Pulled Over

So Sunday night I drove from my house to Hofstra. Aside from being stuck in traffic, I was doing really well up until I got to New York. I misinterpreted the directions and got off at the wrong exit, so I got a little stressed and called my dad and he tried to help me get where I needed to be. Unfortunately, while I was on the phone with him a cop pulled up behind me at a stoplight and consequently pulled me over.  I hung up on my dad and dropped the phone into my lap. Before I could really help it, my eyes teared up and my throat closed. The cop came over and told me that I was pulled over cause I was on the phone. I explained, or rather, tried to explain through my closed throat and shortened breath, that I was lost and I had had to call my dad so he could tell me where to go. Several times the cop told me to calm down and there was no need to get worked up. Haha, I was trying, really, but I couldn't help it. I wasn't full out crying, but it was pretty damn close. His partner came over and called him a softie cause he wasn't going to give me a ticket. And instead he explained what I had to do, and then told me to just follow him and he would show me how to get back on the Belt Pkwy. So I guess tears really do work on police officers, though it wasn't intentional, and I guess the fact that I had a legit reason to be on the phone kinda helped too. So I followed him, and even then was still trying to stop myself from crying, and from there finished out the rest of my directions without a problem. Thank you police officer.

Book Panel (an account)

Last night I went to a book panel that included authors who write in the genre of Post-Apocalyptic teen fiction, the four authors were Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series, Midnighters series, Peeps, Leviathan), Carrie Ryan (Forest of Hands and Teeth), James Dashner (Maze Runner), and Michael Grant (Gone series). I braved the subway alone for the first time, managed to fuck it up a bit, but ended up okay, it wasn't particularly scary or confusing (the reason I fucked up was because I couldn't hear or see out the window which station we were at and only realized how far wrong I had gone when I was in Queens...).

The event was in a Barnes and Noble on 86th and Lexington Ave. Now, this Barnes and Noble is probably the one of the most amazing bookstores I've ever walked in to, it was huge!! Even bigger than the Borders on 7th Ave outside Madison Square Garden. It was also all underground, when you go in the entrance you walk down this huge open staircase to the first level of the store. The Event space was in a room on lowest level of the store, in the back corner. I bought Leviathan and Maze Runner before heading down the stairs to the space, I ended up sitting in the front row, pretty much directly across from Scott Westerfeld (though his chair was on a raised stage thing). It was amazing. Before the event started, the authors were just talking to each other, and people they knew (other authors and editors) kept coming up and saying hi. I was just in awe. How much I wish that were me. Scott also looked up at one point and smiled at me when we accidentally made eye contact. 

The panel itself was pretty cool, each author talked about their new books and projects before there was a Q & A. Some of the questions were about their individual writing process (Michael Grant enjoys torturing his editors because he generally doesn't know what'll happen next, haha, he's writing a six book series. Oh, and he thinks that the idea that JKRowling planned out every book before she started is complete bull), about writing for teen readers, about why they started writing about a post-apocalyptic world (Scott said that it was sort of the perfect opportunity to act on teenage frustration at the world, parents and establishments, because how great would it be if you could just make that all disappear and start anew to start over? It was also interesting to explore the mentality. James made the point that unlike completely fantastical works (like Harry Potter), this could actually happen, which I thought was a bloody brilliant point, haha, maybe that's why it's so fascinating). 

A few other funny moments

- Carrie Ryan, giving an example of not really knowing what'll happen: "If I get all my characters up in a tree, and I don't know what to do next and how to get them out, I set the tree on fire"

- Scott Westerfeld, while showing a picture his illustrator used for inspiration (imagine a bicycle, with legs instead of wheels): "This is an [insert Italian words here], which is Italian for 'Totally Fucking Insane'"

After the panel was a book signing. Having sat in the front row of the middle section, I was the first in line to get my books signed :) First I got Scott Westerfeld to sign Leviathan, I very much wish I had my Midnighters books here with me so I could've brought them too. I also got a picture with him. When we were talking while he signed my book he asked me if I had read it yet (I haven't, haha), and then he asked me if we'd met before (sadly, we haven't), which was funny, and he also complimented my rainboots. Then I got my copy of Maze Runner signed by James Dashner. I got a fist bump from him because I told him that I bought his book after reading an excerpt online when I found out he'd be at the panel too, so that was amazing. We also talked about The Hunger Games and how crazy amazing it was, and how we couldn't believe the cliff-hanger ending in the sequel. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture with him, since I was the first in line I didn't want to hold up everyone behind me, and he was in the middle of the table instead on the end like Scott was (which is how I easily got a picture with him). He was really nice though, I was glad I got to talk to him :)

I'm hoping to find way more author events here, probably one of the most magnificent things about being close to the city.

Gunned

It's my second train, LIRR from Penn Station to Mineola. It's not too late. The train leaves at 9:25. I sit in the largest part of the car, close to the middle. A man of questionable sanity is causing a disturbance in the smaller compartment to the back. My headphones are on, I don't hear much. We reach our next station, the transfer hub that is Jamaica. A few officers stand outside the train. The man is gone from the train. The ticket collector is questioned. Halfway to our next destination we stop. My headphones are on, I don't hear much. We have to go backwards and be rerouted. A minute in the wrong direction, we stop again. Other trains pass on the right. Shots, heavy, loud popping sounds, and they're hitting the train. My headphones are on, I hear it perfectly. The windows across the aisle from my seat show the effects. Splatters of orange, starting from a center point and arranged in a messy circle. Everyone stares toward the disturbance, heads above the seats. My train car has just been hit with the workings of a paintball gun. I laugh.