Where Everybody Knows Your Name

By Dave Williamson

Thin Air's own Sam Malone, Dave Williamson.

As an insatiable book reader, I look forward to the festival for at least three reasons: to learn about good new books, to hear samples from them read by the authors themselves, and to meet the ones I like and have them autograph their books for me. It's terrific to have so many writers showcased in a single week.

I like to volunteer at the festival to get an even closer look. There's a great feeling of camaraderie (especially when you're tending bar), taking part in the celebration of books with other book lovers, and helping books to continue to be a major part of our cultural lives.

And then there's the daunting, humbling, but ultimately rewarding experience of being one of the featured readers, as I was last year. I love the mainstage venue: spacious and intimate at the same time. You're literally in the spotlight -- a star for fifteen minutes -- with the audience, your potential readers, so attentive, reacting directly, letting you have the last word.


Dave Williamson is the author of Dating: A Novel and was a feature reader at last year's Thin Air mainstage event, "New Scripts For Love".