A woman in a gold dress walked rather dramatically toward the front of the room. Several people moved uncomfortably in their seats and the man talking on the stage paused because he did not know what to do...
More about this later...
Once again, I found myself sitting in the departure lounge of Melbourne International Airport waiting to board QANTAS Flight 93. This time, I was heading for America. I don’t understand people who say they don’t enjoy airports or waiting around for a plane. I relish those few hours. I head to the bookstore and purchase magazines and catch up on what’s going on in the world. I bought TIME, Harper’s, National Geographic and Comos – current events, journal, geography and science – in that order. I sat down to read...
I have been so flat out since the launch of 209 A Story in Melbourne, that I had not prepared my paper for the Panel at Book Soup in Los Angeles set for Monday 4th May, 2009. It is not that I was uninterested in doing so – it was just lack of time and being so overly tired, that anything I may have written, I would have thrown immediately into the bin. I left this one up to the Gods – and they (thankfully) answered my question... what would I talk about?
I was asked to be part of a panel of Australian Authors by the American Australian Association. We: David Francis, Brian Castro and myself, were asked to share with participants how we work through the creative process when writing a novel. Also, to discuss our experiences in bringing an Australian-published novel to the U.S. market. Let me tell you from the outset – it is very difficult...
I leaned back in my seat at Gate 22 and opened to an article in the Harper’s Magazine – it was titled – ‘The Last Book Party’ – there before me was the answer... so well written and summarised my entire frustration with the publishing world. It read of how publishing has changed so much of the past ten years and how since time began in the publishing world – it has always been faced with the ‘relentlessness of the apocalypse’. By the time I had finished the article – I had, in my mind, prepared what I was going to say in support of my mission. A first time independently published writer from Australia who wanted to crack the American market...
The woman began making funny gestures with her hands and although she did not say a word to anyone, it was her antics that captured everyone’s attention.
I arrived in Los Angeles three hours before I left Melbourne... still makes me smile. I was driven to the Beverly Hilton and the sun was shining in all its glory. I am fortunate that this was not my first visit to Los Angeles. I had been there on a number of occasions – most memorably in 1993 – when I was Principal Performing Duties at the Jundah School in western Queensland – and we had won the Coles Apples for the Students competition – and our prize was a trip to LA to meet the stars of Beverly Hills 90210 and Aaron and Candy Spelling.
The Sunday was fun because I finally got a chance to visit the JP Getty Museum... the wait was worth it. For almost six hours I wandered the halls of that magnificent centre and then attended a lecture of Selected Short 2009 – A Celebration of the Short Story – Uncharted Territories. I was also able to get out and experience some night life of LA... all bars shut at 2am... interesting!
At 5pm on Monday I left my hotel and walked (YES – something that very few people do in LA!!) along Santa Monica Blvd to San Vicente Blvd and up a very steep hill to Sunset Blvd. I found the location of Book Soup – the legendary Bookstore of the City of Angels and I was taking a photograph of the front of the store when suddenly I froze. There in a window was a picture of... me! It must be up there with one of the strangest experiences of my life... Who was I? What was I doing here? I could do nothing but laugh ... and send a text message to my friends back in Australia to tell them of what I had just seen.
I met with Dan Levek – the representative of the American Australian Association – and the time had come for the Panel Discussion... David Francis spoke followed by Brian Castro – (I was humbled to be in such presence as I had admired their writing for some time.) Then it was my turn...
A woman in a gold dress walked rather dramatically toward the front of the room. Several people moved uncomfortably I paused because I did not know what to do... she looked directly at me... I looked across the room at Dan... and then just as quickly, Courtney Love moved off to my right, took a book from the shelf and started to read it...
As they say ... it can only happen in America.
Have a good week everyone...
Steven
