The Thunderbolt Kid aka Bill Bryson in Christchurch
February 22nd 2007 09:01
Hello everyone
Tonight I had the pleasure of spending an evening with Bill Bryson, although there were a good couple of hundred other people there so not as seedy as it sounds. Bill was here on a book tour to promote his latest book The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and to also have a few days vacation also, touring around the South Island.
He started off the evening by reading a passge from the Thunderbolt Kid about the delightful Milton family (page 99 onwards), Milton Milton snr and then there was Milton Milton jnr ( I sort of wondered if he had been taken by the double name major major from Catch 22?) Anyway it was a very funny reading but due to copyright infringement laws, you will just have to buy the book $29.95 from Whitcoulls.
Bill covered topics from when he grew up in the bright lights of De Moines to living in the States to then moving to the UK, back to the states before moving back to the UK in 2003.
When talking about his childhood, Bill talks with great affection about his parents and if I recall correctly, his mother is 93 and still able to sort him out if he gets out of line.
It was just nice to sit back and listen to the conversation between himself and the interviewer and the audience laughed when Bill advised that an old lady had once said to him at a book signing that 'she had had the best time in bed with him' pause before adding, 'whilst reading his books'.
The questions were varied and interesting although a couple of odd ones asked here and there, but there was one asked and due to the sound from the mike 'I thought she said how are you with cats?
Which left me thinking cats? I didn't recall Bill had a thing for cats?? Only to realise moments later that she was asking about his friend Stephen Katz who had walked with him along the Appalachian Trail in the great book A Walk in the Woods.
I should have took some notes but guess a review will be in the press. The evening ended with a book signing in which I got the latest book signed and also Bill Bryson Down Under.
As I was getting my signed I had to ask him if he actually did make Hay while the sun was shines. This resulted in a laugh and a well done for remembering that part. It was at this stage that I felt just a little cheeky. You see Bill had mentioned earlier that when he arrives into a country he likes to read all the newspapers to get a feel of what is happening, this is something I do when I travel also. So with this thought in mind I passed him a piece of paper with my blog address on and said that if he wanted to check out the news and views in NZ when he was back home in the UK, then to feel free to take a look.
Bit cheeky I know but he thanked me and his colleague placed it in a seperate pile, so who knows?
As I have said in my previous posts, 'You have to make things happen'
Anyway, hasn't been a bad day in the Garden City, weather still muggy and on the national news, there has been quite a bit about the anti smacking bill that is trying to be brought in by Green Party MP Sue Bradfield, now alot of people all over NZ do not agree with this, so you have to wonder why they are trying to bring it in? Maybe an Andy Warhol 15 mins of fame maybe?
I have my views on the bill but feel that i will keep them to myself although politicians and scientists do have one thing in common: All they think about is 'Can we?' I wonder if they ever ask themselves the question 'Should we?'
So on that note I will leave you with the thought of the day
'Leaders are people who know where they want to go, and with enthusiasm, get up and go'
Hal
Tonight I had the pleasure of spending an evening with Bill Bryson, although there were a good couple of hundred other people there so not as seedy as it sounds. Bill was here on a book tour to promote his latest book The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid and to also have a few days vacation also, touring around the South Island.
He started off the evening by reading a passge from the Thunderbolt Kid about the delightful Milton family (page 99 onwards), Milton Milton snr and then there was Milton Milton jnr ( I sort of wondered if he had been taken by the double name major major from Catch 22?) Anyway it was a very funny reading but due to copyright infringement laws, you will just have to buy the book $29.95 from Whitcoulls.
When talking about his childhood, Bill talks with great affection about his parents and if I recall correctly, his mother is 93 and still able to sort him out if he gets out of line.
It was just nice to sit back and listen to the conversation between himself and the interviewer and the audience laughed when Bill advised that an old lady had once said to him at a book signing that 'she had had the best time in bed with him' pause before adding, 'whilst reading his books'.
The questions were varied and interesting although a couple of odd ones asked here and there, but there was one asked and due to the sound from the mike 'I thought she said how are you with cats?
Which left me thinking cats? I didn't recall Bill had a thing for cats?? Only to realise moments later that she was asking about his friend Stephen Katz who had walked with him along the Appalachian Trail in the great book A Walk in the Woods.
I should have took some notes but guess a review will be in the press. The evening ended with a book signing in which I got the latest book signed and also Bill Bryson Down Under.
As I was getting my signed I had to ask him if he actually did make Hay while the sun was shines. This resulted in a laugh and a well done for remembering that part. It was at this stage that I felt just a little cheeky. You see Bill had mentioned earlier that when he arrives into a country he likes to read all the newspapers to get a feel of what is happening, this is something I do when I travel also. So with this thought in mind I passed him a piece of paper with my blog address on and said that if he wanted to check out the news and views in NZ when he was back home in the UK, then to feel free to take a look.
Bit cheeky I know but he thanked me and his colleague placed it in a seperate pile, so who knows?
As I have said in my previous posts, 'You have to make things happen'
Anyway, hasn't been a bad day in the Garden City, weather still muggy and on the national news, there has been quite a bit about the anti smacking bill that is trying to be brought in by Green Party MP Sue Bradfield, now alot of people all over NZ do not agree with this, so you have to wonder why they are trying to bring it in? Maybe an Andy Warhol 15 mins of fame maybe?
I have my views on the bill but feel that i will keep them to myself although politicians and scientists do have one thing in common: All they think about is 'Can we?' I wonder if they ever ask themselves the question 'Should we?'
So on that note I will leave you with the thought of the day
'Leaders are people who know where they want to go, and with enthusiasm, get up and go'
Hal
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