Seemingly every major literary figure but the white rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland” turned up here this weekend for the nation’s first National Book Fair, and there were moments when no one would have been surprised to see the rabbit make an appearance, too.
There was, after all, a nine-foot-high “world’s largest wingback reading chair” on hand to accommodate him, and — for company — a six-foot tall Snoopy the Beagle dressed up as a newspaper reporter.
And, as is not always the case at fancy literary affairs, guard Greg Anthony of the Chicago Bulls and several other National Basketball Association players showed up to do readings as well.
The truly unprecedented event was organized by First Lady Laura Bush and the Library of Congress as part of her ever-expanding White House campaign to make the nation pause in whatever else it is doing and read books. Drawing thousands of book lovers from all over the country, the festival sprawled over the U.S. Capitol’s East Lawn in a series of enormous white tents, beneath which one could mingle with the best-selling likes of historian Stephen Ambrose, mystery writers Scott Turow and Sue Grafton or novelists Alice McDermott and Larry L. King, among some 60 major award-winning American authors.
“It is a success and I’m just thrilled,” said Mrs. Bush, granting an audience to this reporter as she worked the enthusiastic crowd. “I found some people who came here from Utah for this, and 250 of my Texas people are here, too.”
“I think [the big turnout] is because people who read are very, very passionate about books,” she continued, after signing autographs for a dozen or so school children. “And they love to have their books signed by authors. That’s one of the things I like most about this — I get to meet all these great writers I’ve been reading for years.”
Writers as rock stars
Ambrose, for one, was as mobbed by autograph-seekers as a rock star, though his fans ranged in age up to World War II vintage. “Your book on Lewis and Clark has inspired me to lead a seaplane trek over the route of their expedition next year,” proclaimed one, commercial seaplane pilot George Hindall of Sarasota, Fla. Another thrust a book called “Millicoma” into a Ambrose’s hands, which seemed to puzzle him.
His mellow mood was broken by someone reminding him of Saturday morning’s Washington Post review of the new HBO miniseries adaptation of Ambrose’s World War II epic “Band of Brothers,” in which TV critic Tom Shales denounced the production as “a glorious bungle.”
Responding first with the invective of a World War II paratrooper, Ambrose added: “I’ll bet he never put on a uniform. I’ll bet he was an anti-Vietnam War protester.”
Over in the “Mystery and Suspense Pavilion,” mystery writer Walter “Devil in a Blue Dress” Mosley held a tentful of fans rapt with a reading from his new book, “Fearless Jones,” whose hero is a coward.
An assist from the NBA
Just as popular was the “Children and Young Adults Pavilion,” at least during the appearance of Anthony and the other NBA stars, who as representatives of the NBA’s “Read to Achieve” program, read from a children’s book called “The Rain Came Down,” rotating their recitations paragraph by paragraph.
Afterward, Note Dame graduate and Orlando Magic star Pat Garrity said his favorite book was J. D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye.” Connecticut College grad Nykesha Sales, a forward for the Women’s National Basketball Association Orlando Miracle, said she was reading “A Day Late and a Dollar Short,” by Terry McMillan. Anthony, a graduate of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, said his childhood favorite was “Where the Red Fern Grows,” and that he tries to read a book a week. He was then asked a non-literary question by a small boy: “Are the Bulls going to win this year?”
If not literary, his answer was at least imaginative: “I can guarantee we will win — more this year than we did last year.”
The 60 authors invited were selected by Library of Congress and White House staffers from a list of 300 top American literary names and then approved, “with minor changes,” by Mrs. Bush and Librarian of Congress James Billington, according to a spokesman for the Library.
Mrs. Bush said the idea was to present a wide variety of popular authors, rather than just lofty literary types.
“Although all the authors selected have won major national book awards,” she said.
Bigger than Oprah?
One of them, novelist, playwright and short-story writer J. California Cooper ( “Piece of Mine,” “Some Love, Some Pain, Some Time”) said she thinks Mrs. Bush will be a one-woman boon to the book industry, with far more impact than even Oprah Winfrey and her popular book club.
“Mrs. Bush’s effort is far more wide-reaching,” she said. “[There are] all kinds of books. She’s exposing America to so many authors.”
Cooper said she fell in love with reading when she was 8 years old and borrowed a book about “Henny Penny” from the library.
“I never returned it,” she said.
“I must owe eleventeen million thousand dollars on it now, but I’ve kept it in very good condition.”
Heading over toward the NBA recitations, Mrs. Bush was asked if she might write a book.
“I’m a reader, not a writer,” she said.
“But I’m thinking that maybe Barney might do something.”
Barney is the Bushes’ pet Scottie, who shares the White House with Spot, a descendant of Millie, author of the best-selling “Millie’s Book” in the previous Bush administration.
“Wonder where I got that idea,” Mrs. Bush said.
