BBH: Book Signings

This week’s question comes from The Coffee Addicted Writer himself, Billy, who asks:

Have you ever attended a book signing? If so, who was the author?

I have attended exactly ONE book signing in my life, which is a fact that I find a little odd…except that I have little tolerance for crowds, and if I am going to stand in a line, there should be food or a roller coaster at the other side.

So.

Only one.

It’s a great story, though. I went to an Alton Brown signing with my friend Brad one winter afternoon. I’m from Pittsburgh, so winter usually doesn’t faze me, but this day it was bitterly cold, so I had broken out my version of a Doctor Who scarf, which was a black and gold scarf that I had knitted, the size of which had gotten away from me. Before I realized exactly HOW long the scarf was, it was going on 10, 11 feet! But, again, Pittsburgh, the land of black and gold sports teams, so a giant black and gold scarf was SO on-brand for me.

(Also…Hufflepuff. But I digress.)

So, I am standing there in line, in my Black and Gold Columbia Jacket, with my absurdly long Black and Gold scarf. And when it was our turn, Alton looked up, saw the scarf, and panicked.

He seemed convinced that I would trip on the scarf and fall on the way to the table. Never mind that I hadn’t fallen in the line.

He jumped up, gestured for me to wait right where I was, ran over to me, gently lifted up my scarf, and walked with me to the signing table.

And, you know, signed my cookbook, and then remanded me and my very dangerous scarf back into the day.

This was at least 16 years ago, and that jacket and that scarf are still hanging in my foyer.

It was a good day.