Wednesday, October 28, 2009

And What Do You Do?

So we're at the memorial service for the kid's uncle's father, and it's in Fayetteville, which is still a fairly small town. Herr Dr. Delagar and I lived there for about ten years about ten years ago. Everyone knows us, more or less, in certain parts of that community, specifically in the academic community, which is who was at this service, since the uncle's dad was at the university for, heavens, 30 years? Something like that.

So, well. We're doing the bit after the service, where we mingle and chat, and an older doctor of something inquires what I am doing now, and Herr Doctor Delagar tells him how I am teaching at U.A. Fort Smith and how I have a book coming out.

"Oh?" he asks. "What sort of book?"

"It's a novel," I tell him. "Science fiction."

He looks very much taken aback. Then, with the air of one striving to be kind, he tells me, "I hear that's very respectable now."

5 comments:

Jennifer said...

This is hilarious. I often encounter something similar. I write video game strategy guides for a living and my students think I have the coolest job ever but other instructors often give me the most puzzled looks when I I explain what I do.
Congratulations on the novel! I look forward to reading it.

Elizabeth said...

Can you send me a link to your book? I'd like to read it. My email address is sjones8135@live.com

Trina said...

I've always found it a strange combination of amusing and disheartening, the way people's eyes glaze over when I tell them I write fantasy -- unless I'm talking to people at the conventions where I sell my books. But for the "normals," it's like they can't change the subject fast enough.

delagar said...

Hey, Elizabeth -- it's not quite out yet. In January, probably.

See here:

http://community.livejournal.com/verb_noire/11835.html

for details!

delagar said...

Well, rats. That didn't work.

Verb Noire is the publisher. I was trying to send you to link which tells when Martin's War is coming out. But I suck at HTML, obviously.

Search google for Verb Noire and Martin's War & it should come up!