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Journalism of Courage
Amid the toxicity frequently spewed across Twitter, there are a few moments of community building and warmth that restore one’s faith in humanity and social media. One such moment happened with author Chelsea Banning who spoke about low attendance at a signing event she held for her book Of Crowns and Legends on December 3.
In a now-viral tweet with over 57,000 likes, Banning wrote, “Only 2 people came to my author signing yesterday, so I was pretty bummed about it. Especially as 37 people responded “going” to the event. Kind of upset, honestly, and a little embarrassed.”
Neil Gaiman, who is credited with authoring dozens of bestsellers, also made Banning feel less alone. “Terry Pratchett and I did a signing in Manhattan for Good Omens that nobody came to at all. So you are two up on us,” he said.
Min Jin Lee, whose award-winning novel Pachinko has an Apple TV+ adaption, wrote, “I did a book reading where only my husband’s cousin showed up. One person. I’ll never forget that reading.” Other authors like Sheila O’Flanagan, Stephen King, Peter Sagal and Monica Byrne also consoled and encouraged Banning by sharing instances of low attendance at their own book-signing events.
Interestingly, after Banning’s tweet went viral, her book Of Crowns and Legends climbed to the top spot in Amazon’s Arthurian Fantasy section.
