Tamora Pierce!
I'm writing this Wednesday afternoon while at one of my volunteering positions so I can type it up later. Thus far the phones have not been ringing.
Tuesday night I saw Tamora Pierce at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL. I was lucky enough to get off at 4pm. Matt drove me to the Metra stop so I could go downtown and catch another Metra from Chicago Union. I got a little lost walking from LaSalle St. Metra to Union Station in the dark and the rain. (My phone does not have a real-time updating GPS app/program.) The ticket line was long but I managed to catch the very full express BNSF to Naperville at 5:45pm. Of course I got lost again trying to find downtown Naperville. I walked a few blocks in the opposite direction before I figured it out. I got at Anderson's Bookshop at 6:50pm, about 10 minutes before the event's scheduled start. It was rather crowded. I was by myself so I got a free seat in the middle of a row of 5. Oh, sometimes there are advantages to being alone!
Tamora Pierce is so funny! I read both her personal and author LiveJournals. I guess the humor never translated that fully. (Patrick Rothfuss is an author whose humor translated well into writing. I was at his signing earlier this year, too.) We had a Q&A before the signing. Some rather hilarious answers. Soemone asked who her characters were based off, if anybody. Both males and females. She said she based Roger, Duke of Conte, off a high school boyfriend.
Pause.
"I killed him twice."
:P
She also said two characters did not end up as how she original intended. One example is Alanna who was unhappy at how her (Alanna's) future was disposed. Tamora danced around names of Alanna's romantic interests because she wanted to be spoiler-free. After her dancing-around answer she got asked by another person in the audience who she met and another person in the audience hadn't read The Lionness Quartet so Tamora told her to cover her ears. Tamora had intended Alanna to be with King Jon but being queen was a job, a diplomatic job, and Alanna highly lacked diplomacy. Tamora also talked about future works, both in the Tortall and Circle universes.
Someone also asked what made Tamora decide to write about sexuality. She said at previous readings several people came up to her and said when Kel tells Neal that in the Yamini Islands nobody cares who you sleep with (from The Protector of the Small series), it meant a lot to them. They, apparently, were crying. They felt like she, Tamora Pierce, was saying that being LGBT was okay. Tamora herself felt that two lines wasn't okay and that she needed to "step up." She had always known that Daja was a lesbian (from the Circle universe) and that Lark and Rosethorn were a couple - that flew by me completely when I read the Circle books, though I only read The Circle Opens series once. But in the small manuscript sizes of the earlier books every word counted. In The Will of the Empress she wanted to be open about Daja's sexuality but she didn't make it a big deal in the world just as it shouldn't be a big deal in our world. That exact question was percolating in my mind! I asked about parents' response. If anybody was completely fine with her strong female characters but aghast at the emergence of a lesbian character or a cross-dresser in the Beka books. (I am biased in that I automatically think anybody who approves of "strong female characters" would not be against non-heterosexual sexuality.) She said she didn't get any negative responses about that. Just a few regarding sex appearing in the Alanna series, that it appeared at all, and the violence in the Kel series. Tamora also mentioned getting kicked out of the room where one of her girls (she was a house mother) was pregnant and counting her contractions because Tamora was making her laugh and it threw off the count.
Someone asked Tamora why she decided to leave Kel without a romantic interest. Tamora replied that she didn't want Kel "hooking up." That while Tamora also loves romance, she wanted to give the message that it's okay and possible to be single and happy. The girl who asked was part of a group of girls sitting behind me. Another person in that gang said she never read the Kel series and another said she didn't like it. A big part of it was that Kel didn't end up with someone. :S I love the Kel series and I actually appreciate that she didn't end up with someone because that would have made things too pat. Tamora said she had planned Kel and Dom to get together but changed her mind when Kel snarled "I'm busy" when trying to write it. Also, aren't men in the King's Own besides the Commander suppose to remain single? Though I suppose you could have a girlfriend or boyfriend and be legally single.
I can't recall other questions or comments. I was #10 in line - yay! We had to purchase Mastiff at full price from the bookstore in order to get a numbered ticket for signing. I only had one copy. (Amazon screwed up and got their inventory late.) So I decided to get it personalized to my sister as her Christmas gift. I made sure, first, that she hadn't read it yet! My sister introduced me to Alanna/Tamora Pierce so I find this a great gift. I owe her a lot for author and book exposure. And I love her! ♥
After I was done - there was some great conversation while waiting in line about Joss Whedon's shows - I browsed while waiting for Kyle to pick me up. There were new covers on the Alanna reprints! And every series since. I do'nt like the new Alanna covers... It seems too modern. The usual photoshopped female character on a background of some sort for YA books. "Jonathan" and "George" also just look...ridiculous... But I'm a bit of a purist. I detest when books made into movies are re-released with the actors faces on the covers.
There were also plain autographed copies of Mastiff on the shelves so I bought one ofr myself. :P I have every book Tamora Pierce wrote of Tortall and Circle universes including the Tortall short story anthology, exceping Melting Stones. I found it a little blah and was glad I borrowed it from the Beloit Public Library when it got published. The books I own are scattered between here, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. :|
Kyle and I had dinner at Houlihan's! New place for me. Great food! We shared three entrees - Vietnamese shrimp spring roll, calamari and Thai glazed chicken wings. Dessert was donut holes and melted white and milk chocolate dip. YUM. Kyle was very sweet. When he realized there was cinnamon on the donut holes he was ready to send them back because I don't like cinnamon. That was thoughtful! But it's chocolate! We ate and enjoyed.
We also started Gattaca but fell asleep partway through. I still adore that movie. We fell asleep a little after midnight, I think. We woke at 7:30am so I could catch the 8:24am Metra back to Union then walk to LaSalle. It was very cold and windy.
