My friend J and I went to the Sarasota Festival of Reading to see Yann Martel speak about the illustrated edition of Life of Pi. I'll be writing more in depth about that soon, but meanwhile, here are some other bits from the festival.
Yann Martel was a headliner, but not the top headliner. That honor would go to CNN's Lou Dobbs and the actor Gene Wilder. (Martel was scheduled after Wilder and before Dobbs.)
Who knew Gene Wilder had so many fans? More than 1,200 people showed up to see him discuss his new novel, "My French Whore." I know it was that many because the volunteers told me that was the venue's capacity, and I watched them turn away many of his disappointed fans because the room was full. I'll say it again: Who knew?
The Dobbs scene was a circus. People wearing shirts and carrying signs that said "I love English," and "Illegal Aliens" with a red "bust" sign over it. Also peace protesters beating on drums and carrying signs that said, "No Person is Illegal," etc.
I brought my new digital camera, but I am no photojournalist. My photos of Yann Martel are pitiful. The best photos I took were of Lou Dobbs, who ended up talking to the people standing right next to me. (I did *not* chase him down for a photo. I'm not a Dobbs fan; I don't even have cable.)
So here's my mediocre photo of Lou Dobbs, for you spoonreader fans who are also avid celebrity watchers
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