Po Bronson - Book Signing Experience

In person, Po looks exactly like the photo in his book. Around 50 people had showed up that evening for the book signing in Chicago's Transitions Bookplace. He appeared a tad bit diffident hanging around before it was time for him to go on stage.

[Spoiler Alert: If any of you are planning on or think you'll have a chance to go to a live book signing for "Why Do I Love These People?" I recommend that you skip reading what follows and enjoy the whole experience afresh as it unfolds.]

Po had with him an assortment of "artefacts" -- maps and photos and a 3-ring binder that he'd brought along with him. He started out by reading aloud his "Promises to a Newborn Son." The letter was actually his clever way of informing us a little about Po's own childhood, the things that had been done to him (or had been left undone) -- a litany of parenting lapses that he experienced growing up. The list was hilarious to hear for the audience, but it couldn't have been fun for Po as he was growing up.

He showed a color-photo of Nicole Kidman reading his "What Should I Do" book in the movie "Bewitched" and he pointed out the irony of someone going to Hollywood to learn what real life is like (which is in the movie's plotline). Po also mentioned that he'd not been consulted or aware that his book was being used as a prop in the movie. (He then shared a couple of stories about his experience of being a writer in Hollywood.)

Next, he unfolded a large white map of the United States, with all the states outlined. In that map, Po had marked all the cities wherein he'd spent days and weeks interviewing 100s of people and had marked all the routes for the trips he had taken criss-crossing the country. One look at his map and it becomes readily evident that any author attempting a such book of inteviews and stories has to spend tons of time and effort.

As the stories kept coming, Po grew more and more comfortable and got deeper into his subject. What I had mistaken for diffidence was probably just his nature. Clearly, he was in his element. connecting with the audience in the bookstore at many levels, keeping them laughing while also making them think about the more serious subject at hand -- the one of family relatioships.

He made one very key point, which I had not thought about until that moment. He pointed out the distinction between his two recent book. "Getting what you love is the subject of 'What should I do', whereas loving what you get is what this new book, 'Why do I love these people' is about," he said.

For this post, I think I will stop here, and continue in my next.

Categories: Po Bronson Author Book Signing