Going to see Stephen King!!

PG4003 · 08-15-2011, 05:25 PM

I'm so excited, I got tickets to see Stephen King at the Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia

I'm so thrilled!! He's to be presented an award, and I got tickets for that. (No charge). But I felt a little disappointed, the announcement I had received said tickets would be available for a presentation/book signing for Stephen King but then after I got the tickets, then they say that there will be a raffle held from all ticket holders for only certain ones to attend the book signing

Even more frustrating, they will snail mail the tickets to the presentation, and then IF you are one of the winners of the raffle, they will snail mail you that ticket. No notifications or anything. No timeline given as to when they will do all of this. Has anybody ever attended a function like this? This is my first time and I don't know what to expect. This is a 6 hour trip for me and I'm not real sure I want to go if I don't get to attend the book signing

Anybody have any experience with anything like this?

DiapDealer · 08-15-2011, 05:40 PM

Tell him we all said "hey!"

I've never gone to see any of my favorite authors in person. I try to be as dumb about their "real life" personas as I possibly can. I don't want to take a chance on spoiling any of their future books by finding out they might be a-holes that I wouldn't give the time of day to on the street.

I'm pretty sure that King wouldn't fall into that category but I'm too paranoid to take that chance. Take for instance, Neal Stephenson. I've heard he can be pretty snarky under the very best of circumstances. If he got crappy with me (or anyone around me) I'd take it out on his future books... I'm shallow like that.

Anyway... cool if that's your thing, hope you have a blast!

PG4003 · 08-15-2011, 05:49 PM

LOL never thought of that aspect of it! I hope he's not snarky, that would ruin the persona for me too.

anamardoll · 08-15-2011, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Tell him we all said "hey!"

I've never gone to see any of my favorite authors in person. I try to be as dumb about their "real life" personas as I possibly can. I don't want to take a chance on spoiling any of their future books by finding out they might be a-holes that I wouldn't give the time of day to on the street.

I'm pretty sure that King wouldn't fall into that category but I'm too paranoid to take that chance. Take for instance, Neal Stephenson. I've heard he can be pretty snarky under the very best of circumstances. If he got crappy with me (or anyone around me) I'd take it out on his future books... I'm shallow like that.

Anyway... cool if that's your thing, hope you have a blast!

I fall along this line, too. I was really distressed when I learned certain things about Orson Scott Card. And as much as I worship Margaret Atwood, I disagree with her on at least one major point of literary deconstruction.

I won't elaborate any further on either lest this thread derail even sooner than usual. Except this post is, in of itself, probably a derail. Crud.

FatDog · 08-15-2011, 06:25 PM

King used to go to pick-up basketball games and let students come over near the university where he lived to hang out at his house. But one day his new wife came out of the shower to find a stranger in their house and it kind of freaked her out. (If Ms King is freaked - run).

So he had to increase his personal security a bit. But to all accounts he is a pretty lay-back guy.

PG4003 · 08-15-2011, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatDog

King used to go to pick-up basketball games and let students come over near the university where he lived to hang out at his house. But one day his new wife came out of the shower to find a stranger in their house and it kind of freaked her out. (If Ms King is freaked - run).

So he had to increase his personal security a bit. But to all accounts he is a pretty lay-back guy.

That must have been a long time ago, he's been married to the same woman for years (as far as I know). I would think he has to be pretty careful about security these days.

crich70 · 08-15-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FatDog

King used to go to pick-up basketball games and let students come over near the university where he lived to hang out at his house. But one day his new wife came out of the shower to find a stranger in their house and it kind of freaked her out. (If Ms King is freaked - run).

So he had to increase his personal security a bit. But to all accounts he is a pretty lay-back guy.

I think I remember either reading or hearing about it. The guy had a box he claimed was a bomb and was going to blow Mr. King up for stealing his story ideas. It turned out the man was mentally unbalanced and the 'bomb' was paperclips and erasers. He addresses the idea of the author not being what people expect in his novel "The Dark Half." We tend to put certain people up on pedestals because of what they do and forget that they are real people just like us. I've only met one published author myself though she seemed nice enough. Nancy Kopp is her name & she writes legal thrillers. At least I think that's the genre she writes in. I have autographed copies of all 5 of her books.

