blueprints

270 | toolkit: sandpaper, wallpaper, and paint
what you have been working for all these weeks or months. Don’t check
your e-mail or make lists. Just participate.
The Book Signing
During the signing, you have three parties to worry about: the poet, the
book buyers, and the bookseller. You made all your arrangements and agreements
with the bookseller before the reading, and you accounted for the
signing in the poet’s schedule, so the timeline shouldn’t be an issue at this
point. But actually confining the signing to its allotted time can be difficult,
especially if the event itself was a great success. If the poet is especially
famous or popular, it might be difficult to get him out of the building at a
reasonable time. Don’t count on the poet to hurry things along—it’s his job
to be as charming as possible to the book buyers. If you need to end the
signing by a certain time, especially if the poet has somewhere to be after
the signing—another event, a late dinner—stand by—or have your most
courteous board member stand by—and help keep things moving. If a fan
takes up more than a reasonable amount of time, help out by gently saying
that the poet hasn’t eaten yet or that it’s getting late and a lot of people are
waiting. If you are kind and courteous, most fans will understand.
After the Formal Events
If you’re dining late or having a late reception after an event, please
consider that your poet is likely to be tired. Don’t rush a poet who is having
a good time, but don’t indulge your own impulse to linger, especially if
she is relying on you for transportation, without offering her a way out
(read: an immediate ride to wherever she needs to go) regularly through the
evening. Whatever your post-event plans are, be sure to feed and water your
poet.
Checklist: manage the thing itself
A. Arrival
1. Check in with your hosts.
2. Introduce the poet to hosts, the introducer if it’s not you, key
people from your organization, your bookseller, people from
cosponsoring or supporting organizations, and the people with
whom the poet will be eating.
3. Check water, chairs, and sound system.