I’ve also met a handful. I would like to think I did not gush, but I probably did to some extent. I did not with Louis L’Amour, but then again I didn’t know who he was until after I got in an arguement with him. We were talking books, drinking and discussing who the best authors in different types; science fiction, mysteries, etc. When we got to Western fiction, I would not accept any other author at the top of the list except Louis L’Amour and I made that quite clear before he had a chance to get a word in. At that point he slid over some ID on the bar we were standing at showing he was in fact, Louis L’Amour. I then gushed. He just said, “I kind of like your taste.”
When I was working at the news desk in Greeley, Colorado and old kind of dumpy guy came up and sat at my desk and just sat there watching. We were on deadline and I basically just ignored him and maintained some sanity in the insanity that is a newspaper coming up against a deadline. He seemed pretty patient and when we had met deadline he started asking me a bunch of questions and we visited. He was James Michner author of South Pacific, Hawaii, Centennial etc.
Mine are so obscure that even book people may not have heard of these authors who are friends.
Mike Weaver, who wrote several very good books (Mercedes Nights, My Father Immortal, Nightreaver, Wolf-Dreams) was a very very good friend of mine, a fellow Kate Bush fan. His life was cut short (he drowned) and his extremely bright promise was snuffed. I’m still hoping that one of these days his books will be back in print.
Kimberly Steele wrote a self-published (on Lulu) vampire novel for mature teenagers, Forever Fifteen. I think her book should have gotten more attention than Twilight. It’s much more interesting. I bought the hard copy, but the audiobook can be downloaded free. Kimberly also makes music under the name of Queenie, and we’re both Happy Rhodes geeks.
Charles de Lint is also a Happy Rhodes and Kate Bush fan. We’ve never met in person, but he’s a Facebook friend. I “met” him through Mike Weaver. Back in 1988, Charles reviewed one of Mike’s books, Mercedes Nights, for the fanzine OtherRealms.
Many years ago, I went to a cocktail party, where I met one of my favorite authors. The hostess told us he’d said he would only autograph copies of his hard bound books. (He wanted to be sure he’d be compensated for his time)
His date was a nearly, naked 13 year old. He was a total ass. I haven’t read anything by him since.
I’ve been to a lecture in San Francisco by Robert Anton Wilson at something-Con. That was a bit of a Mecca-like experience for me. I think I managed something complimentary as he was wheeled past me on the way out of the room.
Also attended a book-signing by Malcolm Gladwell and shook hands before he signed my copy of Blink. He’s an interesting fella.
Would love to see Chuck Palahniuk and Patrick Rothfuss in person.
This will mean nothing to any of you, but I did get a personal email from knitter/blogger/writer/really nice person, Stephanie Pearl McPhee a few weeks ago.
I had a similar experience. He was most gracious and sincere…and hilarious, obviously! And he gave me a tiny bottle of mouthwash from his hotel as an anniversary present.
Many Twin Cities based SF and Fantasy authors. Unfortunately, I don’t read a lot of SF and Fantasy, so, no, I don’t gush. They are friends of friends who show up at my parties and drink my beer. (Not so much anymore than I’ve moved away from that SF Fandom set for the most part. But they used to show up at my parties and drink my beer - ETA, except the late John M Ford and late Gordy Dickson (Dickenson? I told you I don’t read their stuff) - the two of them I used to drop by their houses with a friend who helped them out when they were mostly housebound. Nice guys and never sponged my beer).
There are a few cases where they are actually MY friends. Those people I still see and don’t mind if they show up and drink my beer. But for the most part, they are still obscure writers.
