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Ann Arbor, Michigan - May 1, 2005
Robert J. Sawyer and I have been friends for a while (I met him back when he was publicizing StarPlex), and I met Robert Charles Wilson a couple of times in the past. Both are great men, if you haven't had the pleasure of talking with them or listening to them read from their own works.
The day started out early for me. I got up and finished cleaning out anything extra from my van, and I needed something to occupy me on the trip. The radio in the van shorted out a year ago, so I purchased an MP3/CD player for the ride. Kept me in music without the need to switch discs, so it was a worthwhile purchase. Anyways . . .
The three hour voyage started on the right-side of the map, and went to the small, but very packed, town of Ann Arbor, Michigan. This was my third trip to the city (it seems too many concerts skip out of Ohio, but still play at Ann Arbor). It was also the same day as a University of Michigan Softball game, so for a Sunday, the streets were filled with cars, bicyclists and pedestrians. I still arrived at the Borders on schedule, at 1 pm.
When I arrived, of course, no one was waiting at the area marked off for the reading and autographs. It was an unfortunately nice day, as you can see in the image, because the windows behind the desk and podium let the sunlight pour in like a tidal wave. Most of the images I took where the windows are in the background had way too much backlight and do not look that great.
The desk, podium, and displays. The signs in the back impressed even Rob and Bob, who took them home at the end of the day.
People slowly started to show up. About 1:30, a gentleman came over from the coffee shop off to the side, and asked what event was happening today. Another member of the audience said, "There's going to be a reading by two science fiction authors." And as though the genre was a sign of the coming apocalypse, the man immediately departed. Odd.
Rob arrives, and inspects his digital camera. Same brand as mine, but his puts mine to shame. Rob's also lost scores of pounds since I last saw him, and his healthy appearance is good news!
Carolyn Clink, Rob's wife and partner-in-crime, also arrived. She would take better pictures of the event at this point with Rob's camera, but she couldn't take pictures of herself. So, here you are, Carolyn!
Robert Charles Wilson arrived as well. He inspects the setup that Borders placed for the two men, while Rob checks out the displays behind them. The audience reached about fifteen people at this point, I believe. I thought there would be more myself, but it was an intimate affair.
Bob's wife shows off one of his purchases earlier that day at a local used and rare bookstore (Books & Collectibles, around the corner, for those in the area. LOVELY place). Envious are we all.
Bob is the first presenter. Bob is a gifted speaker and very entertaining. The audience loved his reading. Spin is a great book from what Bob read. I have my signed copy and will read it when I get the time (busy schedule now). It's right behind the next book . . .
Rob's Mindscan. He read the scene from the floor in front of us, rather than behind the podium, and gave us the gestures and radio-play-like reading that is normal for Rob. If we had had more audience members, he may not have been wanting to perform this way, so it was a treat.
Rob read from his Clié. He was able to keep the words moving without distraction, and finished his reading with a good applause.
The two men then retired behind the desk, where the Borders manager hurriedly removed the microphone and podium, for the autograph session. People came well prepared for this, but I left two books in the van in case Rob and Bob were overwhelmed and I could get them signed later. They were overwhelmed with books, not people, so it was a wise decision on my part.
People were not in a rush to get in line for the autographs, so I handed Bob my copy of Bios. I purchased Spin at the end of his signings to give others time to get their autographs.
Bob's been signing quite a bit, and my book was the proof. Halfway through signing it, he looked up a bit dumbfounded. "Is it April?" I've been there so often I know how it feels. Luckily it wasn't that big of an error, and Bob graciously did a caricature in the book. Even the events calendars in the men's room still had April, not May, items. Chronological changeovers humans will never overcome.
Next up in line, and the Borders manager assists him, and Rob and Bob, by preparing the books for autographing. Does anyone else think the manager looks like Andy Blitz?
The line continues! Many people had bags or boxes of their books, all ready to sign. Good collectors and great fans of the two authors. The Borders manager probably didn't like that people bought books elsewhere, but he got a dozen autographed hardcovers from each to put on the shelves, so it can't be too bad for him.
After the signing, Rob and a few of us retired across the street at the Starbucks. We all chatted for about an hour, and then we all left. I headed to the rare bookstore mentioned above, and found a few collectibles. Rob met up with Bob and their wives afterwards as well, much to my surprise, and showed me where the science fiction section was. One could get lost in this store and never want to leave! If you're in town, please, stop by and rummage through his massive book and collectible assortment. There are plenty of gems for the fan and collector alike.
So, that was my tour report. I had a great time, and thanks go out to Rob, Bob, Carolyn and Sharry, and the Borders who hosted the event. Here's to Webmind and future projects of Rob, and Bob's career!
Christopher Bair
May 2, 2005
Note: Pictures may be reused for personal use only without credit or compensation.
