Just got back from a Michael Connelly appearance at the Borders in Bryn Mawr, PA--the very first stop, in fact, on his Echo Park tour. Everybody thinks Connelly is all about L.A. Which he is. But he grew up near Philadelphia, which I think is enough for us to claim him as our own.I arrived early--a little after six--and there were already fans camped out in chairs. By 6:30, a crowd of at least 35 had gathered. And by showtime, the Borders staff was busy adding and rearranging chairs for a crowd of at least 60. Connelly joked that most of the audience were friends and family. If this is true, I want to rent Connelly's family for my next local signing.
The discussion was great--a little bit of Connelly telling us what fuels Harry Bosch in this one (self-doubt), a bit about his NY Times serial, "The Overlook," and then the floor was open for questions. This strikes me as the right idea for an author appearance. Unless you're friggin' James Earl Jones, there's no way a reading--no matter how short--can compare with a writer talking about what's on his/her mind. That's why people are camped out in seats early. If they wanted to be read to, they'd buy the audiobook. Or ask Mommy.
Two things from the Q& A stick in my mind:
Someone asked Connelly if he has a favorite among his own books; he said his "sentimental" favorite was The Last Coyote. That was the first book he wrote after quitting his full-time job, and he thinks it's stronger the first three Bosch novels because he could concentrate on it full time. Previously, Connelly would work the day job at the paper, then come home and work on a novel. The stop-start thing shows in the early Bosch novels he said--"Or at least, I can tell." But not so with Coyote, which felt more "seamless." Hmmm... (says the Polish kid who works the day job at the paper, then comes home and works on a novel).
Connelly also talked about Bosch as a character who is his "complete opposite," and when thinking about a particular decision might make, he bases it on choices Bosch has made in previous novels. When Connelly wrote from the point of view of reporter Jack McEvoy in The Poet, however, it was like "automatic writing"--the story just flowed, because he was very familiar with McEvoy's world (newspapers). This is interesting to me, because when I tried writing about a journalist character earlier this summer (see: Castle #1 and Castle #2 saga), the damned thing shut down on me. Hmmm....
And finally: A few friends had tipped me off, but tonight I saw it for myself, in cold print. Both Sarah Weinman and I make brief cameo appearances in Echo Park... as journalists. The fanboy in me thinks this is the coolest fucking thing in the world.
Hell, forget the fanboy thing. This is the coolest fucking thing in the world. (Thank you, Mike.)
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