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EDITOR'S DESK

Misadventures in bookland

by Judi McLeod

November 24, 2003

With a little note wadded up in my hand and a copy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom in a plastic bag, I stood in line at the Yorkville Indigo bookstore on Tuesday.

My little note, the one I never did get to pass on to Lord Conrad Black said it all: "Judi McLeod’s lifelong hero". After a one-and-three-quarter-hour wait, a velvet rope went up in front of me. "You won’t be able to have your books signed," an Indigo staffer announced to the 30 or so behind the rope.

"If you like you can leave us your names and come back and exchange the books you bought for our stock, but that’s only if we’re able to get the author to sign them," said the staff person.

"I came to see Conrad Black so I guess I’ll hang out to the bitter end," I responded. Most of the others standing with me decided that they’d do the same. Only one middle-aged man left, demanding a refund. My group members, which had been moved to several different lineups by the organizers, once being ordered to the back of the line from the front, could see from our roped off section, queue jumpers pouring in from all sides. When we tried the same, we were forced back. It didn’t help that some of the queue jumpers were the same media members who had already kept the crowds waiting through a generous question and answer period.

Several media types had approached me for comment as I stood in four different lineups. A newshound with a television camera stepped in front of me to ask: "Do you think it is appropriate for him to be here in light of what happened yesterday?"

"Don’t know what you mean," I quipped.

"Why are you here?" was his next loaded question.

I was ready.

"Like a lot of folk, I’m a bit of a history buff. This is an historical book written by someone with a remarkable command of the English language with a vocabulary not many can match. Conrad Black is a Canadian and one to be proud of at a time when Canadians especially need pride and inspiration."

The cameraman backed off, as if suspecting me of SARS.

There were more Black fans than detractors in the pressing crowd, and a smattering of prominent Liberals. I spotted my friend Liberal MP Dennis Mills being interviewed. Having seen me, he came over and kissed me on both cheeks, making some of my lineup comrades suspicious of me. Mills’ buddies Liberal Senator Jerry Grafstein and former Liberal party president Stephen LeDrew were lurking about.

I didn’t see Mills and Grafstein being sent to the back of other lineups, but I did read in the National Post next day that LeDrew never got around to having his book signed. A good thing, too as he’d been bragging to reporters that he had fallen asleep over the copy his wife had purchased for him the weekend before.

LeDrew has been a long time in snooze mode.

There we were behind the velvet rope, still hoping for the best when Indigo president and CEO Heather Reisman threatened to call security to expel the "intolerable" media presence.

But she didn’t follow her threat with action, and as our group was holding on to hope, the media stampeded us who pressed in around Lord Black as he exited the store. Naively, we were hoping that we could somehow catch his eye to let him know his ardent fans and admirers had held on even without the opportunity of having our books signed. But in the melee, it is doubtful that he had even heard our cheers.

Knowing that I’d want to, Toronto Free Press manager Brian Thompson, guided me to the street so that I’d have my last glimpse of the author climbing into his waiting car.

The media crowded around the parked vehicle. "I want to talk to you about a word that rhymes with squad," one reporter shouted out.

Thompson and I racked our brains for a word that would rhyme with piranha.

In an instant Lord Black was whisked away with Reisman in the car with him.

It was worth the unpleasant wait just to get a glimpse of the newspaper genius and master of words, who, for many reasons is "Judi McLeod’s lifelong hero".

Indigo, meanwhile will have to survive without my company.

Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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