Leaving Raleigh --

I'm off to Boston on the smallest friggin' jet I've ever been on. It's about the size of my car. If we have to make an emergency landing, I'll put the goddamn thing in my pocket and WALK the rest of the way.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the truly coolest feature of the event at Quail Ridge the other night. The event coordinator -- the guy who introduced me -- is Clay Griffith.

Who is the current writer of THE TICK.

No, I'm not kidding.

I AM NOT WORTHY. I AM NOT WORTHY.

He's decidedly cool, too -- about my age, but better looking. And with great hair.

Saw the AP news release. Funny how stuff gets twisted around. I really have to learn to just say No Fucking Comment.

I mean, this guy was asking me WHY I wrote REVENGE OF THE SITH. Simple question. And I told him the truth: I jumped at the chance to be part of the the most important cultural pop-mythic cycle in American history. Not to mention that the money's good, and the exposure's great.

So he jumps on the money. "How much did you get paid?"

Being WASPY, I don't want to say. That's where I should have said No Fucking Comment.

"Was it huge?"

"No."

"Can I say it was a six-figure advance?"

"Uh, well, no --"

"Not even six-figures? Jeez."

"Look, I --"

"High five figures?"

"Yeah, sure. High five figures."

"And royalties?"

"Writing Star Wars isn't about the royalties -- the royalties aren't much for tie-in fiction. It's about the exposure -- I go from a respected but little-known fantasy writers to one of the best-known-fantasy writers in America practically overniight. But mostly it's what I was talking about before --"

And somehow, in the article, the whole business about the privilege of being able to participate in the central pop-cultural mythic cycle of the 20th Century just got lost in the shuffle . . .

I'll know better next time.