Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 17:02:00 -0400
From: "Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu>
To: <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Tom Clancy & V. C. Andrews . . .
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net>

Keith Lynch, who is not happy with a certain Mr Clancy, wrote:
>"Michael Walsh" <MJW at mail.press.jhu.edu> wrote:
>
>> For those who subjected themselvesto the Tom Clancy signing at Olssons:
>> http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-
>dyn/admin/emailfriend?contentId=A530=
>> 78-2002Jul23&sent=yes

Oh the joys of long urls . . .
Try this:
 http://www.locusmag.com/AetherVibrations.html
Scroll down to third piece, Washington Post link there.

>That URL doesn't work.  (Yes, I know to delete the trailing equal
>sign and append the second line.)  Possibly the article has expired.
>I believe Washington Post articles are only online for two weeks.
>
>I did go to Thursday's signing, and I was appalled.  People stood in
>line outdoors in 95 degree heat without water for two hours or more.
>Tom Clancy arrived late, in a long black chauffeured limousine, and
>entered the store without apologizing and without pausing momentarily
>to be photographed.  Also, he gave no talk nor did he read from his
>works.

He's a star, you hoi polloi . . . <g>

>
>Only after he had been signing books for a while did the bookstore
>staff announce that he would only be signing his new book, _Red
>Rabbit_, which is only available in hardback.  It was also announced
>that he would do no personalization, but would only sign his name.

I would like to think this was a communication snafu, or more like the =
lack of communication.
Olsson's is not the sort of store that would keep this a secret.  They =
dislike having cranky customers who then might decide to spend their money =
at Borders, B&N, or Amazon.

OTOH, authors such as Neil Gaiman, Peter Hamilton, Clive Barker, John =
Keegam &  Colin Dexter have been unfailingly polite; almost painfully so.

In any event a polite note to either the manager of the store and/or one =
to Olsson's events coordinator.  Might be pissing in the wind, then again =
. . maybe not.

>
>I had brought all my Clancy books with me, all paperbacks, on which I
>had spent more than $150 over the years.  Although the store assured
>me when I phoned a week ago, that he would sign all of them, I thought
>there might be a three book limit.

A indication of a communication snafu . . .

>
>After I heard the announcement, I stayed in line, having already
>invested three hours.  I'd rather hear Clancy tell me himself than
>take the store's word for it.  And even if he won't sign anything, at
>least I'd be able to chat with him for 30 seconds or so.
>
>But I wasn't even allowed near him.  Not just because of the store
>staff.  He has personal bodyguards!

*snort*
"I'm important, you're not."

> I was made to feel very unwelcome.

>
>I wasn't the only one.  Several people had brought cameras, but could
>only get pictures of the backs of several people standing in front of
>the table he was behind.
>
>I had been looking forward to buying _Red Rabbit_ in paperback.  And
>all the other books he may write in the future.  But now, I think I'll
>just read them in the library instead.

Two things:
Googling on  alt.books.tom-clancy indicates that Clancy's (or someone =
doing a very good job over many years impersonating him online) email is =
tomclancy at aol.com .
Second, it appears that www.tomclancy.com is not taken.  Nor www.tomclancy.=
net .

mjw

>--
>Keith F. Lynch - kfl at keithlynch.net - http://keithlynch.net/
>I always welcome replies to my e-mail, postings, and web pages, but
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