Tom Wolfe & Me

The book-signing line for Tom Wolfe was so long that I had to leave it before getting anywhere close to the man in white (in order to make John Irving's presentation).

Later in the day, it was Tom Wolf's turn to speak. Again, it was so crowded that the closest I could get was five rows away.

It was some minutes later, as I walked along the green, that I just happened to run into him. Wolf was hard to miss in his white suit and shoes. He began a live interview on C-Span's Book TV. I stood and watched, snapping a few photographs. A crowd collected, but I remained in front.

In fact, if you go to the story on the book fest in The Washington Post you'll find a picture of the interview. I was right behind the interviewer. In fact, several times Tom looked at me as he spoke.

After the interview, my A Man in Full was in full view. Before the "guards" could stop him, he had my book and pen.

I now have a pen Tom Wolfe used to write with. And a signed book to boot.

I asked him, "Are you and John Irving going out for drinks after this?"

He looked at me with a big smile. "The literary world we live in ..."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/24/AR2005092401715.html?referrer=email&referrer=email