I know a lot of people think that Neil Gaiman doesn't need a shout-out. He's huge. One of the greatest, in my opinion. But I'm going to write about him anyway because the man is a genius. He's not only found his mark in novels, but in graphic novels, theater, and film too. Him being so well rounded is why I want to publish my work. I have so many ideas that I hope will change the way we read as a society, many brought on by watching this man's career expand.
Listen to interviews he's had. He is one of the most down-to-earth, honest human beings you'll ever hear speak. Even with all of his success, even if he is far more prolific than the rest of us combined, he's one of us. He started a magazine with his friends when he was 16, for heaven's sake. If people weren't aware that he'd become a famous author at that point, then I don't know of any greater hints he could have provided. Short of traveling into the past to smack people upside the head with a copy of American Gods, that is.
My wife and I finished The Ocean at the End of the Lane recently. Absolutely breathtaking. Especially since it started as a tale to help his wife Amanda Palmer understand him more deeply. I'd say it worked. They are madly in love. In a recent blog post, she called him a "weirdo" in such a loving way. It reminded me of my wife and things she's said of me. My favorite line from the interview is as follows:
"We’re in an endless dance with ourselves, each other, and the internet, and the moves are strange, and new, and they change. They need updating, they expire and crack and re-arrange."
Followed later by another line that reminds me of my own marriage:
"Congratulations, Neil Gaiman , you've met your troublesome match, and i’m so glad i married your ass."
The only way Neil and Amanda don't remind me of my wife and me is they have an open marriage. That can end badly for so many, but for them it's working out. When asked if it was going well on a Reddit forum, they stated:
"It's good. So far, it's really good. We're very aware of each other, and we would not allow another relationship to imperil what we have. We talk. And talk. And talk. And hug a lot. And talk some more. And then do whatever needs to be done in the real world."
Two of the greatest quotes that I live by are from this man.
“Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes, when you fall, you fly.”
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes...you're Doing Something.”
He's amazing and not just because he's a beekeeper! I'll put it this way; Anybody who favors the torn-in-half manananggal over the sparkling vampires is a friend of mine!
