Alana and Alex came with me to 192 Books to hear Tobias Wolff read.
He read the exact same stories as he did the night before, but his inflections were different, and I actually liked the talking dog story much more, the second time around.
I sat so close to him, I thought I'd need a paper bag. Alex and Alana encouraged me to ask my question. I felt like a schoolgirl, which I guess I am. I asked him if he enjoyed the process of writing. I guess I wanted to hear him say that he dreaded it, avoided it, ran from it, and his nights were sleepless, but in the end, nothing gave him the same kind of satisfaction as when the pieces of a story finally come together. Instead, he mostly said that the first draft gives him tons of anxiety, but the pleasure comes from rewriting and revising.
He signed my book, but he accidentally dated it for the year 2009. Then he corrected the date and initialed it like an accountant or a lawyer. Now, I feel like I traveled through time with him.
After Tobias, we treated ourselves to amazing cupcakes and fresh oj at Billy's Bakery in the West Village.
