Just when you say the name Stewart O’Nan

The man shows up and starts reading. At least that’s how it worked on Monday, when I blogged that he was coming and then he appeared later that night.

O’Nan, who was born in Pittsburgh, is tall. He read from three of his books: Snow Angels (soon to be an indie motion picture), The Night Country and the latest, Last Night at the Lobster. Then he answered questions.

I tried to take notes, but I was sitting right in his sightline, and got this feeling that I was doing something wrong when I began to write as he read. He probably wasn’t looking at me, right? Wrong. After the reading he pointed and me and accused me of yawning during it. Which I had. (it’s not you, it’s me, I wanted to say, but thought better of it).

He mentioned that he posts lists of books on his site that he’s recently read and found valuable. Not liked, necessarily, but saw something he learned from, or could steal. This context isn’t provided on the site itself, and it makes his recommended list more interesting. There are 37 in the latest batch, posted Sept 1 — I’ve read just 5, and I don’t think I could steal anything from Tree of Smoke. Then again, I’m not Stewart O’Nan.

About the author

I like sitting in Jack Webb's booth.