Holy hell, y’all. I met Libba Bray today. It was awesome. She signed my book. I’m kvelling. I am acting so damn insufferable because I am so damn excited.
Speechless.
She came to my library to talk about The Diviners, a book of hers I have already thoroughly gushed about. I’ve seen Libba speak before, but it was for a crowd of librarians. Don’t get me wrong, that crowd was absolutely fascinated with her. She described all the research she did for The Diviners and I was so enthralled, I had to read it right away. While she talked about her research this evening, as well, I really enjoyed the way she talked to our library’s teens. She answered questions about her writing style, NaNoWriMo (which she’s never participated in, but thinks it’s a good way for people to write without censoring themselves), the zombie apocalypse (she said she’d be zombie food), and what superhero power she’d give to Barack Obama (the ability to deal with Republicans). She gave equal attention to the serious and silly questions and was absolutely charming.
Libba discussed some really personal and intimate aspects of past, so personal that I would feel positively creepy sharing them here. It was so quiet as she talked about these things. The teens were totally captivated. I had chills. All I could think was, I’m glad she saying all this. Teens need to hear it. They need to know that sometimes things are just fucking awful, but hard times end. Things can get better. On top of being an incredibly talented author, she’s just a damn good role model. I wish we could steal her for a while in the Youth Wing. Libba would make a kick ass teen librarian. I adore the way she talks to them.
I got to talk to her twice during the night and I’m still blabbing about it. She’s just the jam. I wore a purple sort of 20s style bobbed wig, but she asked to see my pink hair and of course I had to oblige. So that’s why my hair looks so ratchet in the picture. I have smushy freaky wig-hair. So don’t judge. When it was time to take the picture, she said, “You want to act like zombies?”
Um. OK. Yes please.
DO YOU NOT JUST LOVE HER TO PIECES?!?!
Also, she was wearing super cute pink sparkly sneakers.
Damn straight I took a picture of our shoes.
In conclusion, I love the hell out of her. If you haven’t read The Diviners yet, I’m not sure you and I have anything to talk about. Get reading.
~Love and Libraries, Ingrid
P.S. Full disclosure: I didn’t organize this event; I was just a humble participant. I set up a little fortune telling station at the party. I had a crystal ball and I told the teens that I was in contact with my spirit guide, Reginald, who speaks to me from the other side. I would say things like, “Beware overly dramatic people” and “You have a complicated relationship with your family” and the teens would get all astonished. GUYS. You’re teenagers. You’re all around drama queens and have complicated relationships with your parents, just so you know. I love you anyway. Go read a book.
Thanks for sharing this! Me love Libba longtime. I would love to see her speak sometime. I stalked her at a Maureen Johnson event once and fangirled all over her — but not quite as exquisitely as you did here!
I should teach a seminar on YA author stalking.
I would attend the crap out of that.
Always glad to see yet another member of the Cult of Libba. She is an angel baby from heaven and an amazeballs writer to boot. Also share your lurve of the Diviners: http://www.readingrants.org/2012/05/15/the-diviners-by-libba-bray/
Let’s co-stalk!! I love it!
She means, it, right? She totes mcgoats wants to be bffs with me, RIGHT?
Love that there are other people out there who would be fangirling at an author signing. Also, supercute shoes! And now I have to add the book to my reading list (which is embarassingly long), but it has now jumped to the top.
Oh, great! I think/hope you’ll love it!