Meeting Your Idol:

I took the train over to Berkeley last night to see Sarah Vowell read at Cody’s Books. I had misjuded the starting time because there were only 6 people there when I arrived. Fifteen minutes later, there about 120. Apparently I’m not the only earnest NPR geek out there who worships her.

Sarah has said she’s a loner on both This American Life and in her books. The first question during the Q&A was “Are you liking your book tour,” to which she paused and said “Some of it, I guess.” She was polite, answered everyone’s questions (even the really stupid “Do you actually have a twin sister?) but seemed itching to go back to her hotel. “I’m a writer,” she said “Alone in my apartment. That’s my preferred mode of being.”

I waited in line to say hi and introduced myself as the guy from the Grotto. Last year, I started a program of bringing writers on their book tour by the Grotto for breakfast, on the presumption that they might like to begin a hectic day with peers before a day worth of hustling. I guessed right. I had spoken to Sarah’s publicist the week before about brining her by and Sarah liked the idea. But Friday I heard that Sarah was booked for the entire three days she was here.

Sad.

She apologized for not being able to make it this time in San Francisco and we both said we’d try again the next time she was in town. It was exactly the “let’s be best friends!” moment I was hoping for. But I guess I’m feeling like my professional life is on enough of an upswing that Sarah Vowell and I will cross paths again. Maybe at this point I’m beginning to see her as more of a peer and her career something to shoot for than an idol. Maybe last night, I saw her as human.

• Category: heroes