Carlos Ruiz Zafon Reading

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I'd like to start this post off with a few apologies. First off, I'd like to apologize to Carlos Ruiz Zafon for silently sending him "hurry up and finish" vibes last night after his reading reached the 90 minute mark (after starting 15 minutes late). I'd also like to apologize to the friend that came with me that she got home over an hour later than I predicted. And thirdly, sorry to my husband that the stupid peanut butter cups I made for his work potluck after I got home at eleven ended up looking like shit. 

So the reading.

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Writer's Bloc hosted Carlos Ruiz Zafon last night at the Goethe Institute (which is an amazing building on Wilshire) in Los Angeles, and I had been looking forward to attending for the past few weeks. Then this week rolled around and I happened to have something going on almost every evening, resulting in a bit of a sleep deficit. Anyway, we made the drive and once things got started Zafon was incredibly, incredibly interesting. The highlights:

- There will be a fourth book in the Cemetery for Forgotten Books series. But don't expect a movie! He said the best movie is in the reader's head.

- Zafon's comparison of Los Angeles and Barcelona was fascinating. He talked a lot about the history behind Barcelona and how fortunate they have been to not have any major catastrophic event destroy the city like so many other European cities. He juxtaposed this with Los Angeles, and the newness and the ability to recreate yourself there.  

- His writing process was surprising- he doesn't believe in drafts. He meticulously obsesses over every single sentence until it's perfect. 

- He is very involved in the translation from the initial Spanish versions to English. His translator will translate a draft, he'll make changes (since he is fluent in both languages) and they'll go back and forth.

- He looked like a middle-aged Harry Potter- super thick, round glasses and a striped rugby shirt. 

- While he doesn't care in what format people buy his books, he does think that the physical form will always be around.

He was great, and I was tired. Check out his funny little top ten lists on his site.