2001-01-30 | 04:16:35

i'm a fan!

hi.

yep, i'm a fan of a writer. a girl writer. her name is michele serros and she just wrote a book called how to be a chicana role model.

she recited poetry at lollapalooza, assisted the flygirls on in living color and was called "one to watch" by newsweek magazine. she's won awards and her work was called "wonderfully comical and wise" by the san francisco chronicle.

i first discovered her at a spoken word festival in long beach. she read a hilarious story about an experience speaking to elementary school children. it was a simple tale, but so sweet and humorous and honest that it knocked me out.

i tried to find her in the crowd after the program, but she disappeared. i was bummed out. i wanted to thank her and compliment her and ask how to buy her book chicana falsa.

i pulled out of the parking lot to leave and started driving down the block when i noticed a car with a flat tire nearby. a few people were huddled around the deflated tire, wondering what hand of fate had impeded their progress...or something like that. one of them was michele.

i thought of pulling over to talk to her, but wondered would that be weird or stalkerish? then i decided i had to do it. otherwise she might slip away into oblivion...this magical writer who i wanted to hear more from. maybe this was meant to be!

i parked and walked over to her and her friends as they tried to figure out their dilemma. fortunately one of them had a cell phone and was calling for roadside assistance.

i felt like a dork, but i approached michele anyway.

"excuse me. excuse me, michele?"

she looked up and smiled as i quickly explained in tumbling words why i was interrupting her mid-car crisis. she wrote her mailing address on my program and said if i sent a check for $10, she would send me a copy of the book. she seemed flattered by my compliments and assured me that she and her friends had help on the way.

i said goodbye and drove home happy that i had risked appearing foolish. my bravery had been duly rewarded.

a few weeks later, i received an autographed copy of her book in which she had written:

"wow! thanks for your persistence! you have one of the last copies of chicana falsa. come spring, a whole new design and cover. keep it forever for someday you can sell it for lots of $ and hire me a tow truck to follow me after readings!!"

is she adorable or what?

a couple of weeks ago, i had the opportunity to hear her read live again. this time at a spoken interludes program. afterwards, a couple of my girlfriends approached her to sign their books. she was very gracious. they explained that i had introduced her work to them. she smiled and nodded at me. i wanted to remind her of the tow truck story and to tell her how great she was and how my friend's ten-year-old boy loves to listen to her spoken word CD, but then another lady swooped in to get her attention. realizing there was no time to chat or to say goodbye, i turned to follow my friends as they left. i was a bit disappointed, but happy my friends had gotten their autographs and happy to have heard her read once again.

next thing i knew, i felt a little squeeze on my arm. i turned around and it was michele reaching out, despite the babbling lady before her, to say thank you and goodbye to me.

if i hadn't already been a devoted fan, that thoughtful gesture would have sealed the deal. what a sweetheart of a person. and what a talent!

michele, you rock beyond belief!

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tyler shares a short, but sweet, girlboy list today.

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