I was getting all ready to go to the Miami Book Fair this weekend, but just realized that it starts Monday and the big weekend is November 19-20. Next weekend. So I have plenty of time to get ready and plan my strategy.
Many years ago I attended the MBF with my husband and baby daughter--she was about a month old. We went to see Dave Barry. I remember he talked a lot about Robert Bork, who had been nominated for the Supreme Court, and Dave being who he is, there were a lot of jokes about the nominee's name. Dave was funny and the audience was laughing a lot, I was laughing, Tocci was laughing. Later that day, after we returned home, I was changing the baby's diaper and she laughed for the first time in her life. I have always given Dave some credit for that first laugh.
Last year I went by myself and was somewhat overwhelmed by the excitement of it all. But I did see Gene Weingarten and Gina Barreca, along with Andy Borowitz. It was well worth the trip, just for that one program.
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I took my 12-year-old daughter to the National Book Fair this year on the mall and it was one of the best experiences of my life. To see her so excited to meet a favorite author (to HAVE a favorite author), Meg Cabot, was just wonderful.
And Cabot (who writes the Princess Diaries books, among other series for tweens and teens) was hilarious. Like watching a stand-up comic.
I think seeing Gene and Gina would have made it a perfect day. We did, however, catch a glimpse of Tom Wolfe and his famous white suit. We saw John Irving and Neil Gaiman. We listened to Sharon Creech and John Feinstein.
The best part: it was the same day as the big "Cindy Sheehan" anti-war protest in town. As we got off the escalator coming out of the Smithsonian Metro, there were volunteers pointing, "Book Fair this way; protest that way" and the crowd parted. Lots of people did both (we wanted to but didn't get a chance). But at the end of the day, the book folks and the protest folks met up again for the ride home.
A good time was had by all.
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