An elegant and transcendent thing
Just got back from hearing Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns. The format was basically a discussion between him and the moderator, a woman from the local NPR station who had a wonderful British accent. As people were coming in and during the intro remarks, they had solicitated questions from the audience, and the last third of the program was the moderator choosing which of these to ask him.
Now, please remember that I have not read either one of these books. Of course, that did not stop me from submitting a question. I asked whether he missed practicing medicine, esp. the interaction with patients. And, lo--my question was chosen! Out of only about six that the moderator used from the audience! :D He talked about how he went into medicine as a practical choice, and compared it to an arranged marriage: "You know, practical and realistic, and then, over a few years, you actually develop a kind of affection for each other. But writing--that was like getting together with your high school sweetheart!" Big laugh from audience. Yay!
He spoke about America's ability to embrace change, rapidly and wholeheartedly, as one of the qualities he admired most about his adopted country. Specifically, he noted about how much America had changed in just the last 40 years--"a whole group of citizens that weren't even allowed to vote, and now you have an African-American candidate for President. You would never see something like that [rapid societal change] in Europe." He then said this, and I'll be stealing it shamelessly from this point on: "Look at the elegant and transcendent thing that has happened in this country over the course of the past year." Isn't that just a brilliant and beautiful way to summarize what *has* happened between November 2007 and now?
I did buy both books--hey, some of the money went to my alma mater, plus I got to use my Barnes and Nobles discount--and when I had them signed, I complemented him on this turn of phrase (as well as thanked him for answering my question.) He gave me a big smile and said thank you, and there was just a look of recognition--like he, too, had been pleased with it, but had not planned to say it. Cool.
I hope, when Babycurl is older, she'll appreciate the fact that I had him sign the book about the two women to both of us. :)