Feeling Like A Literary Type

All hail the Scone Literary Long Weekend!  No, that was not a dire weather report, but my congratulations to the organisers of the event, and given its well reception, it just might become a regular feature on the calendar of my local area.  I attended a panel discussion, the theme of which was the future of the printed word, and the general consensus from the panellists was books won't become obsolete, but might become a niche item.  I won't be getting rid of my paperbacks etc, because I think nothing is more welcoming than the sight of a well-packed bookshelf in a house.  I was seated in the front row.  I took my seat, and some old chook patted the seat beside her and said she was saving it for her daughter-in-law.  I snarled I had no intention of sitting there, indeed I had been lowering my butt on a seat two spaces away.  I really hate people who do that.  It would invariably happen at school assemblies: I'd be looking for a seat, and someone would say about the empty seat beside him/her, 'There's someone sitting there!'  Next time, I'm going to say, 'You're a bit old for an imaginary friend, aren't you?'  I so dislike turkeys who do that.  But back to the discussion, one of the panellists was the venerable Phillip Addams, who as a prop held up one of his own books, being a collection of essays he'd written, and pointed out that books are also edible if one is facing starvation.  My inner smart-arse could not be quelled, and I called to him, 'Is that eating your own words?'  And judging from the expression on his face, Mr Addams found that somewhat amusing.  How many of you can say you've fired off a zinger at Phillip Addams?  Admittedly, it's never been on my bucket list to do so, but I can honestly say I have done this. 

Yesterday was an event involving local writers' groups, where we were invited to read our own works for five minutes.  After being introduced as  an 'accomplished author' (and inwardly preening like a peacock), I read the first two pages of 'Silver Studs and Sabre Teeth' (http://www.zeus-publications.com/silver_studs_and_sabre_teeth.htm) and actually got two books sold!  Count 'em, TWO!!!  My jubilation is because that's substantially more than I sold at the last author event I attended.

Sigh.  A woman is allegedly brutally murdered and dismembered by her spouse, who then kills himself, and certain press publications scream headlines about the 'She-Male Escort', feeding homophobia and bias against the LGBTIQ community, and forgetting that whatever her physiological make-up, and whatever her profession, she was the victim of a foul and vicious crime.  Saddened for her.  Saddened for her family.  Saddened for his family, too.  Disgusted at the Courier Mail.