Dear Los Angeles: My Tour Officially Starts in You Tomorrow, 7:30, Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach!
Posted on May 13, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 16 Comments
Yes, Los Angeles, the major metropolitan area of my youth, where I was raised on In-N-Out Double-Doubles and Thrifty ice cream scoops, listened to KROQ and yearned for checkerboard Vans. You are the perfect place to begin my tour. And so I shall, at the Redondo Beach branch of Mysterious Galaxy, tomorrow, May 14. The festivities kick of at 7:30 (which will give you enough time to trek from wherever it is you are to the store, because LA traffic remains an enduring joy, does it not) and of course I will be reading, doing a Q&A and signing the books you care to bring (although if you buy The Human Division at Mysterious Galaxy, that would be best. Support the stores that support me, and all that). Once again, the rumor is that there will be cake! There was cake at the last event, so I think this is a positive trend.
One thing to be aware of is that this is a “numbered event,” which as I understand it means that you’ll be given numbers to signal where you are in the signing queue. Or something. The details will be on at that link above. Don’t worry about the numbers. You can totally show up. I totally want you to show up. Please please please please please show up. Yes, I still have that anxiety that I will do a signing and nobody will come, and I will just sit at a table, increasingly fake smile on my face, while the customers who are in the store do everything they can to avoid eye contact with me. It’s the author equivalent of the that dream where you come in late to that final test in high school, have no pencils and somehow skipped wearing your pants.
I assure you I will be wearing pants tomorrow. Promise.
So: The Human Division Tour kickoff, tomorrow, May 14, 7:30 Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, Redondo Beach. See you there!
Pants?? I was promised Scalzi in a skirt! I’m outta here…
Well, I was at your signing in SD, and there were definitely people there, and definitely cake, and a good time was had by all. There may be a day where you are the lonely author begging for attention, but methinks today is not that day.
Double doubles (animal style) — check
Thrifty ice cream cones — check
Checkerboard Vans — check
KROQ (Rodney, et al) — check.
I think / fear we had a similar youth — I split mine between Northern California (aka God’s Country) and SoCal. How I ended up in Texas (In-and-Out coming soon…) is sometimes a mystery.
Have a good tour. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to catch you this time. Come to Austin (not really Texas) next time you’re on the road.
Cheese and Rice, why didn’t they book you on KROQ with Kevin and Bean for an interview!?!?!?
The cake is a lie.
I’ll actually see you there, after I first have an In-N-Out experience to pre-celebrate the Scalzi Visitation.
I think all authors need at least “And no one came” (aka Spinal Tap) story. All of the best authors seem to have at least one. And it’s usually harder on the bookstore staff who feel that they have somehow failed the guest author.
You afraid you’re gonna end up like this guy?
http://propstore.com/img/products/1178/National_Treasure_2_Riley_Poole_Poster_2_2.JPG [
As a former teacher, my version of the “final exam” dream is when I show up to the first day of school and none of my handouts have been photocopied. And they’ve changed my class load without warning me. Oh, and I’m at the wrong campus. So far, I have never forgotten to dress in these dreams, but I do expect there will be a time for that, as well.
While flying through the ether from venue to venue, think you could pick a winning caption for the dog/cat photo from a few days back. Might be more fun to do than eat the airplane food–go with your snacks.
I couldn’t stay for your San Diego performance. But I did manage to stop by and buy a copy. It’s half gone already.
RE checkered vans, broke my arm when I was in high school. Instead of letting anyone sign it I used a black marker to put an asymetrical checker board pattern on it.
Now you’ve made me miss Thrifty ice cream cones. My old Thrifty is some other kind of drug store, and they do have ice cream, but it’s not as good, and not ridiculously cheap in comparison to BR like the good old days.
And whoda thunk the 80’s would be the good old days?
While off topic – while you are out having fun they are also having fun in the UK…
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=pLgJ7pk0X-s
I miss the cylindrical scoop.
Hello John,
Have a great visit in SoCal! Looking forward to seeing you in the Bay Area. See you Thursday.
ah, mr scalzi, you made me homesick. (do they still do the cylinders of sherbet at thriftys?)