Author Talks

[Peg Herring]

I'm headed to an author-talk luncheon today, an intriguing chance to hear what another writer has to say about writing. While good writers don't necessarily translate to good speakers, most know how to express themselves well when speaking about their craft. The last speaker I heard, Laura Lippman, was masterful, her subjects flowing smoothly from point to point so that the time flew by and I felt that I got a sense of her as a professional and as a person.

Liking an author doesn't mean that I will like the books he or she writes. Often at conventions I am impressed with the humor or sagacity of an author, buy a book, and find it disappointingly mediocre. Conversely, I've met a few authors I didn't respond well to whose writing I have to admit is pretty darned good. Still, it's fun to "meet" them and see the personality behind the talent. Authors are just like the rest of us: some are serious, some playful, some downright silly. We "strut and fret our hour upon the stage," as it were, but the thing about writing is, it's still around when we're long gone. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing, but there it is.