I think I told this story already, but it bears repeating. I was working in a college bookstore when young Master Easton's first commercial venture hit the shelves: Less Than Zero. We had a huge pyramid of these hardcover books in the middle of the store. Once every couple of days someone would take one and leaf through it. Even more infrequently, someone would buy one. Early on a Friday night we noticed someone loitering far too long in the store. Turned out to be the author himself! He hung out for hours to gauge his book's reception, like the movie people at their first screenings. Upon reflection, my encounters there with Kareem Abdul Jabar's kneecaps and Jay Leno's motorcycle were a lot more interesting.

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