Please Don't Drool on the Authors

M.T. Anderson is one of my favorite authors. Notice I'm not prefacing that with "for teens"; he's just one of my favorites, period. Wait, make that my very favorite living author. As evidenced by all the 'o's I use when I talk or write about his books, as in: "I looooove M.T. Anderson." Well, I may add a few more 'o's yet, because I just got back from a discussion panel featuring him, Pete Hautman (who I also really like) and Alison McGhee, who I wasn't really familiar with before. They all did an engaging and thoughtful job discussing their views on teen literature in general, on writing it, reading it, and debating whether "albino squirrel" is a brilliant plot idea or just a noun.

I've never met a famous actor, but I think my reaction would be similar. Is it a sign of my unfettered bookworminess that I get all fangirl when my favorite author is in the room? That's okay. I can live with the geeky adoring fan stigma as long as it comes with a photo:

What a good sport he is. You think the National Book Award winner on the adult side of the aisle is so personable and wears such unflinchingly green sweaters? Well, I don't know. Maybe. I've never met him. But go buy M.T. Anderson's books anway. Feed. Thirsty. Whales on Stilts. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party. Any and/or all of them. This isn't just Anderson solidarity talking. The man is a genius.