lrera · 08-15-2011, 10:00 PM

Dear PG4003 (Patricia) I am new to this, so please forgive my lack of protocol if I am doing this incorrectly. I would be interested in buying a ticket to see Stephen King at George Mason if you decide not to attend. I live in NY and would make the drive to attend. I missed the opportunity to obtain a ticket online this morning. Thank you.
Sincerely,
L. Rera

ucfgrad93 · 08-15-2011, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PG4003

I'm so excited, I got tickets to see Stephen King at the Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia

I'm so thrilled!! He's to be presented an award, and I got tickets for that. (No charge). But I felt a little disappointed, the announcement I had received said tickets would be available for a presentation/book signing for Stephen King but then after I got the tickets, then they say that there will be a raffle held from all ticket holders for only certain ones to attend the book signing

Even more frustrating, they will snail mail the tickets to the presentation, and then IF you are one of the winners of the raffle, they will snail mail you that ticket. No notifications or anything. No timeline given as to when they will do all of this. Has anybody ever attended a function like this? This is my first time and I don't know what to expect. This is a 6 hour trip for me and I'm not real sure I want to go if I don't get to attend the book signing

Anybody have any experience with anything like this?

Good luck, I hope you win the raffle to see him. King is one of my favorite authors.

snape · 08-15-2011, 11:50 PM

You're going to have a great time! I went to see Stephen King when he was in town several years ago, and it was fantastic. He read from Lisey's Story (his most recent work at the time), talked about how he comes up with story ideas, cracked jokes when he told the audience that his macabre imagination made raising teenagers more of a nightmare than it should have been, and was just generally an affable, interesting guy. He's the only author I've even gone to see, but it was well worth it. Wish he was coming back this way again.

At that event, there was a raffle/lottery sort of arrangement for the book signing, and for the actual signing they just had him sign books in the back and then the lottery "winners" received a signed book. They didn't get to see King in person and they were only able to receive a copy of Lisey's Story, not provide a different book to be signed. I thought he was going to be at the reception afterwards but he wasn't, which turned out to be fine--it would have been a zoo. Even so, I plunked down a good bit of money to see him then and I'd do it again without hesitation.

Just my opinion, of course...

Giggleton · 08-16-2011, 01:42 AM

Interesting, we seem to acknowledge our artists existence when it comes to compensating them monetarily for their work, but the thought of replacing our imagined personas for their "actual" personas gives us pause. What if our imagined personas for all artists includes the idea that copyright is obsolete?

HansTWN · 08-16-2011, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Interesting, we seem to acknowledge our artists existence when it comes to compensating them monetarily for their work, but the thought of replacing our imagined personas for their "actual" personas gives us pause. What if our imagined personas for all artists includes the idea that copyright is obsolete?

What if you finally fixed that broken record?

Barty · 08-16-2011, 02:18 AM

I think if there's one author who is "safe" to meet in person, it's King. He seems like a regular, unpretentious guy

Of course he did imagine a fan who chops his foot off, so avoid sudden movement when you approach him.

kacir · 08-16-2011, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PG4003

... then they say that there will be a raffle held from all ticket holders for only certain ones to attend the book signing

From what I have heard there is no such thing [anymore] as Mr. King sitting behind the table in a book shop with a long queue of people bringing books to have them signed.
He sells pre-signed books (for significantly more than they cost un-signed). In your case it might be that he won't be selling those but a raffle would select who receives signed book.
If you think about it, when a relatively unknown author comes to a store to do a book signing, relatively few people would show up. If Stephen King announced that he would be signing books somewhere, the queue would be miles and miles long.

I might be wrong ...
I *hope* I am wrong ...

jkeene · 08-16-2011, 10:39 AM

Some years ago my wife had a chance meeting with him in an airport. She's reading one of his books, and a guy walks past, asks if it's a good book. She replies, "It's Stephen King, he's always a good read." The guy thanks her, and keeps going.

About half an hour later she realized who it was.

08-15-2011, 05:25 PM	#1
PG4003 Addict Posts: 381 Karma: 987250 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Kentucky Device: Kindle PW I & II, Kindle Voyage, Fire HD 7", Fire HD 8.9"	Going to see Stephen King!! I'm so excited, I got tickets to see Stephen King at the Fall for the Book Festival at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia I'm so thrilled!! He's to be presented an award, and I got tickets for that. (No charge). But I felt a little disappointed, the announcement I had received said tickets would be available for a presentation/book signing for Stephen King but then after I got the tickets, then they say that there will be a raffle held from all ticket holders for only certain ones to attend the book signing Even more frustrating, they will snail mail the tickets to the presentation, and then IF you are one of the winners of the raffle, they will snail mail you that ticket. No notifications or anything. No timeline given as to when they will do all of this. Has anybody ever attended a function like this? This is my first time and I don't know what to expect. This is a 6 hour trip for me and I'm not real sure I want to go if I don't get to attend the book signing Anybody have any experience with anything like this?

