Nick Hornby, Naked

“Tomorrow morning, a hand full of middle-aged men would be regretting that they had gone to bed much too late.”

- Nick Hornby from Juliet, Naked

About one week ago I was looking for something new to read and noticed that the new Nick Hornby book was about to hit stands. So on my Kindle DX I decided to try out the whole advanced order thing. The Kindle is supposed to download the book auto-magically the morning that the book release happens. If you are a fanatically fast reader then you could have consumed it before the typical 10am rush to pick the book up at a Barnes and Noble. I however, was not in a rush.

Jumping ahead: Yesterday morning I was thinking about how I was enjoying the book and googled Nick Hornby to see if I was remembering a story correctly. Within a few clicks on was on his website where, to my surprise, I realized that he would be a few miles away in the bookstore Politics and Prose right here in town. So right after work I threw on the ipod, grabbed my satchel bag and hit the metro.

For the next fourty minutes with a train change I was able to devour a few more chapters of Juliet, Naked, reminding me about why I enjoy his books.

One mile walk later after my final metro destination I was sitting just a couple of rows away from the front of the podium. The room was filling quickly and we had another 40 minutes of waiting to do. I strategically placed myself on the side of the room with two doors and an office. I figured he would walk into the room from that corn if he shows up at all!

Lo and behold, about ten minutes before the beginning of the talk I noticed he was standing in the glass window of the room adjacent to me chatting with the bookstore event hosts. How fun.

The time with Nick started off with him updating everyone on his recent efforts and then he dove right into reading two excerpts from his book. The first was from a bit I had already read and I found it very interesting that he audibly “performed” his characters by taking on a different persona when each one spoke. It reminded me of my mother reading a children's book to some kids in her old classroom. The second piece was from a bit I had not yet read and frankly I didn't want to spoil it so in classic guy-style I willed myself into a mentally vegetative state so I would be sure and not retain any of what he read at that point... totally worked!

After the reading they setup two microphones and streams of people lined up to ask all manner of questions. All I can say is that he was quite a patient and down to earth man. One person who prefaced his question with a very articulately accurate and eloquently detailed history of the forgotten industrial working class in England asked "Who, in fact, are your books audience?" As I turned my eyes to Nick Hornby, his eyes went from wide-eyed near-panic to smiling and he said "Thank you for that!" I think he too was wondering where the mans dissertation was going and if he would be ready to speak to the question at all! Funny stuff.

After the lecture he was supposed to sign books, or butts or foreheads or whatever and so I quickly re-purchased my favorite book of his, “How To Be Good” rather than have him sign my Kindle... or my butt.

In line I had the pleasure of meeting quite a few other Nick Hornby fans where we exchanged notes on favorite NH characters and stories as well as other authors and books. The 30+ minutes in line went quickly being surrounded with well-read and well-mannered people with apt social skills and a desire to tell their personal stories.

When it was my opportunity I handed him my book and said, “I... your book... so much...in the one with the.... and YOU!....thank you!”

Just kidding. I didn't fumble my way through it. I had a chance to say hello and thank him for his books and tell him how I liked them and ask him if he ever went skydiving. OK, not that last question, but we did speak briefly and it was a pretty fun experience.