Ann
Ipock
Humorist,
author, speaker
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Georgetown
Times
Following The
Famous
By Ann Ipock October
10, 2007
We writers are always asked, "Where do you get your ideas?"
In fact, when speaking with a writer friend of mine recently, we both
agreed that is the number one question readers ask us. With my answer,
I usually go into this long, drawn-out story yeah, I know, I've been accused
of making every story long and drawn out about how I keep notebooks in
various places like the car, my desk, my bedside table, my pocketbook
with reminders of subjects.That is the norm. Some stories happen quickly
and I run to the computer before I forget the matter entirely. This happened
tonight. And as often happens, I was reminded of a couple of other similar
stories that tied right in.
Here we go. I'm beginning to feel like I should start my talks with, "In
case if you were expecting someone else, I'm sorry. It's only me."
Here's why:
Lately I have either been in the forefront, in the shadows or actually
replaced famous authors (except when sharing the podium). Call me crazy,
but I'm not sure if this is good or bad. When I spoke earlier this year
to Habitat for Humanity, the emcee read over my bio excitedly, carefully
emphasizing accomplishments, even going so far as to say she was tickled
I was available. I smiled and nodded until she got to the part about Paula
Deen and me.
I was shocked when she said that she'd tried to get Paula Deen to speak
but she was busy. I smiled, then I frowned, then I smiled again. At first
I thought she was kidding. She wasn't. And no, she did not run this tiny
bit of highly interesting info by me beforehand. Funny thing is I always
make a point of starting off my talk with something interesting that happened
that very day because it loosens up the crowd (and me) and is always fresh,
usually amusing and, of course, something new. Well, this was all three,
I guess.
I took the microphone and said, "Hey y'all!" in my best Paula
Deen voice. "I'm sorry I'm not Paula Deen, but she and I do have
a few things in common. I am Southern, I love to cook and I am also married
to a sweetheart with handsome silver hair." The crowd cracked up
and it felt good.Then I had a signing at a bookstore where I found my
name right next to "The Sweet Potato Queen" Jill Connor Browne
we were even listed on the same flier, just the two of us. Isn't that
cozy? It seems she was speaking the day before me. I thought: "Hey,
maybe she'll have the folks so mesmerized they'll just sleep over in their
cars in the parking lot waiting to see me!" Oh, I forgot, that only
happens to the folks who camp out when Chick-fil-A opens a new store and
people get free chicken nuggets for life (or is that only for a year?)
if they're among the very first to grace the door.But, heck, this celebrity
author thing is happening again. I just read it about it tonight and voila!
A column is born. It turns out that Amy Sedaris, author of "I Like
You: Hospitality Under the Influence," a New York Times best seller,
winner of a 2007 Quill award recipient and an A-list celebrity actress,
is speaking at the Pink Ribbon Luncheon in Wilmington, N.C., a couple
of years after I spoke there.Last month I had the honor of speaking and
signing with Celia Rivenbark "Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like
a Skank" in Wilmington.
We chatted first, comparing book tours, family life and girly stuff, then
took turns reading and answering questions from audience members. What
a hoot! I don't know who had the most fun.So I think all of this is a
good thing: Whether we humorists are paving the way for each other or
we're riding on each other's coattails, one thing is for sure: There's
plenty enough to go around. Thanks, Paula, Jill, Amy and Celia!