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From: Eve Worth
Date: 17 Oct 2002
Time: 16:54:20 -0400
Remote Name: 63.201.90.60
The greatest thing happened to me last night. I went to Book Passage to see Nick Bantock (author of Griffin & Sabine) introduce his new book Alexandria. The actress Jill Eikenberry was to read the part of Sabine and he would read Griffin. When I came into the room one-half hour early, there were no available seats. They all had names on them. So I slipped into the anteroom and picked up a chair and pulled it into the main room and sat down. No one saw me.
Then a woman took the stage...I had been leafing through the new book, reading some of the letters, and I looked up to hear her say "Miss Eikenberry cannot make it this evening...we are very sorry, but she was cast in a part and had to fly to Europe this morning. Instead we are going to have a raffle and one of you may read with Mr. Bantock." Of course, there was no raffle ticket on my chair and I noticed the chair beside me was still vacant and the meeting was starting so I grabbed that ticket, tore it in two and placed half in the basket when it came around.
They called my number. It was like a dream. They brought me into the back room where Mr. Bantock talked to me very nicely about how we would do it and so on. He is much older than the picture they use on his books, but still very good looking and very talkative and animated. We walked back into the main room and he spoke from the stage for about twenty minutes, then he called me up there and we prepared to read. He told the audience that it was very hard to "read cold" and that they should be very gentle toward me. We each had microphones on, so we did not have to speak loudly...therefore, more emotion came through. The place was packed. We read for about half an hour. Parts of the letters became rather suggestive and I began wondering how sensuous they were going to get...but we read on. Afterward we got a standing ovation. His publisher and managers from Chronicle Books, gave me two of his newest books and their business cards. They took a picture with his arm around me (which will be in the newspapers and also framed in the bookstore for all time). Every single person in the audience came up and said "you did a truly wonderful job" or the like. Several asked if I was an actress or a writer and I just smiled...feeling so accredited at a time when most people do not even know anything of what I have done or where I have been in my life. It felt truly warm and welcoming...and from strangers.
Isn't it a miracle? There was not one person in the audience I knew. It was the first time I have ever gone to Book Passage and not seen several friends.
Anyway, that's my story. Amazing yes? They said I could come in a few days and get the pictures. I will scan them and post them here.
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