Ray Bradbury!

I was very excited to get the opportunity to go to Sam Weller's book signing in Manhattan at McNally Jackson's tonight. He is Ray Bradbury's biographer and just came out with a second Bradbury book: Listen to the Echos. Sam read the story about when Ray was young and went to the fair and a man being shot through with electricity touched Ray and went "Live forever!" And he certainly will with books cannonized next to his heroes.

Then Sam called Bradbury up via Skype and asked him questions for about half an hour! How amazing is that? Seeing Bradbury live, if not in the flesh. He's turning 90 soon, so it's difficult for him to walk, speak, hear, and see, but his mind is still sharp as a tack.

Ironically, the Skype was having trouble--just the sort of technology he warns us against in his work. It cut out right as he was saying how he can't stand the people of New York because they're all depressed. "If you're depressed, it's because you're not doing anything. Go do something, anything, and afterward, figure out why you did it." Then it cut out and Sam said "Ah, the New York gods have spoken."

The best line was this:
Sam: How do you think your writing has changed over the years?
Bradbury: It's become brilliant.

Sam talked about how Bradbury hordes everything he's ever had because everything is "his metaphor," something that can be used to conjure up memories, emotions, and stories.

They talked a lot about movies. Bradbury said he likes the F451 movie even if it's not perfect. If he had to "be" a book like Montague at the end, he would be the Christmas Carol. He said his favorite adaptation is Something Wicked This Way Comes because he directed it.

Bradbury says his favorite stories of his are the Toynbee Convector and the Fog Horn (story in video below). Also, there is a story in the book where Bradbury pees in a hotel ficus. Didn't see that coming, did ya?

Sam says that he believes that Bradbury is tapped into something existential that most people can't grasp. He remembers being born, which is nearly impossible. But there's something almost magic about him, and that's why all these people want to get near him. Sam's father read Bradbury stories to Sam's mother when Sam was in the womb, and now he's his biographer of ten years. So maybe your brain does develop more than we know at that age.

At the event, there was also someone from my NYU program. And I got interviewed by a journalist documenting the event. We'll have to see if that turns up anywhere.

I got my book signed by Sam. (see photo below). He was really nice and eager to listen to people's stories and connections to Bradbury. He's very into what he does, which is great.

I took some video...