In 2004, Terry Pratchett came to Boston to be the Guest of Honor at WorldCon and did the first local signing in the over ten years I’d been reading his books. It was at the Boston Public Library. My wife & daughter were both ill, so I went by myself. (My wife would later get to see him speak a few years later at Harvard.)
I expected the usual book signing experience – author reads a bit, takes a couple of questions, then signs til hand falls off. But Pterry came out and put on a one-man show, talking at length about a variety of subjects for nearly 2 hours. He was charming, hysterical, insightful and everything his writing led you to expect.
Afterwards, I waited for nearly as long in line to see him. I was quite literally the last person in line since I’d gone off to make a phone call to check on my family right after the talk. He chatted and signed a book for everyone, despite how late it was getting and how much time he’d already spent at this gig.
When I finally reached the front I asked if he wouldn’t mind signing two books, since neither of my girls could be there. He said, “Well, I’m only supposed to sign one but it’s the back of the queue” and graciously signed them, commenting on how pretty my daughter Moira’s name was and shook my hand.
I was truly honored to meet such a great man.
“The thing about witchcraft,” said Mistress Weatherwax, “is that it’s not like school at all. First you get the test, and then afterward you spend years findin’ out how you passed it. It’s a bit like life in that respect.”
You passed, Terry…
My top 10 favorite Pterry quotes:
- “We are here and this is now.” – Night Watch
- “But there are causes worth dying for,” said Butterfly. “No, there aren’t! Because you’ve only got one life but you can pick up another five causes on any street corner!” “Good grief, how can you live with a philosophy like that?” Rincewind took a deep breath. “Continuously!” – Interesting Times
- “I will give you some free advice.” “Will it cost me anything?” “You could say it is priceless. Are you listening?” “Yes.” “Good. Now … if you trust in yourself…” “Yes?” “… and believe in your dreams…” “Yes?” “… and follow your star…” “Yes?” “… you’ll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren’t so lazy.” – The Wee Free Men
- “What is there in this world that makes living worthwhile?” Death thought about it. CATS, he said finally. CATS ARE NICE. – Sourcery
- “The reward you get for digging holes is a bigger shovel.” – I Shall Wear Midnight
- “Sometimes it’s better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness.” – Men at Arms
- “It’s vital to remember who you really are. It’s very important. It isn’t a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.” – Sourcery
- “Or, to put it another way, the existence of a badly put-together watch proved the existence of a blind watchmaker.” – Small Gods
- “Inside every old person is a young person wondering what happened.” – Moving Pictures
- “Give a man a fire and he’s warm for a day, but set fire to him and he’s warm for the rest of his life.” – Jingo
Honorable mention:
- “Winners never talk about glorious victories. That’s because they’re the ones who see what the battlefield looks like afterward. It’s only the losers who have glorious victories.” – Small Gods
- “The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication.” – Guards! Guards!
- “They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.” – Equal Rites
- THAT’S MORTALS FOR YOU, Death continued. THEY’VE ONLY GOT A FEW YEARS IN THIS WORLD AND THEY SPEND THEM ALL IN MAKING THINGS COMPLICATED FOR THEMSELVES. – Mort
- William wondered why he always disliked people who said “no offense meant.” Maybe it was because they found it easier to say “no offense meant”than actually refrain from giving offense. – The Truth
- “You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.” – Making Money
- “Logic is a wonderful thing but doesn’t always beat actual thought.” – The Last Continent
- “I have no use for people who have learned the limits of the possible.” – The Last Hero
- “I commend my soul to any god that can find it.” – Going Postal
- “His progress through life was hampered by his tremendous sense of his own ignorance, a disability which affects all too few people.” – Maskerade
Thanks to:
I was pleasantly surprised to see Peter Capaldi pop up, since I wasn’t expecting him. He’s funny – he’s Capaldi – but the fact remains that the character could have been excised completely and you’d never miss him. I know the character of Mr. Curry, the disapproving neighbor is in the books, so I guess they had to include him, but he’s really surplus to the story. (Although just seeing him entering a red phone box is fairly amusing.)
