VIDEO: Adam Johnson on The Orphan Master's Son

I am so pleased to be able to share this video of Adam Johnson's book launch for The Orphan Master's Son.  This was filmed on the book's release date, January 10th, at the wonderful Booksmith on Haight Street in San Francisco.  If you are not already aware of it, Adam is one of our local San Francisco talents, and it's a great pleasure to see the success he's already having with this novel.  It could not be more deserving!  (My review can be seen here.)  This book is going to be huge, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

So, the footage above consists of Adam's introductory remarks before he began reading from the novel.  Sorry about the early shakiness, it passes quickly.

The next two clips are Adam reading from the second half of the novel.  I have to admit that there's a gap of a couple of minutes between the first video and the second.  (I was changing batteries.)  This isn't that big a problem, however, because observant readers of the novel will notice that this isn't one continuous passage from the text.  Actually, he's cobbled together several different passages into one fairly linear narrative.  The missing moments shouldn't cause you a problem.








I know what you're thinking. You're wondering, What happened to video 4 of 7? Well, the audience clapped for so long after Adam finished reading that I just stopped filming after a minute and started again once the applause died down. So, that's nothing you need to see.

However the following three videos are the lively Q & A session after the reading. For those who are wondering about the truth behind the fiction, this is absolutely fascinating!  Adam talks about his research, his trip to North Korea, and more.

The other thing that makes these events such a privilege to attend is that the author's personality shines through as he answers questions. And Adam Johnson seems to be a sweet, thoughtful, gentle, and funny man. I've seen him at other Bay Area lit events, and have met him in passing before. Every time I see him he impresses me as a truly good guy.











If you haven't already picked up a copy of The Orphan Master's Son, seriously, go get it now. Even better, contact The Booksmith for a signed first edition!

NOTE:  Last week was an awesome one for lit events in San Francisco.  I also filmed some amazing footage of Tea Obreht reading from and discussing The Tiger's Wife (which made my top ten list for the year).  I'll be posting that footage to the blog next week.  Please check back!