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July 2005 Alagaësia Newsletter
Kvetha Fricäya! Greetings Friends!
Ever since I finished Eldest, I have felt like a person slowly emerging from a deep sleep.
Eldest consumed so much of my time, energy, and concentration that it separated me from
the rest of the world, even from my own family.
I have had to unlearn my habit of sitting in front of my computer to the exclusion of all
else and rediscover the simple joys of helping my family to clean up after dinner, reading
books, hiking, and painting.
It is almost as if I had left this world and then returned, and in doing so, rediscovered
how much I cherish my time here. Even the most menial task, such as scrubbing walls, now
gives me pleasure. And in my spare time, I gaze at the mountains limned with hazy gold and
conjure up Book III and what may come after it.
For the first time in over three years, I can relax.
Just before I left for BookExpo America (BEA), I received an advanced reading copy of
Eldest. Advanced reading copies are always printed as soft covers, but, even so, that was
my first opportunity to see the manuscript in book form. I have to admit, upon holding it,
I thought, By the wind and the sun and by the blood in my veins . . . it's big! I knew
Eldest was larger than Eragon, but, until that moment, I never realized just how much a
difference in pure heft those extra words make. Dreams do have substance after all, it
seems.
My trip to New York for the BEA was an extraordinary experience. It's impossible—in
so short a missive as this—for me to mention everything that occurred, but I will
attempt to address the highlights. First and foremost was again getting to meet many of
the wonderful people at Random House responsible for editing, designing, promoting, and
publishing the Inheritance Trilogy. They are the spellweavers who make this epic go, and I
am forever in their debt. Chip Gibson, head of the Random House Children's division was
especially kind to me, and for that, I thank him.
As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I got a chance to visit the Listening Library
studios during the audio book recording of Eldest. Gerard Doyle was jovial as ever, but I
fear that all the Dwarvish and Elvish I put in this novel made things a bit difficult for
him this time around. Dwarvish can be a tongue twister for humans. It's probably a good
thing, then, that my editor, Michelle, persuaded me to cut several paragraphs of it, thus
sparing Gerard additional and unnecessary headaches. At Listening Library, I also got to
meet Taro Meyer, who directs Gerard's performance. She's an actress, singer, and
altogether an extraordinary woman. It is a privilege to have her contribute to the
recording of my works.
The BEA was like Comic-Con: large, loud, and full of people. Because of my obligations, I
was unable to see more than a fraction of the booths that covered the massive display
floor. However, I was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Orson Scott Card and be
introduced to Cornelia Funke, Ned Vizzini—a fellow young author—and Jon
Scieszka, editor and complier of Guys Read, to which I contributed an essay. I also met
R.L. Stine, Mary Pope Osborne, and many others. Acting on orders from my sister, Angela, I
hunted down Stephanie Pearl-McPhee to get a copy of her book, At Knits End: Meditations
for Women Who Knit Too Much, signed and personalized for my sister, Angela, since she's
fascinated with making her own textile and fiber products. The influence of her interest
can be seen in Eldest. . . .
At the BEA, I presented the Book Sense awards for Best Children's Book of the Year and the
Best Children's Illustrated Book of the Year, which were Chasing Vermeer and Duck for
President respectively. It was an honor to be chosen for this task, especially since I was
unable to attend last year, when I was fortunate enough to be given the Best Book of the
Year award for Eragon.
Another treat at the BEA was crossing paths with Carl Hiaasen again. Even more exciting
than that, I got to speak with his stepson, Ryan. Those of you who are familiar with the
story of Eragon's publication will know that Ryan is the one responsible—through
Carl—for bringing Eragon to Random House's attention. Without him, millions of people
around the world would never have been able to visit the world of Alagaësia. My family
and I owe Ryan more than he will ever know; he irrevocably changed our lives for the
better.
On the last day, I had breakfast with Jonah Cader, son of Michael Cader, who compiles and
writes the online newsletter, Publishers' Lunch,
a publishing industry must-read.
Jonah wrote a very nice review of Eragon back in 2003, and so it was a treat to finally
meet him. He asked some of the most intelligent questions about the story of both Eragon
and Eldest that I've ever heard.
Later, I lunched with Mike Macauley, lord, founder, and almighty ruler of the fansite, Shurtugal.com. It was the first opportunity we had had
to just sit and talk. Mike has done an incredible amount for the Eragon community. Not
only that, but he's a darn nice person to boot, as is his father, who drove him to New
York for the BEA. Thanks for coming, guys! And thanks for what you do, Mike.
At lunch, I also met with Robert Cox from the Argetlam.com
web site. He's another dedicated young man who has helped to build and support the Eragon
online world. Without readers like him, the Inheritance Trilogy would have never achieved
the stature it has. Take a bow, Robert!
My favorite part of the trip, aside from the BEA, was touring the Museum of Natural
History under the guidance of the marvelous Donna Sethi. Thank you so much! The museum was
incredible. Seeing the innumerable treasures ensconced there only strengthened my sense of
awe toward the natural world; I find it amazing the variety of wonders—proven
wonders—that exist in this universe.
All in all, my time in New York was fun and rewarding.
It has been brought to my attention, that a number of people who read this newsletter have
responded to it directly, e-mailing Random House various pieces of mail intended for me. I
have not received any of those messages, as I don't correspond online, though Random House
conveyed the sentiment of many of your messages to me. If you wish to write to me directly
and to get an answer, then send a letter to:
Christopher Paolini
c/o Random House Children's Books
1745 Broadway, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10019
It may take several months—but I will respond.
Now I must return to the garage and finish the painting that is the prize for the Eldest
poetry contest. I'll get my dad to take a picture of it and post it online once it is
done. I have already chosen the winners, which Random House will be revealing shortly. The
number of entries and the quality of the poems sent in were very impressive.
May your swords stay sharp,
Christopher Paolini
For more information and news about Eragon and Eldest, visit Alagaesia.com.
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