Jun. 28: “Eat, Cry, Shove”

Saturday night I went to a book reading by Pamela Ribon. It’s hard for me to know what and how much to say about the event, because if I say a lot then it’ll sound like I took notes the whole time (I didn’t). If I don’t say very much, then it will seem like it was a so-so reading and I didn’t enjoy it (I totally did). There’s a very slight chance that Pamela will read this, so I don’t want it to make her uncomfortable, y’know?

See, if you’ve read Why Girls Are Weird—and if you haven’t, why not? It’s hilarious and sweet and entertaining and makes reading fun!—you know that the main character ends up with a stalker-y kind of fan. I imagine Pamela herself has dealt with those to some degree, and that many of her non-creepy fans are worried about seeming like one of the creepy types. I would most certainly be part of that extra-cautious group.

I love her!

Well, I mean, she’s a very good writer and I enjoy her books a lot.

I don’t love love her.

I mean, she’s perfectly nice and all, but I don’t need to be her best friend or anything.

Although that would be cool.

Being best friends with a famous writer who is clever and quick and fun to hang with would be VERY cool.

Not that my real friends aren’t all those things.

Well, except the famous writer part.

Maybe if they applied themselves, they could be famous writers. I should suggest that to some of them. I’m sure they’d appreciate it. People always like being told what to do, right?

Anyway, I was talking about my new best friend, Pamela Ribon.

Oh gawd, she’s not my new best friend. I don’t think that. I didn’t say that. That stupid Stalker Tess has me all flustered and nervous. I just think Pamela is rockin’ awesome and I will totally read every little thing she writes. Did you know she wrote an article for oprah.com? I do, because I read it. You should too.

Alright, so at the reading in Bellingham this past Saturday night, Pamela read a chapter from Going In Circles, answered questions, and signed books. She was tremendously funny, and when a transient walked up to the podium and asked for a gift, she seemed only slightly rattled and then managed to get the audience roaring with her reaction. See? It’s just more awesome.

She announced that anyone who asked a question would get a gift. There were eight or so items wrapped and/or bagged, and she said they all had something to do with divorce and/or roller derby, which are the two primary topics of Going in Circles. Let’s see if I can remember the gifts:

• A pain reliever with a sleep aid
• Cash
• Wine
• Kleenex
• A big teddy bear
• Cat food

Dammit. I can’t remember what else there was. I’m sure there were more.

After the reading, Pamela signed books for the audience. I didn’t have any books for her to sign BECAUSE SHE ALREADY SENT ME HER BOOKS, ALL AUTOGRAPHED AND EVERYTHING. I might have mentioned that, like, eleventy times already. April took our picture together and Pamela asked us to sign a roller derby poster she had brought.

And that was that. It was thrilling to meet Pamela in person, fun to share the experience with my dear friend April, and totally worth the drive from Seattle and back.