Despite the frantic pace of the California leg of my book tour, and the cold which oh-so-conviently gripped me right before I came down here, I am enjoying my 15 minutes of fame. My reading at the venerable Black Oak Books last night was quite the good time, especially because 30 or so people showed up - the biggest turnout since my book launch party!

I also was extremely fond of the blurb that Black Oak Books put for my book on their Events page. I'll quote my favorite part here.

"By recasting her story as fiction, Rebecca Agiewich has created a fascinating admixture of autobiographical sincerity leavened with self-conscious, almost camp irony, a cri du coeur that peers over its own shoulder with a note of smiling post-modern glee, an honest novel of heartbreak and disappointment that is also the story of its own strange transformation from confession to literary confection."

I don't know what it means exactly, but it sure sounds good!

Besides the friendly staff, the great turnout, and the blurb that makes my book sound really fancy, I was also quite excited when - hanging around nervously before my event - I saw Frances McDormand walking out of the store. There is nothing more I love than a good celebrity sighting! I rushed back in and asked if she had bought my book (which she would then give to the Coen Brothers to turn into a darkly humorous cri de coeur looking over its shoulder or something) but no such luck.

I also appreciate this comment from Cristin, which you can see in the Comments section of the last entry, but which I thought I'd post for you here. Cristin notes a couple of the more "colorful" characters who were at the reading.

Just thought I would drop you a line to say you did a great reading in Berkeley tonight ( was was the girl who briefly mentioned to you I never comment on your blog - first time for everything eh?). My friend and I both thought you were very well spoken (but of course!), which is hard with a homeless person walking back in forth in front of you in the middle of your talk. Oh, and the guy who didn't know about blogging? He stores his chewing gum behind his ear as we in the audience were priveleged to witness.Great talk though!

Then at the crack of dawn, I hauled myself to San Francisco to be on CBS's "Weekend Early Edition," where I yukked it up with the anchors surprisingly well - considering it was 8 a.m., I was sick, and had had only fours hours of sleep, AND they didn't give me the questions beforehand. Usually for these 4-minute live TV dealies they at give you the list of questions a few minutes beforehand if you ask for them, but despite asking repeatedly this time, I did not get them. I thought about throwing a tantrum then thought better of it. In the end, I my level of witty banter was good. Ah yes, Xanax, thou art holy.

Signing off from the sunny South Bay,
love,
BB