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What If No One Laughs?
Saturday, October 01, 2005
I'm writing this from a hotel room in Rosemont, Illinois, better known as "that corporate office park right next to O'Hare International Airport," where I am attending the Great Lakes Booksellers Association fall trade show. As I've said, booksellers are almost as great as those crazy, over-the-top librarians, who treat authors like rock stars. Everyone has been incredibly nice and gracious about the book I'm here to promote. That would be my book, Marley & Me.
I spent most of the afternoon hanging out in the HarperCollins booth, signing books for passers-by. Nearly everyone wanted to take issue with the sub-title of my book: "Life and love with the world’s worst dog." They said they were fine with the life and love business, but they wanted to challenge me about Marley being the world's worst dog. He couldn't have been, they insisted, because their dogs are the worst. I'm learning there are two kinds of dog owners: those who brag about how good their animals are, and those who brag, somewhat perversely, about just how bad theirs are. And I was hearing from all the members of the Bad Dog Club. They made me feel right at home. I'll tell you what I told them. If you think your dog is worse than mine, prove it. Go to my website: http://www.marleyandme.com/ and click the "Share Your Stories" button at the top of the page. You'll be able to not only tell me just how woefully incorrigible your dog is, but post a picture of the rascal as well.
….
The main reason I was invited to the GLBA show was to give a reading from Marley & Me. I was one of three authors sharing a one-hour window on the reading stage. For my reading I picked Chapter 8 from the book, called "A Battle of Wills," which deals with Marley's ill-fated attempt at obedience school. Most people who have read the book point it out as one of the funnier chapters, and I think it is, too. But as I waited to go to the podium, I began getting cold feet. What if no one laughs? What if the whole room goes silent? What if it sinks like a pair of concrete slippers? Gulp. I was the second in the lineup. The first author, Rick Skwiot of St. Louis, read a lovely, serious excerpt from his book, "Christmas at Long Lake." The audience was quietly appreciative. Then it was my turn. Here goes nothing, I thought. Laugh, I pleaded silently, please laugh. I began, ready to bolt for the door if my writing earned the silent treatment. The audience laughed. They laughed after the second sentence and they kept laughing. They laughed a lot. Whew! Thank God; I didn’t have to flee the state, after all. Dang, it felt good. Part of it may have had to do with the fact that my audience had just come from an open-bar Happy Hour, so maybe the booze loosened them up. Hey, I’ll take it. They laughed, really laughed, and I’m officially relieved.
Thank you, booksellers!
posted by John Grogan at 8:48 PM
 
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