The biggest financial disaster since Lehman Brothers collapsed.
The opportunity to mingle with members of the reading public lost in the worst weather since Frnaklin’s fourth arctic expedition.
Okay, I’m out of metaphors.
Now some facts.
Sold two books, a “Most Outrageous” (to a comix world acquaintance) and a “Cheesesteak” (to a legal world one). I also bought two, a volume of poetry and a short story collection, which we turned out to already have. Two authors gave Adele and I books (one poetry, one prose), and we gave them each a “Best Ride.” (I also sold two over-sized match books, designed and illustrated by S. Clay Wilson for a bar in Chicago, and his special needs trust will get all of the proceeds there.)
To add to my instruction in humility, I was out-grossed by my table-mate, a 12-year-old. Her book is about a pumpkin, and she’d written it when she was 10.
Best Remarks Directed to Me by Non-Buyers:
1. “It looks like fun, but Steve wants me to go.”
2. “I wasn’t aware of this issue.”
3. “It’s been a pleasure.”
4. “Who knew that instigating disasters would be more profitable than liquidating them.”
5. “You have an interesting….”
“Oeuvre?”
“Right.”
6 “I was on the staff of the “Berkeley Barb.”
7. “I bought that,” indicating “Pirates and the Mouse.”
“What’d you think of it?”
“I haven’t read it.”
8. “Cool. Very cool.”
We left two hours early.
So many Bob Levins on the Internet; I'm the Bob Levin who writes.