Neil Gaiman | Through a Seattle Looking Glass

Oh how fortune throws a good hand every so often.

Neil Gaiman is on his very last book signing tour. Why? Because it’s now getting to the point that there are so many people that all he ends up doing is signing for hours and hours and hours. He stated that in San Fran (I believe) He was signing until 3am! (I’m sorry, but authors shouldn’t have sign for that long!)

When I first saw the tour dates, it stated that Seattle was sold out – BOOO! BUT, by a lucky rare chance I caught a last minute wave of final tickets! I was seriously considering driving four hours away to Vancouver, BC because they still had tickets available.

Anyways! I was super excited, I mean this was an evening with Neil Gaiman! Hosted through the University Bookstore as a part of the 2013 Clarion West Writers Workshop readings at Seattle Town Hall. I was one lucky girl to be a part of a huge crowd entertained by Gaiman.

First he did a reading from his latest book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

He then did a short Q & A with some questions such as, “Christian Bale or Adam West? Which is your favourite batman?”, “What’s one thing you’d like your readers to know?” Gaiman’s answer: “I’d like my readers to know how to read.”

The favourite question of the evening was, “Will Neil ever do a spread for Playgirl?” Gaiman’s answer, “I’m 52!”.

Another good one, “If you were a God, what kind of God would you be?”

Gaiman stated he’d be the God of extended deadlines. Very well said!

After the Q & A Gaiman did another reading of a short story inspired from one of his earlier works, and it was just delightful!

Then, the signing began.

Sigh. Gaiman is SUCH a trooper. I had gotten to the event just as it was scheduled to start, meaning I missed out on snagging a prime seat. Instead I was in the group of last 50 people to get items signed.

There was a long queue.

Once you made it to the lobby though, there was a last chance to buy any of Gaiman’s books from the beautiful display.

There was also the Seattle Town Hall poem to read too:

I believe he started signing just before 9pm, by the time I got to meet him it was 12:20pm.

He is lovely. So kind, sweet and engaging. I was very nervous and tried not to say much because I was tired, which mean he must surely be more tired and he still had a load of more people to sign things for.

I shook his hand, thanked him for a lovely evening and then went on my way.

I had him sign just his name on his new book and personalise my second attempt at buying and reading Neverwhere. He wrote, ‘Ashley, Mind the Gap!’

Oh Neil, if only you know how well I can mind that gap.

I will treasure them forever.

If you have the chance to meet Neil, DO IT, opportunities like this are rare and take advantage! Gaiman knows how to put on a show and he’s delightful to listen to and learn from.

THANK YOU Neil for coming to Seattle! Thank you so much for doing a last signing tour and giving every fan your time! It’s greatly appreciated and YOU’RE AWESOME! @neilhimself

For those in Seattle, there are four more evenings of science fiction and fantasy from Clarion. Please check out their site and go. They’re on Tuesdays at 7pm.

Ashleyisee

There is a house that rests nearby an ancient graveyard. One night the man named Jack enters the house and murders the family living there, all except for a little baby that unintentionally escaped to the graves. Too young to know his own name, the ghosts of the graveyard adopt him and christen him ‘Nobody Owens’ or Bod for short. Shielding the baby from danger, the ghosts become his family, his friends and teachers.

With a guardian to provide food and teachings of the world, Bod grows from a baby to a boy then teenager. But the graveyard isn’t what it seems and there are dangers that Bod can’t understand that coexist with the friendly haunts. As the years pass and Bod grow restless for knowledge about himself and the world, he’ll have to rely on his wit and ghostly friends as the man named Jack is still on the hunt for him…

Beautifully illustrated and decorated with in depth characters, alive or not, Gaiman is the master at creating environments that readers just accept. The ghosts are hauntingly intriguing and the setting of the graveyard with its secret nooks and creatures is beautifully crafted to lure the reader in.

Although a bit long for my taste, The Graveyard Book is still a wonderful adventure to behold. Gaiman is a talented writer and nothing is lost throughout this book. What Gaiman excels at is providing settings and characters that don’t need a full explanation, but are better left up to the discretion of the reader. The beginning is shrouded in mysterious, the middle full of complex lessons and adventures, but the ending is exciting and before you know it the book has ended. Like Stephen King, Gaiman is able to create constantly new material each book, nothing repeats and it’s never boring. The Graveyard Book is a great YA novel for those looking for something with a bit more depth and mystery.