2000-02-24 08:59:06 ok. talked to dave eggers last night. briefly. the talk was ok. there were parts I liked and parts I thought were wonky. the guy he had planted in the audience to ask annoying questions was, oddly enough, just annoying. but the parts were just d.e. was speaking were good. here's the letter that I wrote yesterday and decided I would give to him: -- 23 February 2000 Dave- I�m writing because I wanted to introduce myself; my name is k_____ f______, I live in Somerville, MA, and I fancy myself a writer. I have a website, www.whygodwhy.com, which you actually may have seen because we corresponded over email a few times when McSweeney�s first got started. The first time we spoke/wrote was about why it was taking you so long to cash my subscription check. The second time was about Fresh-Step: I�d figured you would know something about the hoax, and I was right. You did. The point is, a good friend of mine saw you speak at Wordsworth in Cambridge last night, and she mentioned to me that you�d made two references to Birds With Arms. I thought this was neat and interesting because I�ve had a piece about Birds with Arms on my website for over a year (see enclosures). And it was kind of encouraging, as an aspiring writer who�s had a few pieces rejected by McSweeney�s, to discover that here was at least this one place where you and I had brains that seemed to be working in the same way. Anyways, I�m a longtime fan of your work, and I�m full of other good ideas. There should be some new stuff on my website within the month; if you ever see a way that I could fit into your plan, McSweeney�s or otherwise, I�d be very into it. Thanks very much. Yours, k____ f______ -- so anyways, that's the letter. I put it in a little envelope and wrote to dave eggers from k____ f_______ on it. in his talk he only mentioned birds with arms once. someone asked him if he was still painting and he said yes, he was, he painted the picture that's on the cover of the new mcsweeney's, and that lately he's been painting birds with wooden planks for feet and arms instead of wings, and he wasn't sure what that meant. after his talk I got in line to have a book signed. went through the little line, he was like hi how are you, thanks for coming, etc. so I said "here I wrote you a little letter, if you could check it out I'd really appreciate it." and he was like "really? cool!" and he took it and looked at it and then he said "wait, 'k____ f______?' I know you, right?" and I was all "...um." and he said "we've talked before." and I said, "yeah, we've emailed in the past and stuff, about different things." and he said "what have we emailed about?" and I said "fresh step." and he said "oh yeah you saw those letters in issue two right? those were crazy." and I said "yeah, anyways, this letter is about Birds With Arms." and he was like "nuh=UH!" and I was like "yeah huh. I have some on my website." and he was like "did you genetically engineer them?" and I said "no, I just made them." and he was "cool, I'll definitely check it out." and then he was finished signing and was like "well it was nice to meet you, keep writing." and first I was like "he's seen my website! he knows I write!" and then I was like "oh, he means keep writing him emails. eh." but anyways that's how it went and I wonder if I'll here from him. who knows? I shall report it I do. UPDATE: nov 29 2000 I don't know. I guess the only thing that bothers me is that I never received issue #4, the issue I paid for, the issue with the bird with arms on the cover. i sent mcsweeneys, diane vadino, and mcsweeney's distributors a barrage of very polite emails over the months that followed, simply asking for the issue that i paid for. and they all kept saying "yes. it's coming. it's in the mail." but no. and it just seems very odd. very disappointing. no response ever from dave eggers, which is fine, but to also specially NOT send me the issue in question. lame. the end. k thank you very much & credits music: |
1. today is nice 3. happy yesterdays 8. thanks for hosting 4. doing other things |
(Proof that I am the only one reading.) |