I like the Festival of Books (belated debrief complete with pictures)

So (as it turns out), the L.A. Times puts on a mean not-so-little Festival of Books. The sun was shining, the palm trees were lovely and stereotypically sun-rustled, the UCLA campus was slammed with tens of thousands of bookish types, and the Target Children’s area was doing its best impression of an ant-farm. This was my first time participating, and I could have easily spent both days browsing and buying instead of what I actually did (work on my laptop and eat peanut M&Ms backstage).

A few remarks for the sake remarking . . .

1. Eric Carle (of The Very Hungry Caterpillar fame) is terrific. But he will not remember me, and he will not care. But I will remember him, and I will care.

2. Though we shared the catering table, Brooke Shields will not forget me, because I did not introduce myself. I just didn’t want to be that guy, eager to self-introduce, aware that he’ll be immediately forgotten. Better to remain unknown.

3. Needing some brain decompression, I hoofed it through Bel Air. Bel Aireans need to wake up and realize that CA has fabulous weather, and they have fabulous yards (and tennis courts and pools). I wandered thoughtfully from 10-11am on a glorious Saturday and saw only one man jogging. Not a soul in a yard, or pulling in or out of a driveway. Apparently they all also have fabulous wii consoles.

4. I did not hesitate to introduce myself to the good folks from the Disney Channel’s Choo-Choo Soul. Witness the evidence. All aboard, and Choo-Choo Baby. My kids were impressed.

5. Talking about a children’s novel to a large crowd of mobile picnicking types is not a simple task. A necessary increase in my exuberance resulted in the inhalation of an insect (or something insectish). See before and after shots (the after shot is only classified as an after shot because it looks as if I’m actually mid-inhalation). Still, I labored manfully on, and then scooted backstage before the coughing fit. More peanut M&Ms chased whatever it was the rest of the way down.

6. Thanks much to Target for bringing me to the sunshine (and for peddling my wares).

Cheers.