Well, I met the woman who wrote Longitude and Galileo's Daughter (Dava Sobel). She also has another book called The Planets. You can see why I went to see the talk. To think my own Grand Tour of the Solar System is still stalled at Mercury (but oh, what I have in store for you on the Moon!!)

Reading Longitude has been on my list of things to do forever (I remember when it trickled through the family), and of course I love the history of science (i.e., my obsession with the River Rhine I, II, III, IV, V after reading the book The Rhine: An Eco-Biography.)
I've been especially interested in Galileo's relationship with the Catholic Church of late, because I've been reading "What's So Great About Christianity?". Which is a topic for another entry, but you should read it!
It made me think about what being an author would be like. I'd imagine you'd go to these book signings and meet all of these strange people and they'd tell you all sorts of things about themselves... maybe things they don't usually tell anyone, about their hopes and dreams, about their secret interests, their goals for the future and intense inner ponderings.... why do they tell you?

I think it's because when you read a book, like they say... the author provides half of the book, the story, and (even if it isn't about him) a kind of deep insight into the workings of his mind. Then you, the reader, must rise to the occasion and provide the other half of the experience. This is why the same good book is completely different to everyone who reads it, because each person's internal resonances are different, shaped by their different life stories. So when you meet the author of a book that has profoundly touched your life or ignited your passion for a subject, that person has come into your life so personally, has sat with you in your room for hours on end, has literally shaped the person that you are... that you feel like you can share with him that inner chord that he managed to strike with such a compelling and harmonious note. And that moment, that meeting, is so very important. It would be so easy to kill it with impatience or carelessness, and the impact on the earnest reader would be devastating.

That's why, if I were ever an author, my primary goal at a book signing would be to be extremely kind to everyone there, like Sava Sobel was to everyone tonight. And even if people had to wait in line forever, they wouldn't mind in the end, because they'd appreciate the slow and measured way that I would by necessity greet the many other halves of my story. And I'd hope that some day, I would talk to someone at a book signing, and when they left the room they'd go running back to their library or laboratory or office set alight with ideas and excitement for the future, just as I have tonight.

I even told her about my nutang and how I love to write about science here. I don't tell anyone about my nutang! Why did I do that?

Anyway, I don't think she'll find it...
I think perhaps the only thing she'll remember about me is the pseudonym "zanzibar". But perhaps in a way zanzibar is more truly me than anything.

And zanzibar has half of many stories left to tell you.

I love my username.
middaymoon suits me so well. Plus it's not very widely used, so it can be all mine! Maybe that's the best kind.

Being an author would change my life. I'd have so many friends. What a weird relationship, though, right?
» middaymoon on 2008-02-20 09:44:34

That would be awesome!
What song was it? And nice choice of verbs. Serenading at me. Good job.
» middaymoon on 2008-02-20 11:22:50

Ahh
Thanks much for the references...I'll check them out in a bit and add them to my growing list of random stuff to do when I'm bored.

Ah, since we're speaking of usernames...mine was made long ago in 8th grade. I don't know what compelled me to pick "the muffin man", of all things....but I have a suspicion it might have been inspired from Gingy's first line in the original Shrek: "Do you know the muffin man?" he asks Prince Whatshisname. It must've stuck....

It'd be nifty if Dava Sobel showed up on Nutang. I think you can dibs giving her an invite code....
» Muffy (67.161.123.81) on 2008-02-21 12:22:44

I'm tempted to correct your grammar.
But I'd hate to make you any more upset with me after the whole "ode to ikimama" fiasco..

I agree about the role of the reader/writer in a good book.
» Dilated on 2008-02-21 09:45:09

I graduate
2010.
» middaymoon on 2008-02-21 04:45:30

Not very likely to happen.
But that would be pretty cool. Actually meeting someone you only know through a blog community. What a rush.
» middaymoon on 2008-02-21 07:17:32

Thanks for the kind words..though there is really nothing I can do about it but just stay focused on my art. I am glad you like it!

Johnna
» Art4TheHomeless on 2008-02-21 09:48:51

commas and periods go inside quotation marks.


» Dilated on 2008-02-21 09:59:57

NOTHING ABOUT ZANZIBAR IS UGLY! TAKE THAT BACK OR ELSE!
» Dilated on 2008-02-21 11:07:58

that would be really cool if she were to get a nutang account. and all the credit would go to you =]

re: if I didn't have to be on my feet constantly at work, this would most likely heal a lot faster than it is. but since money is a key to living, I deal with the longer heal time. yes, Hayden is in Jumper and speaking of "Vantage Point" a commercial about it is on right now lol. it looks interesting.
haha, it's completely random. I was thinking about how many guys I had kissed and of those how many I had slept with. of the 21 guys I've kissed, I've only slept with 9. to narrow it a little farther, 3 of those 9 I only slept with once. go figure that random thinking would lead me there. lol
» LostSoul13 on 2008-02-21 11:13:08

Re:
Well I did not see anyone blogging about only sleeping for 2 hours a day, but certainly that would be very very very unhealthy. Not sleeping enough hours would cause brain damage. On a short term, it wouldn't do much, but as time pass, the person's behavior would likely change. (Just observe any mother of a new-born.) =P
» Bullet on 2008-02-21 11:50:02

Btw, the croc hunter, Steve Irwin, was also my hero. =3
I was so sad when I found out he died.
» Bullet on 2008-02-21 11:51:28

Lol
Once you have kids you'll find out what a booster seat is. :)
» Princess_00 on 2008-02-22 12:02:39

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