Normally in this spot you would be seeing Breaking Bad Shakespeare Friday. I’m going to keep that up, not to worry, my friends, but I will be taking two weeks off. Why? Because tonight I’m doing something uber fun, and we need to discuss it. And because next week is Banned Books Week. Obviously, I’m going to be all over that.
But tonight... tonight my friends, I’m going to see Neil Gaiman speak at George Mason University. I want you to take a moment to think about how important this is for me. Imagine your favorite writer. Now imagine you’re going to see him speak. That’s how important that is for me. (Wait, I guess that’s not to hard...)
Neil Gaiman is the first writer that I felt was writing just to me. Obviously I know that he wasn’t, there are no hidden messages in it that tell me exactly how I am going to live my life. (this isn’t the Harry Potter series, folks) What I mean is that Neil Gaiman was the first writer to put out a book that made it seem as if someone was writing specifically to my tastes. I remember reading “American Gods” and being blown away at the scope of it all. This isn’t a book. It’s a giant experience that encompasses so many different concepts but tells a coherent story that everyone can enjoy. I can’t explain it any clearer than that, so I hope it makes sense.
Do you remember the first time you heard your favorite song? Do you remember how you wanted to play it 90 times in a row to make sure you remembered every word, every note? That’s how I felt the first time I read “American Gods.” Then I devoured “Good Omens” the funniest book I have ever read in my entire life (About the end of the world). Let’s not get started on “Neverwhere”, “Stardust” (the book is better... the book is ALWAYS BETTER) and back issues of “Sandman”, because this post will be longer than the books themselves when I discuss how much they mean to me.
That’s why I can’t wait to hear him speak. I’ve seen videos, read his interviews, etc... but his writing means something to me. I can always point to some part of his books and get something out of them. I can always find a quote that is relevant to something I am going through. He is one of the reasons I have started writing as much as I have lately... because this man is a hero of mine.
So, tonight, I get to see my author in action. It’s going to be an epic experience. I honestly can’t wait to see what he has to say. Sadly, he will not be signing books, so I will not get to meet him, but to be in the same room as him, absorbing his words life is going to be an awesome experience. I look forward to sharing it with you.
Our next exciting adventure, my friends, will be Banned Books Week. The fact that we have this week makes me sad.
Breaking Bad Shakespeare will return in two weeks for our final three installments: Jesse Pinkman, Walter White, and where the show goes from here to achieve Maximum Shakespeareanness.
I can only imagine it was amazing! Looking forward to Banned Books Week.
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