It never rains but it... sprinkles fairy dust?
Meanwhile, somewhere in the midst of all the craziness detailed below, the heavens have opened, trumpets have sounded, and the triumph of my life is complete.
That is, my Bob & Ray liner notes were released last month. And are apparently selling pretty well, if the Amazon rankings are anything to go by --
--*ahem* that is, of course, the CDs are selling well. Of Bob & Ray routines.
But my liner notes are in there. I know this for a fact, because the publisher sent me some free copies of the whole set, also extras of the booklet itself. Which has my liner notes in it. Printed. On glossy paper, in attractive font, tastefully illustrated. As it turns out the unabashed thrill of seeing one's words in print -- as opposed to pixels -- has diminished not one whit in the Internet age.
And then, the reaction.
Encountering my name (let alone preceded by 'a good essay by') in an Amazon.com customer review would be surreal enough... but it doesn't stop there. It doesn't even stop with producer Larry Josephson, who wrote to congratulate me on 'the best insights on Bob & Ray' since Whitney Baillett's in The New Yorker.
Gulp.
Josephson went on to add that he had sent a copy of the notes to Bob Elliott himself... and Bob had not only agreed with his assessment, but requested my address, so as to send me a thank-you note!
Then... well, I don't remember a lot of what happened next, although I'm pretty sure the screaming and jumping up and down was internal. Most of it, anyway. Bear in mind that these are people not just renowned, but renowned for their intelligence, wit and cleverness. And they were using my name and the New Yorker in the same sentence.
I must've sent my address off at some point, because the letter came yesterday. It’s written on the old stationery of their production company - covered with elaborate in-jokes itself - and is funny and nice and thoughtful, rather like having my very own private B&R routine. Oh, and he counts my piece ‘among the most memorable’ in company with those by some Really Seriously Important Authors.
Apparently (as Shoemom did not fail to point out) I have no excuse for downplaying my writing talent anymore.
That is, my Bob & Ray liner notes were released last month. And are apparently selling pretty well, if the Amazon rankings are anything to go by --
--*ahem* that is, of course, the CDs are selling well. Of Bob & Ray routines.
But my liner notes are in there. I know this for a fact, because the publisher sent me some free copies of the whole set, also extras of the booklet itself. Which has my liner notes in it. Printed. On glossy paper, in attractive font, tastefully illustrated. As it turns out the unabashed thrill of seeing one's words in print -- as opposed to pixels -- has diminished not one whit in the Internet age.
And then, the reaction.
Encountering my name (let alone preceded by 'a good essay by') in an Amazon.com customer review would be surreal enough... but it doesn't stop there. It doesn't even stop with producer Larry Josephson, who wrote to congratulate me on 'the best insights on Bob & Ray' since Whitney Baillett's in The New Yorker.
Gulp.
Josephson went on to add that he had sent a copy of the notes to Bob Elliott himself... and Bob had not only agreed with his assessment, but requested my address, so as to send me a thank-you note!
Then... well, I don't remember a lot of what happened next, although I'm pretty sure the screaming and jumping up and down was internal. Most of it, anyway. Bear in mind that these are people not just renowned, but renowned for their intelligence, wit and cleverness. And they were using my name and the New Yorker in the same sentence.
I must've sent my address off at some point, because the letter came yesterday. It’s written on the old stationery of their production company - covered with elaborate in-jokes itself - and is funny and nice and thoughtful, rather like having my very own private B&R routine. Oh, and he counts my piece ‘among the most memorable’ in company with those by some Really Seriously Important Authors.
Apparently (as Shoemom did not fail to point out) I have no excuse for downplaying my writing talent anymore.