Keynote - Daniel Handler or Lemony Snicket

Saturday, November 8th
8:30-9:45

His program started as mildly humorous and worked it's way up to downright funny!  He used his very unique humor, love of words, and of course storytelling to tell a bit of his story and how he came to write such beloved books.

He started by talking about his families history in Europe and his grandmother saving the family from the Holocaust and selling everything she owned for diamonds, which she stored in her shoe. When he shared this story with his teacher she asked Handler, wasn't your father brave? Handler went home and asked his father. His father responded, "Do you think I'm as brave as the ones who didn't make it?" He realized he had asked his father the wrong question and his father asked the right question. His new book he is working on "All the Wrong Questions" will be a prequel to "The Series of Unfortunate Events."

He said knew from the time he was very young that he wanted to be a writer. That he was curious. He wanted to know what was going to happen. One his favorite books, the "Egypt Game," by Zilpha Keatley Snyder was an example. He was reading the book and spilled root beer all over it. Instead of getting up to clean it off, he stayed to read because he was curious and needed to know what was happening. Years later he had Snyder sign that same yellowed, curly papered copy.

He said he thought that the mark of a good librarian was that they were invisible and never remembered He says everyone just seems to think that these fantastic books just jumped off the shelf and into their hands, when really it was very likely placed there by someone.

He remembered being in fourth grade and finishing a book and trying to explain to the librarian that he wanted to find more books like this, that didn't have that, and she took him to the adult section. Handler asked her what she should read and she said that was now up to him. He had finished "The Moffats" by Eleanor Estes and decided that he would read the books in the library alphabetically, but starting at Z!

Handler shared that one of the pivotal moments for him was meeting an author at his local library. He remembers standing up to tell the author that he too was a writer. And that what was most amazing was that this woman treated him as a colleague. She didn't say, "Oh that's sweet." or "Good for you." She said what parts are you having trouble with.

He shared stories of working at the San Francisco Technology Center years ago. He said that for some reason lots of small newspapers and gazettes would be delivered. He had a favorite hobby of reading the letters submitted and picking the obscure ones to reply to the editor about. He looked for things like trash service moving from Wednesdays to Fridays. He loved to write outraged responses to the editor, that all began with "How Dare You!". He joked that by saying / doing something (like moving the day of trash service pick up) actually meant they were causing real harm.

He was working on research for one of his first books and was calling a silly organization to get some of their materials sent to him. The woman on the phone asked his name. He panicked and realized he didn't ever want to be affiliated with this group and have his name be known on a mailing list. He panicked and said Lemony Snicket. The woman on the other end of the phone paused. He thought she would say, that was made up! But instead she responds, "Is that spelled how it sounds?" He paused and said yes. He was curious what it would look like and asked her to read back the spelling. He wrote it down and saved it!

Deborah Doyle also mentioned that he is currently working with Netflix on a new series and that he has a new picture book coming out - I believe "We Are Pirates".