Yesterday I went to Krisztina Tóth's dedication event (I don't even know the English word) at Puskin movie theater, and I was really excited because that was the first event of that kind I'd ever attended. Once I met Kiss Judit Ágnes in person at a reading and was so excited I didn't even walked up to her. At another time I attended Joanne Harris's reading when she was in Hungary, but I didn't take any book with me to have signed.
With Krisztina Tóth it was different. Since I got involved in her poetry about one and half a year ago I've searched for and read most of her books and become more and more interested and astonished. Up until a few months ago I had known her as a poet only. I loved her clever humor, striking associations, and the way she works the language. Her language is like a finely woven texture, yet it has a real-life sounding, and never becomes sophisticated.
When I'm reading a book I often become curious of the author as a person in real life, so I like to look at the pictures at the back cover, listen to them talking, read their essays on literature, etc. From the cover photos I already knew that Krisztina Tóth was gorgeous but I didn't know her as a person, and of course as I said I was really excited.
When I arrived at Puskin's café, the place was already crowded, and I didn't know what to do, so first of all I went to the loo just in case, and as I came out, she walked in. First I wasn't sure if it was her, but when I looked at her in the mirror I was sure and didn't know what to say, so I just said a quiet good afternoon and walked out. Actually when I told my sister about it her most important concern was that Krisztina hadn't washed her hands.
Meeting her was both exciting and a bit disappointing, although it's not the best word. She looked skinny, and her skin was dark as a gipsy's, her hair dyed red (I don't know the exact tone), I could see her pores under the make-up, etc. But what was even stranger was her voice, because she spoke slowly with a kind of uncertainty or modesty, and it was flabbergasting to hear such a clever and talented woman being so humble. And at the end of the discussion she thanked all of us for coming so genuinely as if it had been her first book and first reading.
During the discussion she and the moderator, András Pikó talked about a lot of interesting issues, which proved me for sure what a conscious and intelligent writer she was. One thing I remember quite clearly is describing the text as a texture, which is not a unique idea in contemporary literary thinking, but as they were talking about the book I was becoming eager to get it and read it at last.
The only thing I couldn't get over with was the location. Waiters and waitresses were hurrying left to right during the whole one hour of the reading, fussing with the coffee machine, clinking the glasses, discussing the bills, etc. Moreover, even fellow attendants of the reading were disturbing the event by walking out, talking loudly, not turning off the phone, etc. I guess I would have been a lot happier with a VIP meeting, without all the annoying others, giving Krisztina the respect she deserves.
I was so stupid as to order the book in advance, and it hasn't arrived yet; though there were tons of it at the reading. So I stood in line with her previous volume, Hazaviszlek, jó? but I don't care about this tiny difference now as her books are precious to me with or without dedication. (Of course I have to admit that I was really pleased with myself, having gotten a dedication from her.)
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