I did not want to publish this too shortly after the time that it happened, because part of the reason that I wanted to see this author was to get a book signed as a gift to my mom, who was about to have a birthday a few weeks after this.
Somehow, though, it simply slipped my mind after this, and I never actually published this. Her birthday was a little less than a month after this, but she lives hours away, and so it likely did not reach her until some time much later than that, as I wanted to give this gift in person, although I can no longer remember when exactly she got the books.
In any case, the point is that this particular blog entry slipped through the cracks and I do feel terrible about it. So I have to rake through my mind and try to remember it, and go through my notes to recall what he spoke about, and how specifically he spoke about it. It has been almost two years now, and a lot has happened in between, and my memory might not be able to recall with total accuracy what was spoken about on that day for this event. Still, it might not feel quite as long ago as it really was (or maybe feels longer, paradoxically) because of the pandemic that hit not too much later after this.
However, here is my blog entry on Derek B. Miller's author appearance at "An Unlikely Story" bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts on July 12, 2019:
Let me begin in an unconventional way (at least for me) and put down, unfiltered, my notes from this event, and from which I had originally hoped to write a more cohesive review. In the event that my memory does wane (and already, just briefly perusing through these notes, this appears to be the case), it might be best simply to put the original words and impressions, although I will at least try to make more sense of them down below. Still, these were the notes from that evening, when I meant to (and should have) taken the time to write this blog entry out thoroughly, when it was still fresh on my mind:
Derek B. Miller - first appearance in the United States to promote a book
Norwegians love hearing about themselves. Feel center of the universe, and so it is shocking to them that nobody else is talking about them.
Strange sort of sexual segregation. Equality, but self-imposed segregation.
Where are the women? More interesting then the men.
Norwegians very dry sense of humor.
Robin Williams Robbie Williams lyrics - try to punk Robin Williams takes balls of steel
Did not know fully what was going on. Just assumed the interviewer was crazy, and not a comedian in his own right. And so, being Robin Williams, he outdid his crazy interviewer by answering crazy questions with even crazier answers.
Americans tend to be friendlier in a social sense
Sheldon coming of age
American by birth
Read cheesecake factory
Definition of freedom American fixation
Speaks numerous languages
Worked for United Nations traveled to various places that otherwise likely never get to visit. Somalia Yemen Ghana Sierra Leone Haiti
Got to know Middle East intimately girl in green very proud
Uber American
Civil war wild west
Jewish old humor
Norwegian humor
Rugged individualism
Community
Publishing book in Norway he'll
Backdoor United States
Derek B. Miller
Okay, so those were the notes that I wrote about this public appearance both during and immediately after it had happened, before it all inevitably slipped my mind. Here's the thing, though: a lot of time has passed since, and yes, my memory has become fuzzy. Some of it still rings a bell. But while the bell tolls loudly in some cases, it sounds distant in other cases. Unfortunately, some of these things do not ring a bell at all, like the note about publishing a book in Norway, which just cuts off right in the middle of a thought. Maybe all of these notes were taken during the event, and I could not complete the thought before moving onto the next point that I must have thought worth covering. Perhaps my note taking skills have grown rusty since my old Rutgers days, the last time that I actually had to regularly take notes on a consistent basis.
Nevertheless, I will try to recount at least some of the discussion from that evening. Apologies if my memory proves unequal to the task. But in the same spirit as my old Rutgers days, it is time to try and give it the old college try. Here goes...
This was Derek B. Miller's first appearance in the United States to promote one of his books. It felt like a privilege to be there for such a historic occasion. One of the running themes in his books is about different popular political perceptions and thinking between Americans and Europeans.
Miller lives in Norway, and his books appealed to Norwegians, because they love hearing about themselves. It is a small nation, and they know full well that they are often overlooked. Like with many other countries, to them, they feel that they are the center of the universe (or at least of their universe), and so it is shocking to them that nobody else is talking about them, or even knows much about them.
One thing that Miller finds fascinating is the American fixation with the concept of freedom. This is something that Europeans, and in fact, the rest of the world outside of American borders, has difficulty understanding, in large part because Americans seem to define freedom very differently, and often equate it with material consumption.
That said, he also said that Americans tend to be friendlier than most in social situations. This, he felt, was something that Europeans could take lessons from.
Miller has worked for the United Nations, and gotten the opportunity to travel to various places that he otherwise likely never get to visit. This included Somalia, Yemen, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Haiti. During this process, he felt that he got to know the Middle East intimately. In fact, this helped him to write one of his books with a related theme, "The Girl in Green." He is very proud of this book.
If memory serves correctly, he spoke about the sheriff in his most recent work, saying that he deliberately made him an Uber American both in behavior and perhaps especially in political and philosophical outlook. There is, according to Miller, a kind of wildness, if you will, of the American spirit. You can see this when you view the history of the country, especially with certain chapters, like the Civil War and the Wild West.
Otherwise, he made comparisons between the sense of humor exhibited by different people, including the Norwegian sense of humor versus the Jewish sense of humor. Unfortunately, my memory is not strong enough to recall the specifics of how he described the sense of humor for each group. He also told a story about some comedian (I think it was a Norwegian comedian, possibly a example of the Norwegian sense of humor) who was interviewing Robin Williams, and kept referring to him as Robbie Williams, an English musician, and making it seem like it was an accident. He kept sneaking in references to Robbie Williams lyrics during the interview. Miller said that it took balls of steel to try to punk Robin Williams. Robin Williams did not know fully what was going on. He probably just assumed the interviewer was crazy, and not a comedian in his own right. And so, being Robin Williams, he outdid his crazy interviewer by answering crazy questions with even crazier answers.
Okay, well, that is about all that I can recall or make sense of, in terms of the discussion that evening. I cannot recall in order the conversation, especially when examining these notes. They must have been chronological, because...well, why wouldn't they be? But perhaps it is bad note taking, or perhaps it is just the passage of time (nearly two years!), but some of it is just too difficult to try and remember or make sense of.
When I was getting the books signed, I decided to ask him a question. It was a general question, admittedly. But nevertheless, I asked him something to the effect of what Americans and Europeans could learn from one another. If memory serves correctly, he muttered something like, "Wow," before attempting to answer. He said that Europeans could learn something from the rugged individualism, which he described as a "get up and go" kind of mentality that is often more prevalent among Americans. There is more of a spirit of self-motivation, or a dream to aspire to a higher level, to be self-motivated and get the job that needs to be completed done. As far was what Americans could learn from Europeans? He said that Americans should have a better understanding that we all belong to a greater community, and that indeed sometimes, corny as it may sound, it does take a village. When Americans think too much of the individual, it too often comes at the expense of any sense of obligation towards the wider community.
Derek B. Miller Sub - Zero: The Origins Of Sheldon Horowitz
Twilight Crimes twiΛlight criΛmes, law. a. crimes of a lesser degree b. crimes of a questionable moral nature c. crimes of some moral virtue A novel by Derek B. Miller (coming 2020)
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