Virtual Author Visit with Adriana Trigiani
One never knows how a "first ever" event may turn out. All of the necessary preparations for the Library's first ever virtual author visit were painstakingly laid out for Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00 p.m. The Monday Evening Book Discussion Group and fans were about to meet New York Times best-selling author, Adriana Trigiani, e-face-to-face! The sweet smells of Italian pastries (a gracious donation from That Little Italian Kitchen) drifted around the library’s auditorium filled with 38 eager readers. Some of them clutched their favorite “Adriana book” with little paper markers poking out of the top while other book club members marveled at the personalized book plates Adriana had sent to each of them to commemorate the occasion. Could this moment finally have arrived?! As the blank projector screen in the Massillon Public Library’s auditorium came alive with the expressive face we had seen only on our book jackets, all pockets of animated conversation and pizzelle munching abruptly ceased. Then, a voice matching her distinctive smile greeted us as matter-of-factly as the setting before us - her laundry room/office. Using Skype, a software application that allows users to conduct phone calls and video conferences over the Internet, Adriana Trigiani was able to chat with Massillon Public Library patrons from the comfort of her own home in New York City.
Massillon Public Library Reference Librarian and coordinator of the evening’s event, Andrea Piasecki, greeted our guest author and, wasting none of our precious few moments together, opened the floor for questions and comments from Adriana’s fans. Curiosity collided with admiration as several members of the group spoke directly to our virtual guest of honor, whose effortless charisma bridged the 450-mile geographical gap between Ohio and New York, making the library auditorium feel like a gathering of old friends instead of a planned program. Some needed their burning questions answered, while others marveled about how her writing had drawn out of them precious memories.
Clearly Adriana could sense why we relish her books - affording hours of delightful transport, a kaleidoscope of characters and, interposed, almost seamlessly throughout, life truths that gently demand that you stop and digest them thoughtfully. After 45 minutes of lively discussion with topics ranging from the real-life neighbor who inspired Lucia, Lucia to the force of nature known as Italian mothers-in-law, the evening too quickly concluded with a virtual hug. Huddled closely together, we gathered around the projector screen for a group picture with our guest of honor, happily obliging us a pictorial keepsake by which to remember our time together.
Will Massillon Public Library’s next virtual author visit be this unforgettable? It seems “virtually” impossible, but we certainly plan to try. Watch our website for the next author visit and join us! For more information please contact the Massillon Public Library 330.832.9831 ext. 311.
