There’s a novel, I can’t remember by whom (if it strikes a chord, please let me know, it’s driving me mad) about a literary agent who, late in life, starts receiving anonymous death threats. He wracks his brain wondering about their author, recalling all the writers, publishers and colleagues he might have wronged during his career, and the effort drives him round the bend.
I’ve just had one of those flashbacks.
Arriving late at the office, I had no sooner sat down in front of my terminal to summon up the nearest grape-laden flying baby, than my colleague (I shall refer to her only as Dr M. C. of Kingston-upon-Thames) descends with about 35,000 Nature bloggers, all of whom started taking pictures of these
Now I know what a holy relic feels like (no, please don’t kiss that. I said don’t, all right?).
I have to say it was odd seeing all these people, whom I feel I’ve got to know so well, actually in the flesh. This must be one of those very distinctive 21st-century problems of etiquette. I look forward to exploring such contemporary niceties later on, when the browsing and sluicing conference gets going in earnest.
Henry, that’s the price of being a living legend.
Dang it! I didn’t even lobby them to buy my book (although a Dr H. E. of Toulouse did invite me to sign a copy she’d bought already, which was kind of her. The purchase, and the signing).
You didn’t see the “I promise to give the bearer £20,000” note above where you signed, did you?
For the rest of you, I wanted to put up a photo of Henry writing this post, but Flickr won’t let it appear. They have some interesting filters.
Finally got to my computer on Sunday afternoon — great post Henry! You were the second-best highlight of the N tour. (The first was Charles showing us how he was making next week’s cover and contents pages – which you will admit is always star.)
I feel a bit silly, having read everyone’s blogs, live blogs, FriendFeeds and so on about the conference – I wrote stuff down with a pen onto paper. Call me old fashioned. I was also spending a lot of time in a state of trauma about the sessions I was helping with, which put blogging out of my mind, or rather what is left of it…maybe next year I’ll have got trendy enough.
Call me old fashioned
I wouldn’t dare, especially as I attribute my presence on Facebook, Google Reader, blogs and POD publishing entirely to you, Maxine, and because I hope that if I ask nicely you could show me how to use Friendfeed (I would have come to your session had I not been moderating one of my own).