Bookseller Fantasy Life

This morning I had a discussion with a customer, sharing our mutual love for Wait, Wait.. Don’t Tell Me.  This segued into This American Life love, and she admitted that she’s always thought she could be good friends with Ira Glass and has imagined going for coffee with him.

I know exactly what she’s talking about.  There are some authors where I would love to hear them speak, but would be too intimidated to have a conversation with them.  There are some authors, I don’t even want to know what they look like.  I want to keep my relationship with them strictly to the books.  And there are some, I want to go to a party at their house.

My favorite fantasy author relationship is with Sarah Vowell.  My favorite book of hers is Assassination Vacation, but I love all of them (yes, even Radio On).  But everything that she’s involved with just makes me love her more.  This American Life, she’s a McSweeney’s person, The Incredibles…  and the video essay she has on the DVD extras is adorable and fantastic.  Every time she’s on The Daily Show, she’s hilarious and shares my political views exactly.  The people she has doing the audio book for Assassination Vacation reveals my intense rolodex envy…  Jon Stewart, Daniel Handler, Catherine Keener, Conan, and on…

A couple years back, I remember reading Nick Hornby (I think it was in one of The Believer “Stuff I’ve Been Reading” columns) saying he had been to a party at Violet Incredible’s house.  Could you imagine being at a party with Nick Hornby and Sarah Vowell?  And she knows the Daily Show people, so maybe Jon Stewart would show up, or even John Hodgman… could they possibly bring Demetri Martin along?  She works on This American Life, so would Ira Glass come to the party?  Maybe he would bring Peter Sagal with him… they must know each other, right?  That imaginary party would be the best party ever.  And you know she’d have killer music.

So, um, Sarah, if you’re listening and you don’t think I’m a stalker, give me a call sometime…  I could even show you the Island’s awesome Civil War statue… no exaggeration, it has 4 plaques on it.  The fourth plaque is explaining all the other plaques.  You would love it.