Once upon a time...
All good stories start that way don't they? Most of my favorites do anyway, so I will start my story that way. Once upon a time there was a bookseller named 'Tony' who moved away from his bookstore home in London and landed in the DC area. He started working as the new events coordinator for Olsson's about a month ago and now he has been given his own blog to exercise his fingers by typing.
Really now, my name is Tony Ritchie and I am the new Event Guy here at Olsson's. I did just move back to the 'States from Sunny-Old-London, England where I was working in a little bookshop on Oxford Street called Waterstone's. While I was there, I was in charge of the Art and Photography section as well as running the in-store events at that branch. I had a lovely time there and had the chance to meet and hang out with some great authors and various famous folks. A quick recap? Pam Anderson is very short, Bill Bryson is very tall. Donny Osmond is very charming, as are Rick Mayall and Zadie Smith, some "stars" are not. (I changed their names to prevent lawsuits and beatings) Nick Hornby is bald, Morgan Spurlock is not. Bob Geldof has an odd smell about him and Gene Wilder has a very cool, pale-blue sweatsuit he wears. There is more, but do you really care?
I am just getting started in the world of events here at Olsson's and have had the opportunity to attend some of the signings that were in place when I started. I got a chance to meet Elizbeth Kostova at our Lansburgh store. She is very kind and brought her sister with her to the event. I keep my sister locked in the basement of my parents' house, so I thought that gesture was lovely. I attended a reading by David Baldacci at our Arlington store and found out an interesting thing about David. According to his son, David will sign any book in the bookstore for two dollars. I assume that is two dollars per signature and that his boy has a great future as an agent. I have been to other events, but you really shouldn't take my word for it, you should go to them yourself. They are quite good. We sell books there and sometimes we let the authors sign the books. We don't even make them bring their own pens. (Although some choose to) What a country we live in!
Aside from booking events and typing, I do other things. I read sometimes. I get proofs sent to me and I like to read them if I think they are interesting. I just finished one called Finn and I am working on one called Polly. I do read books that have more than one word in the title on occasion, although I can't think of any right now. I like a good mystery and I have a strange attraction to anything mildly scientific/non-fiction. Mostly, I just like to quote things out of those books so I sound smarter than I really am.
There is some good stuff coming up that I am excited about that you should clear your calendar for. Example? December 1, we are hosting Mark Bailey and Edward Hemingway (Like Big Papa Hemingway) in our Dupont store. Edward is an illustrator and they have put together a guide to bartending and writers. Haven't you ever wondered how Ernest Hemingway mixed his Mojitos? I have, and now I know how to make them just like Papa. Next up? I will shoot the lion and bring the meat back to the villagers.
All that said, I am looking forward to working as the Events Guy here at Olsson's. I am glad to have met you all and I hope you log on to read the things I spill out. Sometimes they will even make sense, I promise. Thank you for reading along.
Tony
Really now, my name is Tony Ritchie and I am the new Event Guy here at Olsson's. I did just move back to the 'States from Sunny-Old-London, England where I was working in a little bookshop on Oxford Street called Waterstone's. While I was there, I was in charge of the Art and Photography section as well as running the in-store events at that branch. I had a lovely time there and had the chance to meet and hang out with some great authors and various famous folks. A quick recap? Pam Anderson is very short, Bill Bryson is very tall. Donny Osmond is very charming, as are Rick Mayall and Zadie Smith, some "stars" are not. (I changed their names to prevent lawsuits and beatings) Nick Hornby is bald, Morgan Spurlock is not. Bob Geldof has an odd smell about him and Gene Wilder has a very cool, pale-blue sweatsuit he wears. There is more, but do you really care?
I am just getting started in the world of events here at Olsson's and have had the opportunity to attend some of the signings that were in place when I started. I got a chance to meet Elizbeth Kostova at our Lansburgh store. She is very kind and brought her sister with her to the event. I keep my sister locked in the basement of my parents' house, so I thought that gesture was lovely. I attended a reading by David Baldacci at our Arlington store and found out an interesting thing about David. According to his son, David will sign any book in the bookstore for two dollars. I assume that is two dollars per signature and that his boy has a great future as an agent. I have been to other events, but you really shouldn't take my word for it, you should go to them yourself. They are quite good. We sell books there and sometimes we let the authors sign the books. We don't even make them bring their own pens. (Although some choose to) What a country we live in!
Aside from booking events and typing, I do other things. I read sometimes. I get proofs sent to me and I like to read them if I think they are interesting. I just finished one called Finn and I am working on one called Polly. I do read books that have more than one word in the title on occasion, although I can't think of any right now. I like a good mystery and I have a strange attraction to anything mildly scientific/non-fiction. Mostly, I just like to quote things out of those books so I sound smarter than I really am.
There is some good stuff coming up that I am excited about that you should clear your calendar for. Example? December 1, we are hosting Mark Bailey and Edward Hemingway (Like Big Papa Hemingway) in our Dupont store. Edward is an illustrator and they have put together a guide to bartending and writers. Haven't you ever wondered how Ernest Hemingway mixed his Mojitos? I have, and now I know how to make them just like Papa. Next up? I will shoot the lion and bring the meat back to the villagers.
All that said, I am looking forward to working as the Events Guy here at Olsson's. I am glad to have met you all and I hope you log on to read the things I spill out. Sometimes they will even make sense, I promise. Thank you for reading along.
Tony
0 Comments:
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home