My First Book Signing

I know about James Frey for the same reason most people know about James Frey.  He sat through an entire hour as a guest on Oprah; the lovable host and international mentor spent much of the show totally toasting the author, who had been freshly ousted from the memoir world.  Frey had been caught stretching the truth of his self-proclaimed memoir (about his crazy drug-induced life).  Most of the book, Million Little Pieces, is true, but a few parts are… Not so true.

It was 7:00 on Tuesday.  I was with 5 friends, and we just finished eating at the something-Corral — the only bar in the drug-store lined neighborhood.  We were all very excited about the book reading.  The 500-pager came out earlier today, and Amy and Melisa were clutching, and occassionally stroking, their untouched, unsigned novels.  We had just sat in down in our squishy seats at the movie-theateresque Gramercy’s Blender Theater (I picked up my free copy of Blender mag on the way in the door — score!), and the lights went out.  

We sat through 2 opening acts.  The 2nd opening act was a pianist who was very good, although hearing the Killers on piano at that moment was not quite fitting for some reason.  

And then, with a rap-star entrance, including strobe lights and a jeans-and-tennis shoes outfit, Frey assumed his position slouched in the solitary bar stool in the spotlight.  He looked slightly uncomfortable in the bright light, but I felt as if he enjoyed being the center of attention, deep down, where he thought no one would know it.  

His newest book, the one he would be reading from, Bright Shiny Morning, is a novel, and he made sure we all know that it’s not based on reality! One of the first pages in the book even includes a truth disclamer.

Frey read from his new novel.  It was good and scary at the same time.  About violence and assualt and guns in L.A.  I hear from the others that that’s just the way he is.  Good and scary.  And with a tendency to flex his punctuation muscles, showing he’s bigger than the rest, doesn’t need to follow the rules.  I’m actually getting used to it (it takes a little getting used to, for me at least).  I’m on page 11 because I did some reading while waiting for the L-train later that night.

He signed my book after the reading.  I admitted that I hadn’t read any of his books before, hoping to receive a bit of special worldly advice for the unfortunate soul who hadn’t already benefited from his scope on life.  Instead, he wrote, “I hope the first time is wonderful. James Frey”  How.. appropriate?  Hmm, no, that’s not the word.  Maybe it was appropriate coming from him, who knows.  

It was a good experience.  I’m looking forward to getting some good reading done, although with my love for magazines, I don’t have time for much else.

Tags: book signing, books, Bright Shiny Morning, James Frey, New York City, novel