I'm glad to have vindication in the comments section on how awful that Sarah Vowell/David Rackoff Q&A was. In honor of the occasion, I'd like to present my second worst Q&A experience. The author was Kay Redfield Jamison, who wrote the excellent book An Unquiet Mind, among others. I went with some friends to see her read from her latest book, Exuberance, which was about people whose lives are marked by their energy and fervor--people who are the opposite of depressed, and are full of a lust for life. Teddy Roosevelt is the first one who comes to mind. (Some of you out there might be familiar with my "Men of Appetite" theory, which I won't go into in too much detail.)
I was at this reading at the Boston Public Library with some friends (if anyone remembers who or was with me, please remind me). The talk was fine and the reading was lovely, and then the Q&A started. This was a while ago, so only two questions really stand out in my mind. The first was a man who was clearly mentally disabled in some way. He started speaking about a topic that didn't really relate to her subject at all (how music appeals to people and improves their mood) and spoke at length, somewhat unintelligably, and without asking a question. To be honest, this wasn't that bad--the guy was doing his best, even if he was clearly off topic. But he didn't stop. Jameson handled it very well, though--after about three or four minutes, she interrupted him politely and then spoke briefly about her topic, tying in what he had talked about--music and art and the exuberant temperament.
But the next question was my favorite, though I don't remember the question at all. I just remember the speaker, leaning forward and saying in a lecturer's projecting voice: "Well, as an artist and a clairvoyant, I feel...."
Again, it was a lovely talk. I don't remember the last ten minutes.
Off to class!
No comments:
Post a Comment