“Twenty years ago I was on a book promotion tour when the host of a Washington, D.C., area TV show said to me: ‘Let’s see, and when did you become interested in tropical birds?’
“We were live on air. My book was a story of international intrigue.
Evidently the TV host had several author-interviews on his list, and mistook me for another guest. “I replied that tropical birds fascinated me since childhood, especially cyngiots, which is why I devoted an entire chapter to them in my book. We spent the next few minutes discussing the topic. He assured me he was fond of cyngiots, too. As I was leaving, a production assistant remarked it was the best item on the show that morning…”
(PS: Jonas has a fine book about Islam
More on fame & celebrity here:
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, thankfully. The Internet will create a more bland YouTube, celebrity clip culture, but like the span of clips themselves, the lifespan and churn of mega stardom with be faster than ever before. Life will be hard for celebrities as they realize that the meritocracy of the Internet is not in the ability to be famous, but the fact that fame and fall from grace are in the hands of the masses, like never before.”
