I am an unapologetic fangirl. I squeal, fan my face with my hands (and what is THAT about, because it helps NOT AT ALL), giggle like a tween, sweat profusely, stumble over words, and all of that fangirl stuff. My objects of adoration? Mostly authors. Because nerds can also be fangirls.
My first fangirl crush was Ann Patchett. My paternal grandmother, who was a voracious reader, gave me her copy of "The Patron Saint of Liars", and I was a forever fan. I quickly read all of the Patchett books I could find, absolutely falling in love with "Bel Canto". When I discovered that she was co-owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, I made the pilgrimage. Did I see her? No, but her feet had walked the same floors I was on. <sigh>
My next fangirl author is Linda Olsson. I read her first book, "Astrid and Veronika", then I read it again. Then, I proceeded to buy every copy found in used bookstores so I could give it to others, hoping they would discover in her what I did. Her character building and relationships displayed on the page is beautiful, mesmerizing, and altogether inspiring. Rachel and I are planning to interview her for the podcast, and I am just beside myself.
And I have now added an artist to my list of nerd-stalking: Marc Johns. His art is whimsical, humorous, and yet serious and poignant at times, as well. I have followed him on social media, and when he was offering a few pieces of his work at a discount, I hopped fully on the MarcJohnsBus. This week, I got his 2021 calendar in the mail, and it had a PERSONAL NOTE FOR ME. Egad! This man knows the way to a middle-aged-southern-woman's heart, for sure.
If you haven't heard of any of these top-notch people, do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to their work. Your world will be a little bit better just because they are in it.
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