Chuck Palahniuk Hugged Me!

Cafe Society
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I completely feel like a rock groupie! Chuck Palahniuk did a reading at my all time favorite book store…the Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, MA.

I gathered all his stuff I had in the house that hadn’t already been signed…five books…and marched off about an hour early. He was signing stuff before the reading, but after waiting for forty minutes, I was told, “Sorry, you’ll have to wait until AFTERwards.” Dang it!

He started his readings by announcing, “I’ve gotta piss, be right back!”

Then, he alternated, first asking for questions from an audience member, then asking a trivia question about one of his books, then reading either something he wrote or something he’d received from a fan that he found interesting.

The place had a total rock concert atmosphere. The bookstore had to sell tickets for $2 apiece just to keep the supply and demand in check. But there were throngs of people waiting outside offering to pay $20 for tickets and begging to be able to stand in the back of the theater. So they filled the local movie theater with MOBS of people, some of them in costume (prizes were given if you showed up in a wedding dress, a nod to his most recent work “Rant”). Prizes were also given for answering the trivia questions right.

I won a squeeky rubber hamburger, signed and everything! I’ve never been so happy! Some people got inflatable moose heads or rubber arms and legs, but I was happy with my hamburger.

He read us an unpublished and (he says) NEVER to be published story that he wrote, which I thought was a real treat. He also read a couple of fascinating notes he’d gotten from fans…amazing to see how he interpreted them and what he found significant in them. The man is a GENIUS!

They’re making “Choke” into a movie and I totally can’t wait! I think I may be a groupie. But judging by the flocks of people acting the same way, at least I have a lot of good company.

Then I got in ANOTHER line for like TWO hours…the little independent book store had a line around the block when I got there and it was STILL around the block when I left hours later. He signed all my books with rather personal comments, referring to things I’d asked him, stuff I commented on. He’s GREAT! He hugged me while i had my photo taken with him. I think he might love me. And, you know, everyone else in line who wanted a photo.

I haven’t read the new one that I just got tonight, but I’m going to go start it now. He has one in process called ‘Snuff’ which sounds terrific, and completely grotesque.

Any other fans out there? Anyone completely envious of me for getting to go? If you’re not, you should be.

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Lucky!!! grumps at the luck of unknown others

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I wish they’d make the movie of Survivor and not Choke. I found the latter to be far less interesting.

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Really? I had exactly the opposite reaction. Choke is by far my favourite book of his. Survivor is by far my least favourite.
Something in me doubts I’ll ever get to meet him though.

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If you’re lucky, next time he’ll piss in your soup!

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CeilingWhacks, are you a guy or a gal?

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:confused: Ain’t Chuck Palahniuk gay?

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From Wikipedia:

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I’m a gal! Is that bad?

And I believe a film version of Survivor is also in the works, but a bit farther behind. I think that was my favorite as well. Though, I really did get off on Invisible Monsters.

Oh, and we got the inside scoop about what’s coming down the pike next: I mentioned it in the OP. A book called “Snuff.” Apparently, he used Annabelle Lee as something of a model for a thing about three guys waiting in the green room with numbers written on their arms, waiting their turn for one of those “world’s biggest gang bang” videos while they have a little “chat.” I think the publishing date is next summer some time.

I didn’t know he was gay. Never really gave it any thought, for some reason. And, you know, I didn’t REALLY think he loved me, gay or not. I was just hoping a little creativity rubbed off.

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Yeah, Im’ a dork. That should have been Annabelle CHONG. You know, not the Poe version, the PORN version.

Also, there’s info about upcoming movies and scripts here: http://www.chuckpalahniuk.net/movies/survivor/
(That’s a link to the Survivor discussion, but the others can be found in links at the top of the page.)

Apparently, a movie version of Survivor WAS in the works, but after hijacked planes brought down the World Trade Center towers, films about suicidal cult members hijacking planes were…err…put on the back burner.

Just another reason to hate terrorists.

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I am the jealous.

Also, a movie of Choke?! I’m so there. That’s one of the few books I’ve ever read that caused a visceral reaction. Man that’s gonna be rough to watch, I love it already, hee hee.

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Dammit! He was at San Francisco’s last week and I missed it. Sounds like it would have been fun. :mad:

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It would have! I actually can’t believe what a blast it was. I go see authors fairly frequently…you know, being a dork and all. And I always enjoy it, but this was an actual EVENT. I’m still very excited that I got to go. I’ve been happily telling everyone about it and most people just look at me blankly and say, “Chuck WHO?” So sad!

One of the things he said that I found interesting was the he didn’t have a theater or drama background, but that these readings required some of that type of education sometimes. Timing, knowing when to wait for people to laugh, how to say things so that people DON’T laugh, and so forth. I guess a lot of big authors have to learn that kind of thing…how to be interviewed, talk to the public…it must be difficult for someone who’s a writer, not a public speaker.