On her book tour for I Know I Am, But What Are You?, Samantha stopped by in Toronto, visiting a Chapters-Indigo to do a reading and book signing. This is not to say it was entirely surprising, considering that this was her hometown and she does come here quite often (for example, for Coopers’ Camera at The Toronto International Film Festival and her appearance on CBC’s Test the Nation). But I was giddy! Let’s not forget, at the TIFF screening of Coopers’ Camera I had enthusiastically (a.k.a. desperately) tried to meet one of my favourite comedic couples – the other being Amy Poehler and Will Arnett – and had failed miserably in doing so. Alas, I’d at least get to meet one half of the Samantha Bee/Jason Jones duo so yes, I was rather excited.

Getting there at around 5:45 pm, the store was still setting up the stage and seating area so I had some time to wander around before the 7 pm start time. At about 6:15 pm, I noticed the seats were all set up and so I grabbed the seat in the aisle right in the front row – along with another lady who was just there to listen to the reading. 7 pm rolls around and Samanth Bee, looking VERY pregnant, came on stage. First, she started off with some jokes about the ~inappropriateness~ of what she was about to read and secondly, to thank us for showing up (evidently, Leafs great, Wendel Clark, who also had a book signing that night at the Eaton Centre, had a smaller crowd show up for him and she joked about this being the sole reason for her to show up). She started reading a chapter from her book, the one about a family road trip and “carpet munching”. It was loads of laughs. Then at the end, she opened it up for audience questions. People asked, obviously, about her time on The Daily Show and how one can become a correspondent on it like her or a writer on it. She said to just apply, submit a tape, and they are always looking for new people, people who are a good fit for the show. She told us that that is exactly what she did, though they had come up to Toronto for auditions and she had gotten it (however, she suspected that she got it because she looked “news-y” or something to that extent).

When it came time to start signing books, I was basically right at the front of the stage so I was one of the first few people who got to go up. I had my copy of I Know I Am, But What Are You? (which, FYI, I had bought earlier in the day at FULL COVER PRICE! Egads, I never buy at full cover price, always taking the online route, but well, I needed it for the signing and online delivery wasn’t fast enough so I forked over the $30 + tax) and America (The Book). She said that her mother in law or aunt or somebody had the same name as me, I told her how much of a fan I was of her and Jason and that I went to see Coopers’ Camera at TIFF few years back, as I showed her my ticket stub (HA! Proof!) and a promotional postcard. She seemed genuinely happy to hear me mention the film and that I really enjoyed it. Because I was pretty much one of the first few people to go to the table, and no one ahead of me had asked for a photo with her, I was a bit nervous to ask – you know how some celebrities just don’t “do” photos at these things and asking could result in embarrassing rejection. I took a shot anyway and began with, “uhhh, would it be a huge bother if…” to which she interrupted with “no bother at all!” I probably could’ve then swayed from my original question of a photo and just asked for something completely out there, but I didn’t and I got a photo with her. Unfortunately though, the lady who had taken the photo for me had left it super zoomed (my fault, really) and it turned out kind of bad. Okay, quite bad. So for the sake of my ego and your eyes, I won’t post it here

Pictures

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I shall quote for you the summary from the book version of The Secret:

• It’s the Law of Attraction. Like attracts like — so when you think a thought, you are also attracting like thoughts to you.
• Thoughts have a frequency. When you think thoughts, they are sent out to the universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency.
• Everything sent out, returns to the source – YOU.
• If you want to change anything in your life, you need to change the frequency by changing your thoughts.
• Your current thoughts are creating your future life.
• What you think about the most or focus on the most will appear as your life.
• Your thoughts become things.

