Robin Agnew
If you have been reading my posts for awhile, you know I am a GIANT figure skating fan, so naturally I rushed to the downtown Borders here in Ann Arbor on Monday night for the privilege of waiting in line to meet Johnny Weir (6th at the 2010 Olympics, 3 time U.S. National Champ, World Medalist). I was interested on two levels. One was the fabulousness of sharing the same air space with Weir for a little while, the other was the actual mechanics of this particular book event.
For one thing, Borders is having many financial troubles, and the store feels a bit sparse, which is sad, because the downtown Ann Arbor store is store "No. 1." Borders was founded here. It used to be one of the greatest book stores on the planet, with the most incredible back list of any store I've ever been in. For another, when I arrived I couldn't find the book that Weir was supposed to be signing. I finally found an employee who told me they were upstairs, but I couldn't buy them there, no one was up there. It took me a minute to find the back area of the store where the signing was being held, but I did find the books and trotted back downstairs to purchase one.
Waiting to buy it was no different - perhaps actually LESS pleasant - than waiting in line at the post office, though the similarities were strong. The girl who waited on me was harried, had a microphone in her ear and persisted in trying to sell me on the Rewards program even after I declined. Book in hand, I returned upstairs, where the line was another story. It was full of skaters and skating fans - that was a fun group. The little girl behind me in line, probably all of 10, was training to be an ice dancer, and she'd brought a photo to give to Johnny. I noticed he signed her shirt as well (it had a skate on the front). She was so excited she could hardly speak.
While I love events at my own store, quite naturally, I have never had "talent" who couldn't find a parking place for their bus (thus he was a few minutes late). A few minutes before he arrived two guys in red shirts wheeled in a big, naugahyde covered something (I thought maybe Johnny was inside, the way Donna Summer used to emerge from a giant egg at her concerts), but no, it was a special podium Weir had brought with him.
The Borders folks had to eighty six the standard signing table they'd set up so Johnny's special podium - complete with photo of Johnny in high heels - could be set up. The guys who set it up were wearing identical red polo shirts. When I got close I could see they said "2011 National Book Tour" with the name of the book embroidered above that statement. That was a book event first!
Johnny arrived, megaphone in hand, fur hoodie on, and said (this was just a signing) that while he didn't usually talk at straight signings that he loved his megaphone so much he was going to say a few words. Then he got down to business. It was actually fun waiting in line, and when I finally got my book signed, managing to gush how much I'd enjoyed his Olympic performance, it seemed, well, magical. His signature is so big he had to sign on the end paper rather than the title page. Very Johnny!
Even better was when I found a friend in line who I joined for a catch up chat, and as were waiting a couple other figure skaters turned up - Tanith Belbin, Charlie White, and Evan Bates, all skaters who train or have trained in the area. If you cast your mind back you'll remember that at seperate Olympics Belbin and White both won silver medals in ice dance. I got a crap photo on my phone but it was all well worth it. I'm afraid Michael Koryta (our next event) has a lot to live up to! Mike, you better put in an order for the special polo shirts...
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