives me chills.
(image by pcutler)

Without spoiling too much, I have a soft spot for nothing exciting ever happens here or any trope that rips the main character away to a world just millimeters under the skin of our own. Maybe I've played too much Changeling. Maybe I read the Chronicles of Narnia at a formative age. Maybe there's still a childish part of me that hasn't learned enough from real fairytales to understand exactly how relieving it is that we have the freedom to escape these worlds safely and instantaneously by merely setting down a book. For whatever reason, it's one of my favorite ways for a storyteller to begin.

The chapter was riveting, and afterwards we were rewarded with a second segment - check out the video below. I am so grateful that the bookstore's YouTube channel captured my favorite moment of the night. This brief segment gives you a good feel for the new book's tone (don't listen past 1:14 if you're avoiding all spoilers).

Neil's stories never talk down to his readers. Yet somehow they don't seem to alienate anyone who couldn't spend their childhood tearing through every scrap of mythology and folklore in their local library. In American Gods, many readers instantly knew Mr. Wednesday's identity. If you didn't then the ending was all the better for the surprise. 

Politics & Prose also caught his Q&A after the reading. Then the signing began: hours, and hours, and hours of signing. I believe that any author as popular as Neil who does a signing is truly appreciative of his fans, but also slightly mad. With two books per person and about one thousand attendees, he covered two thousand books in one go. You know how if you write, type, or say a word too many times it loses all meaning and looks like it's spelled wrong? I'm amazed Neil still knows his own name after one session, let alone dozens.

But to do multiple tours? It leaves me truly in awe.
(image from the 2005 Anasi Boys tour by Jutta)

Neil whipped through the signatures at a pace of about 100 an hour with customizations (I have the command to "Dream!" emblazoned in silver ink inside my copy of Absolute Death, which I find amusing and touching on many levels). I have never been so glad to be number 340 in a queue; my friend was somewhere around 850. For those unwilling or unable to wait, Politics & Prose had signed copies available for direct sale in the lobby. It shortened the line, but not by much.

Most profound thanks to everyone involved: from Neil to every member of the staff and security.