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08-15-2011, 05:40 PM	#2
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,359 Karma: 203720150 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Tell him we all said "hey!" I've never gone to see any of my favorite authors in person. I try to be as dumb about their "real life" personas as I possibly can. I don't want to take a chance on spoiling any of their future books by finding out they might be a-holes that I wouldn't give the time of day to on the street. I'm pretty sure that King wouldn't fall into that category but I'm too paranoid to take that chance. Take for instance, Neal Stephenson. I've heard he can be pretty snarky under the very best of circumstances. If he got crappy with me (or anyone around me) I'd take it out on his future books... I'm shallow like that. Anyway... cool if that's your thing, hope you have a blast!

08-15-2011, 05:49 PM	#3
PG4003 Addict Posts: 381 Karma: 987250 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Kentucky Device: Kindle PW I & II, Kindle Voyage, Fire HD 7", Fire HD 8.9"	LOL never thought of that aspect of it! I hope he's not snarky, that would ruin the persona for me too.

08-15-2011, 06:25 PM	#5
FatDog Witless protection Agent Posts: 290 Karma: 1002898 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	King used to go to pick-up basketball games and let students come over near the university where he lived to hang out at his house. But one day his new wife came out of the shower to find a stranger in their house and it kind of freaked her out. (If Ms King is freaked - run). So he had to increase his personal security a bit. But to all accounts he is a pretty lay-back guy.

08-15-2011, 10:00 PM	#8
lrera Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2011 Device: Kindle	Dear PG4003 (Patricia) I am new to this, so please forgive my lack of protocol if I am doing this incorrectly. I would be interested in buying a ticket to see Stephen King at George Mason if you decide not to attend. I live in NY and would make the drive to attend. I missed the opportunity to obtain a ticket online this morning. Thank you. Sincerely, L. Rera

08-15-2011, 11:50 PM	#10
snape Language Lover Posts: 111 Karma: 71544 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Current: PRS-350, Kindle PW // Previous: PRS-505, Kindle 1, Kindle 2	You're going to have a great time! I went to see Stephen King when he was in town several years ago, and it was fantastic. He read from Lisey's Story (his most recent work at the time), talked about how he comes up with story ideas, cracked jokes when he told the audience that his macabre imagination made raising teenagers more of a nightmare than it should have been, and was just generally an affable, interesting guy. He's the only author I've even gone to see, but it was well worth it. Wish he was coming back this way again. At that event, there was a raffle/lottery sort of arrangement for the book signing, and for the actual signing they just had him sign books in the back and then the lottery "winners" received a signed book. They didn't get to see King in person and they were only able to receive a copy of Lisey's Story, not provide a different book to be signed. I thought he was going to be at the reception afterwards but he wasn't, which turned out to be fine--it would have been a zoo. Even so, I plunked down a good bit of money to see him then and I'd do it again without hesitation. Just my opinion, of course...

08-16-2011, 01:42 AM	#11
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	Interesting, we seem to acknowledge our artists existence when it comes to compensating them monetarily for their work, but the thought of replacing our imagined personas for their "actual" personas gives us pause. What if our imagined personas for all artists includes the idea that copyright is obsolete?

08-16-2011, 02:18 AM	#13
Barty doofus Posts: 2,543 Karma: 13089041 Join Date: Sep 2010 Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kindle Voyage	I think if there's one author who is "safe" to meet in person, it's King. He seems like a regular, unpretentious guy Of course he did imagine a fan who chops his foot off, so avoid sudden movement when you approach him.

08-16-2011, 10:39 AM	#15
jkeene Connoisseur Posts: 83 Karma: 85586 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Kindle 3	Some years ago my wife had a chance meeting with him in an airport. She's reading one of his books, and a guy walks past, asks if it's a good book. She replies, "It's Stephen King, he's always a good read." The guy thanks her, and keeps going. About half an hour later she realized who it was.

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