I always sign my PB Mermaids with 'May you always walk like a mermaid.' The girl in the story deeply admires the 'mermaids' (diving women). They walk with heads high, like queens.
I love this post. And the video. ☺️ And from one left hander to another I get the stained ink bit on the hand but what always annoys me even more is the smeared ink on the page. Grrr
It never occurred to me that book signing would present extra challenges to left-handed authors.
Also, I didn’t realize that signing hundreds of books could be physically taxing, almost like a repetitive motion injury. If you recall when Bob Dylan released his Philosophy of Modern Song, you could order an autographed copy for hundreds of dollars extra (probably his publisher’s idea). Then some buyers determined that the signature had actually been made with a machine, so the publisher offered refunds.
Dylan’s explanation was that at the time he was to sign them (something like a thousand books), he was suffering from extreme vertigo, and simply didn’t feel he could do it, so the publisher rigged up a machine to do it. Kind of a strange story. Vertigo? Of course, if you’ve ever suffered vertigo, you know what that’s like.
That’s funny. I like the name, LongPen: simple and descriptive, kind of retro, like something from 50s sci-fi before everything got fanciful brand names.
Online finds. I sometimes come across interesting stuff on gutenberg.org. For example, I recently found a book called Short Stories for High Schools, published in 1915. The editor was apparently a teacher at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, which happened to be the high school that Kurt Vonnegut attended a couple decades later.
The selection of stories is interesting. More than a century later, I think we can safely say that many of the included authors are still considered pretty good: Kipling, Poe, O. Henry, Twain, Wharton, RL Stevenson. And while maybe it’s surprising that there’s no Conan Doyle or Joyce, it’s possible they couldn’t get the rights to what would have been very popular or recent stories.
But the editor’s short introduction is also interesting. I haven’t really thought much about the short story form, but I don’t see much there to disagree with. This made me wonder: hasn’t anything changed with the short story in the intervening years? For example, when I think of great short story writers, I think of Hemingway, or perhaps Kafka, writers who came along after this book’s authors.
Didn’t anything change in the form in the intervening years? I’m intrigued.
Thanks for that signing tip for left-handed writers, Alison! I got an octopus stamp for my Octopus book and enjoyed stamping books for people with an octopus in the color of their choice. Another tip: I sometimes bring a sheet of paper and ask people to write out their names, as it's less annoying than having to ask them three times how to spell them.
IMHO - Being prepared is all but lost in our society. Along with considering others. But, I appreciate your forethought about book signings and love knowing you include a word to the wise for left handers and lovers of new books! Looking forward to reading more from you.
I always sign my PB Mermaids with 'May you always walk like a mermaid.' The girl in the story deeply admires the 'mermaids' (diving women). They walk with heads high, like queens.
Oh, VERY good!
I love this post. And the video. ☺️ And from one left hander to another I get the stained ink bit on the hand but what always annoys me even more is the smeared ink on the page. Grrr
ALWAYS.
I regret coming up with "Enjoy all *your* adventures, in time." It takes too long to write!!!😬🤣
Yes! Something SHORT is best. Caroline's "Be happy" is quite perfect.
It never occurred to me that book signing would present extra challenges to left-handed authors.
Also, I didn’t realize that signing hundreds of books could be physically taxing, almost like a repetitive motion injury. If you recall when Bob Dylan released his Philosophy of Modern Song, you could order an autographed copy for hundreds of dollars extra (probably his publisher’s idea). Then some buyers determined that the signature had actually been made with a machine, so the publisher offered refunds.
Dylan’s explanation was that at the time he was to sign them (something like a thousand books), he was suffering from extreme vertigo, and simply didn’t feel he could do it, so the publisher rigged up a machine to do it. Kind of a strange story. Vertigo? Of course, if you’ve ever suffered vertigo, you know what that’s like.
Atwood created the "Long Pen" -- https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/the-far-reaching-pen-of-margaret-atwood-1.579910 Take a look :) Always ahead of her time...
That’s funny. I like the name, LongPen: simple and descriptive, kind of retro, like something from 50s sci-fi before everything got fanciful brand names.
Makes me think of how the Brits name things: wheeley bin, damp paint...
Online finds. I sometimes come across interesting stuff on gutenberg.org. For example, I recently found a book called Short Stories for High Schools, published in 1915. The editor was apparently a teacher at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, which happened to be the high school that Kurt Vonnegut attended a couple decades later.
The selection of stories is interesting. More than a century later, I think we can safely say that many of the included authors are still considered pretty good: Kipling, Poe, O. Henry, Twain, Wharton, RL Stevenson. And while maybe it’s surprising that there’s no Conan Doyle or Joyce, it’s possible they couldn’t get the rights to what would have been very popular or recent stories.
But the editor’s short introduction is also interesting. I haven’t really thought much about the short story form, but I don’t see much there to disagree with. This made me wonder: hasn’t anything changed with the short story in the intervening years? For example, when I think of great short story writers, I think of Hemingway, or perhaps Kafka, writers who came along after this book’s authors.
Didn’t anything change in the form in the intervening years? I’m intrigued.
https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/50543/pg50543-images.html
Thanks for that signing tip for left-handed writers, Alison! I got an octopus stamp for my Octopus book and enjoyed stamping books for people with an octopus in the color of their choice. Another tip: I sometimes bring a sheet of paper and ask people to write out their names, as it's less annoying than having to ask them three times how to spell them.
Yes--an excellent idea. I find my mind can go quite blank at times, with names--so a good solution!
Love the octopus idea too--the connection.
IMHO - Being prepared is all but lost in our society. Along with considering others. But, I appreciate your forethought about book signings and love knowing you include a word to the wise for left handers and lovers of new books! Looking forward to reading more from you.
Being prepared takes time, as does consideration. Such a need to slow.... yes.
Thank you for reading and taking time to share thoughts, Sandy.