- Rhonda Byrne, The Secret

For some time now, I’ve been curious about this much touted Law of Attraction, which is really what The Secret is all about but without the marketable “zing factor” to it. I first heard about it from an Oprah episode where she was raving on about how great this was, how it was revolutionary and so on. I’m all about The Oprah and everything, but I had my reservations about all this hoopla over what appeared to be nothing more than a brilliant marketing ploy. I was just never really convinced about just how useful all this was and if there was even any direct correlation between one’s positive thoughts about attaining so and so goals and the actual act of attaining said goals. The most ridiculous assumption of all was the idea that The Secret can and will work in every aspect of your life: not just your career goals and personal relationships, but also can be used for “wealth enhancement”, weight loss and even as a cure for severe illness (see Wikipedia article for all other criticisms). You can’t help but be sceptical about something like this.

However, now that I am actually reading the book, while I am not ready to completely believe in all of this, I am willing to give it a shot. Reason being, there may be some truth, if not in the visualizing/thinking positive thoughts = positive things manifesting in your life, but in the opposite effect. Not too long ago, I was constantly bombarded with negative thoughts and as the Secret folks would say, these negative thoughts attracted negative things. And it did. If there is even an ounce of legitimacy to all this Law of Attraction hoopla, then I have nothing to lose (and maybe something to gain). I realize, perhaps unlike some followers of principle, that it is not the be-all, solve-all solution to making my life everything I could ever hope for it to be. What this principle sorely lacks is the importance of volition and the virtue of hard work and perseverance. But assuming I throw in positive thinking to the mix, I am willing to try out the principle behind The Secret/Law of Attraction for three months and I’ll use this blog to document the experiment.

This whole “your thoughts become things” notion reminds me of positive affirmations — except The Secret attempts to bring these affirmations into every aspect of your life and claims that the affirmations can eventually lead to actual things. And… positive affirmations don’t seem as hokey and preposterous as some of the claims about The Secret. I mean, it’s a bit out there, but it’s not sheer lunacy, right?

So alrighty then. From this day forward, I’m going to take a few moments in my day to affirm positive things about myself, think about positive things I want to happen/manifest in reality, and while I’m at it, think non-stop about ridiculous amounts of wealth. Take that Bill Gates, you have nothing on me. I HAVE POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!

photo credit: Reenie-Just Reenie

I thought there would be a reading as well, and a David Sedaris reading is something not to be missed if you’ve ever listened to his audiobooks, but it turned out to just be a book signing. No matter, I thought, it was just exciting to finally meet someone whose work I admire so much and who inspires me to be a writer too. I had heard from a David Sedaris group on Facebook that meeting him, you should expect quirkiness and a conversation that can be out of left-field. It’s nothing like the autograph signings I’ve been to, which were by and large for musicians and such, where a typical conversation runs something like this:

Me: I am such a huge fan of yours! (Maybe insert some remark about something specific about their work that I like so much)
Them: Thanks so much!
*signs whatever it is I’ve just handed to them*
Me: Thanks for signing this. It was great meeting you.
Them: You’re welcome. Thanks for coming.

And that’s basically it. That isn’t the case when you meet David Sedaris, no sireee.

David takes the time to talk to everyone who comes up to get their book(s) signed and while this makes the line move as slow as molasses, if not slower, it’s nice to see he appreciates his fans for taking the time to line up to meet him and tries to make them feel special. Another quirky thing he does is draw or write a personalized message or doodle on the book which, I suppose, also takes a bit of time. Lastly, he will randomly give out little trinkets or hotel toiletries to people. Sadly, I did not get anything but a girl ahead of me got some shea butter lotion (I believe it was) and another girl got a bracelet.

Here’s how my meeting went:

That’s because you’re a Libra! It was about 11pm by the time I got to the front of the line (I had been there since 7:45ish) and he was just given a meal of Fettuccine Alfredo and garlic bread. As I stepped up, he was munching away on the pasta and I felt like I was interrupting the man’s meal. He gestured me to come up anyway so I did. First thing I said, which I had practised while waiting in that line up, was that I was really happy to meet him because I am a huge fan of his books. He said, “That’s because you’re a Libra”. At this point, I was giddy inside over hearing him speak to me because I have listened to his audiobooks over a million times and he has a very distinctive voice, so to be in the presence of “that voice” is a bit staggering. Anyway, back to the story, I said that I’m actually a Capricorn. He said he was one too and I am like, “Oh cool! Apparently they say Capricorns are serious and boring”. He asked me where I heard this and I said those horoscope books. Then he asked me if I was boring. Had I been one of those people who thinks on their feet, I would have said, “Well it’s a Friday night and I just spent a few hours lining up outside a bookstore to meet my favourite author. I don’t know. I’ll go with ‘no’, I’m super exciting!”. But well, l’esprit d’escalier as they say, and I just said that I don’t think even boring people would admit it, or something to that extent. Yeah, I fail at life.

