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241 Dealing with Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Recognition almost always has an effect on the writer who receives it; this is inevitable. But what effect will it have on you, should you be so lucky (or cursed) to experience the kind of recognition that comes with fame? As previously mentioned, I worked as a freelance media escort for a few years, which meant that I sometimes spent a good part of the day with an author, picking her up from the airport, taking her to interviews, walking her from the hotel to the bookstore, sometimes having meals with her. One writer I was lucky enough to escort was David Sedaris. At the time, Me Talk Pretty One Day was on the New York Times bestseller list, and he’d already been doing interviews on TV shows like the Late Show with David Letterman. Hewas a bona fide celebrity.The good news is that he didn’t act like one. Sedaris chatted with me, asking what I did, and when I told him that I’d just had my first book come out, he offered several tips, many of which had to do with how to treat people. That morning, over breakfast, he took the time to write thank-​ you cards to various people from his previous stop: booksellers, interviewers, hosts. He told me that he shows up to his readings an hour early to sign books so that people don’t have to wait in line afterward. Not that he minded the long lines afterward , he assured me. But sometimes the signings went on for several hours, and he just wanted to make sure that anyone who wanted a signed book got one. And sure enough—he showed up early to his reading that night to chat with the people filling up the seats and to sign their books. After his talk, he continued signing, even taking up an invitation by some fans to go with them to a local pub, but before he left for the night, he bought a copy of my book and had me sign it for him. David Sedaris, who could have been a royal jerk and probably gotten away with it, was, in a word, gracious. The next day, on our way back to the airport, he regaled me with stories about writers who weren’t particularly gracious and how booksellers went out of their way to talk customers out of buying their books. Fame can showone’s mettle. So, what’s it going to be? Doyou want to be known as the arrogant jerk, or do you want to exhibit grace and generosity? ...

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