dave eggers websclusive

Yesterday evening’s sun went slightly to waste as about a hundred of us descended into the dark bowels of Litteraturhuset to listen to Dave Eggers being interviewed. As consolation, it was an entertaining, relaxed hour and a half. He talked a lot about his book What is the What, Valentino Achak Deng, McSweeney’s, the publishing house he helped set up, some about his writing lab and tutoring centre 826 Valencia, a little less about his other books and very little indeed about himself. Luckily as Norwegians seem to shy away from encounters with authors (either face to face or from the audience) I got both to ask a question and get my book autographed without having to elbow a single soul out of the way.

As such myyearonline has the pleasure of bringing you an international web exclusive of Things You Might Not Have Known About Dave Eggers and Might Otherwise Never Find Out:

- Spending a year with his wife writing, writing and pretty much almost only writing gave him cabin fever

- The title of his book ‘A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius’ was a joke working title, until it turned out it was too late to change it and he was stuck with it

- He wore braces as a child, which the wrap-around microphone last night reminded him scarily of

- He set up the first independent pirate supply shop in the Mission, San Francisco (Humungous and Jeans, now you know where to go for your party eye patches!)

- The What in Dave Eggers’ world, as learnt from Valentino Achak Deng, is being brave enough to choose the unknown What although the known alternative may be more comfy and safer

- He’s been in Bangkok but didn’t like it, and really wants to go to KL because he has friends living there and they say it’s cool. Our kind of guy!!