Anthony Bourdain

Ok, first tip when attending book signings: get there an hour early. Second tip when attending book signings: realize that book stores want to make money by only letting you get the books you bought that day be signed, but most authors don't seem to give a damn.

Now then...

Anthony Bourdain came to Toronto today to do a short speech and book signing at the Chapters on Yonge & Eglinton. He's a really good speaker. I mean...he's hilarious. He has this vague Thompson-esque flavor to his stories, and he just has some great tangents that he goes off on (most notably was the utterly fictisious story about smoking crack with Emeril, Jamie Oliver, and Martha Stewart, Emeril breaks the pipe and Martha makes a new one out of a toilet paper roll [Martha is, I think, a bitcher incarnation of MacGuyver]).

He encouraged people to try new food, especially when they travel. Try whatever the weird local delicacy is, rather than just going for the standard stuff. He also expressed his utter hatred of vegan food.

Anyway, then came the book signing. The line was long. Really long. Longer than it would have been if I'd stuck with the plan and arrived at opening (rather than an hour and a quarter later). But still, I managed to wind my way there. I had to contend with Chapter's staff, most of whom had no idea what he was letting be signed, and though I only actually purchased a book today for my dear mum, I also managed to sneak in my own, worn, yellowed copy of Kitchen Confidential into the mix. Didn't manage to slip him a card for Il Posto though, but I DID slip it to a woman in line behind me who I'd been talking to.

But I had a great time. He's a really nice guy, witty, and funny. I hope one day to scam a publishing company into paying me to go on a world tour and eat food as well. Ah...the dream...