Double Signing Day: Patrick Rothfuss and the NYC Teen Author Festival

16 Mar

Patrick Rothfuss Signing 2NYC Teen Author Festival 2

Last night, I succeeded in doing the impossible: I made it to two book signings, in two different nyc boroughs at the exact same time. Obviously I don’t have a clone, so it wasn’t literally at the same time. But thanks to one event starting early, I ended my night with six books signed by some of my favorite authors.

My evening started with Patrick Rothfuss at Barnes and Noble in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Fans were allowed to line up at 4pm for the 7pm signing. So by the time I arrived at 5, there were already about 70 people in line! The store was way too small for a signing of this size. I ended up having to wait outside in the cold for about an hour because there wasn’t any standing room left in the store.

A signing table for Patrick was set up in the magazine section. Space was so limited, and the crowd so large, that Pat’s reading and Q&A was cancelled. Someone failed event planning 101, but I didn’t let that ruin my night. Which was good, because despite the weather outside, I ended up meeting some awesome fellow book lovers in line!

Around 6pm, the guy behind me pointed across the street. “Look” he said, “there’s Patrick!”. I looked up, and there he was, getting out of a cab. He’s pretty hard to miss. I couldn’t resist snapping a “spy photo” with my iPhone:
Patrick Rothfuss Signing 1

After chatting with a friend, Pat noticed us, and started waving and taking photos of the crowd. He stopped to grab some dinner, but came back over around 6:30 to chat with some fans, and tell us he was going to start signing early. I waited for what seemed like forever, chatting with my new friends as the line slowly snaked into the store, and around the magazine section. We joked about cliches in fiction, and our favorite nerdy movies.

Finally, it was my turn. I panicked, and ran to Pat’s assistant with my camera. When I approached Pat, my mind went blank and I forgot everything I’d wanted to say. Which is hilarious, because as a photographer, I come into contact with celebrities all the time. And I can chat with them like they’re my best friend. In front of authors I like–I’m speechless. Pat signed my books, and I finally mumbled something about being so glad he finally made it to NYC after waiting for four years. And then we took this photo together:

Patrick Rothfuss Signing 3
At the time, I didn’t even realize what he’d done. Looking at it now, I think it pretty much sums up Pat’s goofy personality.

Patrick Rothfuss Signing 4

I said good bye to my new friends, and hauled ass to Manhattan for the Teen Author Panel at another Barnes and Noble, in Union Square. I made it just in time to hear the last few minutes of a reading, before the signing began.
NYC Teen Author Festival 3

NYC Teen Author Festival 1

Everyone was SO NICE. Seriously, it was like David Levithan pulled the nicest authors in YA aside and said he wanted to have a panel celebrating friendliness.
NYC Teen Author Festival 4
NYC Teen Author Festival 5
The panel of authors. My iPhone decided to partially blur their identities. ; )

David signed my books first, and I told him how I’d rushed there from another signing, and was crazy excited for Sunday’s mega-signing event. I got to chat with Gayle Forman about If I Stay (I bought it when it first came out, but haven’t read it yet! Yet my mother has. Go figure.) and whether or not Where She Went spoiled me. She was sad to hear the description did, but I told her it was ok.

Hands down the best conversation I had was with Holly Black. I remove all my book covers when I carry them around, so that they aren’t damaged. So when I approached her, she saw the book in my hands, and asked what it was because she didn’t recognize it. I told her it was Red Glove, and she freaked out! (She hadn’t seen it without a cover on yet.) I told her how I found it at Strand last week, thanks to someone selling back a review copy. I was so excited I forgot to tell her how much I loved it, and that the Curse Worker books have become one of my new favorite series. She seemed really happy to see it, and said I had the very first copy she’s signed! She even drew me a cute little cat “speaking” what she’d said:

NYC Teen Author Festival 6
Red Glove is now officially the coolest signed book I own.

I’m so glad I made it in time to attend the first event of the 2011 Teen Author Festival! I never thought I’d be able to make it to two events in one night, and see so many authors I love. Thanks to all the authors for being so awesome!

If you have a chance to check out any of the other Teen Author Fest events, go! You can find the full list here.

My other signed books:
NYC Teen Author Festival 7

NYC Teen Author Festival 8

Patrick Rothfuss Signing 5
I got my copy of The Name of the Wind signed too, but it pretty much looks exactly like this one.

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4 Responses to “Double Signing Day: Patrick Rothfuss and the NYC Teen Author Festival”

  1. Midnyte Reader March 16, 2011 at 2:46 PM #

    Nice, nice…very nice! I’m so glad you got to make it to both signings. You had a great night. There I am in the first row…I really need to improve my posture! : (

    • Bookshelf Lust March 16, 2011 at 2:49 PM #

      Thank you! It was definitely an amazing night. How funny that I snapped a photo of you, but didn’t even realize it! Are you going on Sunday? If so I will look out for you again then.

  2. Redhead March 17, 2011 at 7:11 PM #

    re: the Patrick Rothfuss signing, I am as happy for you as I am envious. that photo of you and Patrick, he looks like a kitten looking up at you, it’s so squeee cute!

  3. laurafromNY March 18, 2011 at 6:20 PM #

    Hi! I was there at this book signing for Patrick Rothfuss too! I was the first person, (thanks to my brother). When I met Pat, everything I planned to comment and ask him vanished from my head too and my voice went small! He’s such a nice guy though, but I am in shock here…where was his assistant to take a picture with us!? (My brother snapped a photo of Pat signing my books though), but I love your photo!

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