So a brief shower and hot soup, saline crackers and apple for lunch, then off to this volunteering position!
Tuesday night I saw Tamora Pierce at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, IL. I was lucky enough to get off at 4pm. Matt drove me to the Metra stop so I could go downtown and catch another Metra from Chicago Union. I got a little lost walking from LaSalle St. Metra to Union Station in the dark and the rain. (My phone does not have a real-time updating GPS app/program.) The ticket line was long but I managed to catch the very full express BNSF to Naperville at 5:45pm. Of course I got lost again trying to find downtown Naperville. I walked a few blocks in the opposite direction before I figured it out. I got at Anderson's Bookshop at 6:50pm, about 10 minutes before the event's scheduled start. It was rather crowded. I was by myself so I got a free seat in the middle of a row of 5. Oh, sometimes there are advantages to being alone!
Tamora Pierce is so funny! I read both her personal and author LiveJournals. I guess the humor never translated that fully. (Patrick Rothfuss is an author whose humor translated well into writing. I was at his signing earlier this year, too.) We had a Q&A before the signing. Some rather hilarious answers. Soemone asked who her characters were based off, if anybody. Both males and females. She said she based Roger, Duke of Conte, off a high school boyfriend.
Pause.
"I killed him twice."
:P
She also said two characters did not end up as how she original intended. One example is Alanna who was unhappy at how her (Alanna's) future was disposed. Tamora danced around names of Alanna's romantic interests because she wanted to be spoiler-free. After her dancing-around answer she got asked by another person in the audience who she met and another person in the audience hadn't read The Lionness Quartet so Tamora told her to cover her ears. Tamora had intended Alanna to be with King Jon but being queen was a job, a diplomatic job, and Alanna highly lacked diplomacy. Tamora also talked about future works, both in the Tortall and Circle universes.
Someone also asked what made Tamora decide to write about sexuality. She said at previous readings several people came up to her and said when Kel tells Neal that in the Yamini Islands nobody cares who you sleep with (from The Protector of the Small series), it meant a lot to them. They, apparently, were crying. They felt like she, Tamora Pierce, was saying that being LGBT was okay. Tamora herself felt that two lines wasn't okay and that she needed to "step up." She had always known that Daja was a lesbian (from the Circle universe) and that Lark and Rosethorn were a couple - that flew by me completely when I read the Circle books, though I only read The Circle Opens series once. But in the small manuscript sizes of the earlier books every word counted. In The Will of the Empress she wanted to be open about Daja's sexuality but she didn't make it a big deal in the world just as it shouldn't be a big deal in our world. That exact question was percolating in my mind! I asked about parents' response. If anybody was completely fine with her strong female characters but aghast at the emergence of a lesbian character or a cross-dresser in the Beka books. (I am biased in that I automatically think anybody who approves of "strong female characters" would not be against non-heterosexual sexuality.) She said she didn't get any negative responses about that. Just a few regarding sex appearing in the Alanna series, that it appeared at all, and the violence in the Kel series. Tamora also mentioned getting kicked out of the room where one of her girls (she was a house mother) was pregnant and counting her contractions because Tamora was making her laugh and it threw off the count.
Someone asked Tamora why she decided to leave Kel without a romantic interest. Tamora replied that she didn't want Kel "hooking up." That while Tamora also loves romance, she wanted to give the message that it's okay and possible to be single and happy. The girl who asked was part of a group of girls sitting behind me. Another person in that gang said she never read the Kel series and another said she didn't like it. A big part of it was that Kel didn't end up with someone. :S I love the Kel series and I actually appreciate that she didn't end up with someone because that would have made things too pat. Tamora said she had planned Kel and Dom to get together but changed her mind when Kel snarled "I'm busy" when trying to write it. Also, aren't men in the King's Own besides the Commander suppose to remain single? Though I suppose you could have a girlfriend or boyfriend and be legally single.
I can't recall other questions or comments. I was #10 in line - yay! We had to purchase Mastiff at full price from the bookstore in order to get a numbered ticket for signing. I only had one copy. (Amazon screwed up and got their inventory late.) So I decided to get it personalized to my sister as her Christmas gift. I made sure, first, that she hadn't read it yet! My sister introduced me to Alanna/Tamora Pierce so I find this a great gift. I owe her a lot for author and book exposure. And I love her! ♥
After I was done - there was some great conversation while waiting in line about Joss Whedon's shows - I browsed while waiting for Kyle to pick me up. There were new covers on the Alanna reprints! And every series since. I do'nt like the new Alanna covers... It seems too modern. The usual photoshopped female character on a background of some sort for YA books. "Jonathan" and "George" also just look...ridiculous... But I'm a bit of a purist. I detest when books made into movies are re-released with the actors faces on the covers.
There were also plain autographed copies of Mastiff on the shelves so I bought one ofr myself. :P I have every book Tamora Pierce wrote of Tortall and Circle universes including the Tortall short story anthology, exceping Melting Stones. I found it a little blah and was glad I borrowed it from the Beloit Public Library when it got published. The books I own are scattered between here, Bangladesh, and Malaysia. :|
Kyle and I had dinner at Houlihan's! New place for me. Great food! We shared three entrees - Vietnamese shrimp spring roll, calamari and Thai glazed chicken wings. Dessert was donut holes and melted white and milk chocolate dip. YUM. Kyle was very sweet. When he realized there was cinnamon on the donut holes he was ready to send them back because I don't like cinnamon. That was thoughtful! But it's chocolate! We ate and enjoyed.
We also started Gattaca but fell asleep partway through. I still adore that movie. We fell asleep a little after midnight, I think. We woke at 7:30am so I could catch the 8:24am Metra back to Union then walk to LaSalle. It was very cold and windy.
So a brief shower and hot soup, saline crackers and apple for lunch, then off to this volunteering position!