At this time, he grabs his garlic bread and starts eating it and I say that I feel like I’m interrupting his meal. He tells me that it’s okay and in a lowered voice, says that what he’s eating doesn’t actually taste very good. I’m like, “Oh really?”. He says that he wanted pad thai, not this, and he’ll probably get some later. He then tells me that the Fettuccine Alfredo “tastes like white”. I’m like, “White? Really? What does ‘white’ taste like?”. I don’t think he really elaborated on that but my assumption is “white” just tastes like crap.

Then I prepared to make my “witty comment” which I had spent the last few days thinking up so that there won’t be uncomfortable silence or worse, I’ll accidentally start rambling on about how much I love his sister Amy and her work with Stephen Colbert (whom I obsessively adore). Or perhaps start asking about his boyfriend Hugh or his family in general. It’s just the consequence of reading someone’s memoirs, you end up feeling like you know everyone they write about and you almost end up being some sort of creepy, nosey person in the way you want to know about how so and so is doing. Except, you don’t actually know these people and asking about them is kind of inappropriate. So thus, I prepared my comments just in case there was some unexpected “word vomit”.

I told him, “I really enjoyed The Smoking Section in When You are Engulfed in Flames. I’m just glad that someone else was just as amused by the toilets in Japan as I was. When I got back from my trip, I told everyone about those electric toilets and they all looked at me like I was crazy.” (See my posts on my trip to Tokyo to see what I am referring to) I don’t think that liner really went anywhere though, but he did ask me if I spoke Japanese, to which I replied that I didn’t so that’s why when I went into stores and they all greeted me in a chorus of welcomes, I could just muster up a “Uhh yes, thank you”. It was kind of awkward, I said. He said that he really loved Japan and he’s going back this year, to Tokyo specifically. Then he asked me if I stayed in an apartment when I was there, and I said no. We started talking about how in apartments in Tokyo, they have this tub that goes up to your neck in water and it fills up and then you reuse the water the next time (and again and again, I think), and each time you have to heat it up, which it does gradually. At this point, I wanted to either mention that this reminds me of those step-in-tubs or ask if he partook in one of those Japanese hot springs (onsen) while there (which you have to experience naked, which then would reference his book Naked wherein he went to a nudist colony – hilarious stuff). Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the words out of my mouth for some reason or another, so that was basically it.

He signed my books, one with a “happy turtle” and I was on my way.

(I will soon be reviewing this, when I have some time)

 

My signed copy of Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim

  

Just for reference, at the two book signings he had in Toronto, no photography was allowed. Judging from the lack of photos of fans with him, it’s my understanding that he just doesn’t allow for photos to be taken with him or of him. So hence, the lack of photos from the event.

Update: I came across some Amy and David stuff in magazines so below are some scans of said articles.

GQ August 2008 — “The Funniest Person I Know” David on Amy

People Style Watch June 2008

I pee in the shower, which actually happens to be the most sent in secret, is among the many secrets shared at the first ever Toronto PostSecret Event. It was the first outdoor event for Frank Warren, happening in the park right beside The Ontario College of Art and Design. Many, many people turned out to cram into the park, with everyone sitting around on the mucky grass and concrete path. Originally said to start at 8pm, it ended up starting quite a bit later than that as the sky had to darken in order for people to see the images projected onto a large white screen.

