We went to see Nick Hornby last night at the Reston Community Center. He came out a little after 8 and started reading. The first story he read, “Nipplejesus”, was told by a big English bloke named Dave who used to be a bouncer. Since we have a friend by that description, I vividly had an image of him in that story, which added to its reality. He also read a column he wrote about what Rod Stewart meant to him (first band (with the Faces) to feel real, not strung out on heroin but just drunk) and a couple of passages from his new one, “A Long Way Down”, which I read on vacation. All the things he read had some funny bits in them, just like his books, he’s a good storyteller. After he finished reading, he took questions. When he answered one about music, he mentioned he needed a “constant injection of new music to keep all of it fresh”, which I really identify with, since it’s similar to my music habits. We got out quick to get in the signing line, here’s a photo of him right before I spoke to him and told him why I didn’t bring “High Fidelity” or “A Long Way Down” (because they were signed when I got them), which amused him.
