Anyway, the main thing to do is not to worry about it too much. The people who faint or start crying are well in the minority,but I don't mind, and I pick them up from the floor or give them a hug and tend to assume that it all
got a little much for them -- which I suspect normally
has much more to do with getting to the front of a line they've been standing in for hours, rather than the overwhelmingness of me. (I know me, and can assure
you I am very unoverwhelming in person. Am also not scary.) And I'd take a heartfelt "I like your books" over a hundred clever prepared statements. Also, while you may be convinced that you made an idiot of yourself, I'll just remember the nice person with the green hair who couldn't remember how to spell his or her name...

3) You may own everything I’ve ever written. I’m very grateful. I’m probably not going to sign it all, so you had better simply pick out your favourite thing and bring that along.

5) Eat first. I’m not kidding. If it’s a night-time signing of the kind that can go on for a long time, bring sandwiches or something to nibble (some signings with numbers handed out may make it possible for you to go out and eat and come back. Or you may be first in line. But plan for a worst case scenario of several hours of standing and shuffling your way slowly around a store). (If it’s a daytime signing somewhere that a line may snake out of a store into the hot sun, bring something to drink. I always feel guilty when people pass out.)

6) You may be in that line for a while, so talk to the people around you. You never know, you could make a new friend. I’ve signed books for kids whose parents met in signing lines (although to the best of my knowledge none of them were actually conceived there). And while we’re on the subject, bring something to read while waiting. Or buy something to read – you’ll be in a book shop, after all.

7) Don’t worry. You won’t say anything stupid. It’ll be fine. My heart tends to go out to people who’ve stood in line for hours trying to think of the single brilliant witty erudite thing that they can say when they get to the front of the line, and when it finally happens they put their books in front of me and go blank, or make a complete mess of whatever they were trying to say. If you have anything you want to ask or say, just ask, or say it, and if you get a blank look from me it’s probably because I’m slightly brain dead after signing several thousand things that day.

9) Take things out of plastic bags before you reach me. Firstly, it speeds things up. Secondly, I once ripped the back off a $200 comic taking it out of a plastic bag, when the back of the comic caught on the tape. The person who owned it was very sweet about it, but tears glistened in his eyes as I signed, and I could hear him wailing softly as he walked away.

11) Remember your name. Know how to spell it, even under pressure, such as being asked. [If you have a nice simple name, like Bob or Dave or Jennifer, don't be surprised if I ask you how to spell it. I've encountered too many Bhob's, Daev's and even, once, a Jeniffer to take any spelling for granted.]

15) Yes, you can take my picture, and yes, of course you can be in the photo, that’s the point isn’t it? There’s always someone near the front of the line who will take your photo.

Posted by Neil Gaiman 9:42 PM

*Nein, Regina dear, leider wird NICHT gesagt, welches Datum an diesem Donnerstag war :-(

Wenn der Wind weht im April
lieg ich auf dem Winde.
Meine Seele bleibt nicht still
wenn der Wind weht im April,
weiß nicht was ich suchen will,
weiß nicht ob ichs finde.
Wenn der Wind weht im April
lieg ich auf dem Winde.

(Peter Hacks, aus: Das Märchen vom Schuhu und der fliegenden Prinzessin)

Naja, der Link führt nur noch ins Nirgendwo (wahrscheinlich wurde er gleich nach dem Besuch deaktiviert). Wir werden es wohl nie erfahren. Aber was mich vor allem interessiert - WONACH haben die ausgerechnet bei mir gesucht??? In anderen Zeiten hätte mich das nicht weiter beschäftigt, aber jetzt ... hum.
...

..
Oder sollte es doch ein verspäteter Aprilscherz sein??!

1. April 1943

Annie Wilkes

Die mörderische, manisch-depressive Ex-Krankenschwester in Stephen Kings "Misery" wurde an diesem "April's Fools Day" geboren.

(Stephen King "Misery" 1987)

Also wenn Regina Sex in ihrem Blog hat, will ich auch welchen haben :-)

Monica: "Are you sure? I don't feel right about this."
Chandler: "But Monica! This is the Honeymoon Suite! This room expects sex! The room would be disappointed if it didn't get sex! All the other honeymoon suites would think it was a loser!"

(aus: Friends, Season 5, Episode 1: The One Where Ross Said Rachel)

*seufz* Das Problem ist, wenn ich einmal anfange Friends-Episoden zu sehen, kann ich so schnell nicht wieder aufhören - nach den neuen Folgen fange ich unweigerlich wieder mit etlichen alten Folgen an - vorzugsweise mit dem ersten Dutzend Folgen der 5 Season *schwelg* - und finde einfach kein Ende. Wie komme ich da bloß wieder raus? Kennt jemand ein Gegenmittel gegen diese Sucht? Vielleicht sollte ich es morgen nachmittag mal mit einem neuen Film mit Bill Pullman versuchen und hoffen, daß es funktioniert. Wenigstens sind seine Filme bis jetzt ziemlich überschaubar und es gibt auch noch keine Serie mit mittlerweile rund 200 Folgen mit ihm :-)

Happy literary Birthday
to
Lady Glyde, née Laura Fairlie
*27. März 1829

Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White", 1860