When it finally did start, Frank Warren came out and thanked everyone for coming to see him. He said he always felt weird about these events because he didn’t really think of PostSecret as his, but as everyone’s. It was a community project that would not be possible without their participation. And it’s true, that fact, but his idea of something so seemingly simple yet so extraordinary is in many ways ingenious. It started in 2004 as an idea for a community art project, for which he handed out 3,000 blank postcards to strangers, encouraging them to send him their most private secrets. The response was overwhemling. The first secret he received was a postcard with two shopping lists on it, with the words “I am struggling with what I’ve become”. The thing that I believe PostSecret visitors most enjoy about the site is the fact they can identify secrets of their own through other people’s secrets and that in turn provides a sense of togetherness, a feeling of a virtual community, amidst the [perhaps] alienation representative of modern life. We’ll never know who sent in that postcard with the words we have so long been hiding from ourselves but it lets us know that we aren’t alone. And that’s a nice, kind of therapeutic feeling.

Frank sorting out the postcards he received. Image courtesy of Frank Warren/Facebook.

After the gallery showing for which the project was initially conjured up for, Frank Warren moved onto the internet for displaying these postcards which were now being sent from all over. It was the merging of old and new technology, resulting in something innovative and kind of spectacular. He says he gets about 1,000 postcards a week and he only displays about 20 per week on the site, but he tells us the reason for this is because he lays out all the secrets to be put on the site on his coffee table — which only has enough space for about 24 postcards. The funny thing is, he shared, was that his own daughter and wife have tried to sneak in their own secrets to be published online by waiting for him to leave and then quickly switching out another postcard with their own. Apparently, he knows exactly what is suppose to be there and what’s not so they are just as quickly switched back. And his wife’s secret? “I want to sleep with Richard Gere“.

A stack of postcards sent into PostSecret. Image courtesy of Frank Warren/Facebook.

Frank also shared with us his own secret, which is in fact in the first PostSecret book (page 20). When he was in fourth grade, a new, charismatic kid moved into his neighborhood. In an act of bullying, that new kid and some others held open his eyes and spit into them. He had never told anyone about this deep dark secret but after coming to terms with it, he told his wife and daughter this very secret. Then, like with the credo of the PostSecret project, he wrote it on a postcard and mailed it to himself to set the secret “free”. And now it appears in a book available all over the world. As horrible as this memory was for him, he tells us he would not go back to change the events that transpired that day for it has helped make him who he is today. However, he was happy to free that secret from within and I think that’s fitting with the whole idea of PostSecret.

My signed copy of the first PostSecret book

Frank Warren’s secret

More Pictures:

Crowd photos courtesy of modernmod on flickr.
Postcard secrets courtesy of PostSecret.com

After he checks out of rehab, Augusten has to attend group therapy with other addicts, which is where he meets a really handsome fellow named Foster. Augusten seems to fall for him, against his better judgment, if not just because the guy is, well, REALLY GORGEOUS. Throughout all this, the story of fighting addiction is intertwined with his story about his relationship with “Pighead”, whom you may remember referenced to in some of Augusten’s other books. Things aren’t going so well for Pighead in terms of his health but Augusten is just too wrapped up in his attempt to stay sober, his new boy toy Foster, and his job, to really be there for his old friend.

Eventually, he falls off the wagon. And when he falls off the wagon, he falls off hard and it looks bleak as to whether he even has the will power to return to the course of sobriety. However, when he eventually does stop drinking, the reason for why he does is really endearing and will bring a tear to your eye, an ache to your heart.

This book shows the ups and downs of the on-going battle of sobriety. It’s full of funny, endearing, sad, and wistful moments, in a book full of engrossing characters and anecdotes. As for how this compares to his best-seller, Running with Scissors, I’d say that they are quite similar in tone and it would be hard for me to choose one or the other as the clear winner. However, as of now, I am swaying to Dry as the winner because of its relatability. Perhaps not relating as a fellow addict to the author’s struggles, but relating to a bleak time in everyone’s life where everything seems out of control. This book, in many ways, offers some comfort that things can get better.

I highly recommend it, as well as all the other books from Augusten Burroughs!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars