But first, a few thoughts and prayers should be offered to the ones who will lose one or more digits tonight. Or eyes. Or whatever they are aiming the angry incense at.
For those who don’t know me personally, I’m a bit of a shy person by nature. I get over it quickly, but I know I come across as a bit standoffish if I don’t know someone. This goes double in a crowded setting. I’m working on that aspect of my personality, but it’s still a journey in the process.
However, I am becoming more comfortable contacting people. Here’s a good example. While watching The Last Unicorn during the last days of school, one of my students asked what the Red Bull was. Now, I didn’t have a good answer to the question. I have read the book, and even in the text, it isn’t made especially clear what the nature of that entity is, aside from being something unnatural. My kids had a few ideas…that the Bull was some kind of demon, or elemental being, or a ghost, or a mutated physical animal. Again, I didn’t have a good answer.
However, I did have a crazy idea.
The author of The Last Unicorn, Peter S. Beagle, is fairly active on social media. So, I figured, why not? I told my students I would email him with the question of the nature of the Red Bull. I did it that hour, and read the email to them before I sent it off.
Never in a million years did I expect a response.
Later that evening, I got an email from Mr. Beagle’s agent. In the email was the response from the man himself. Yes, a world-famous author actually took the time to respond to a question from a long-time fan. He did clarify what the Bull was. The Bull is essentially a personification of the mindless bullies of his youth, particularly the ones who could be manipulated into true evil by another person.
So, Mr. Beagle, on the off chance you ever see this blog, thank you! You not only had a fan since childhood bouncing off the walls, but you also showed that authors are not the unapproachable beings people seem to think they are. That is how I seek to be when I am published…I will respond to letters and fan requests.
I learned from the best, after all!
Hilary