Until now, I've been very camera-shy. Part of that stems from the need for anonymity (which continues to frustrate me), but I admit I also like letting the words speak for themselves. I like imagining what people look like when I read about them, and when I meet them face to face my perception changes. Not for the better or worse, mind you. It's just different. You read Little Children, for example, and you form a pretty clear idea of what Sarah looks like. Then Kate Winslet plays her in the movie, and everything's altered. Mainly because if you were offered the chance to have an affair with Kate Winslet, you'd find a way to make it happen. Even if it meant swimming the Atlantic. In football pads.
But then I got all uppity about this Hot Daddy thing, and a few of you clicked through and voted for me. As a result, my total is up 171% (whopping!), and I've moved to the top of page 3 of the leaderboard (respectable!). Thanks to all who did that, because voting in this contest isn't something you can do in two seconds. You have to sign up, set a password, create an identity, give out your e-mail, send in a blood sample, etc.
I've trumpeted how visually stunning I am, how the empirical appeal of my features is the closest evidence we have of a higher power, but now it's time for you to decide for yourself. If you're curious, somewhere in this post is a picture of Eden and me strolling through SoHo. I tried to embrace as many New-York-centric clichés as possible (pallid skin, black T-shirt), and since it was so bright I was happy to offer her shade under my nose.
Now that you know what I look like, I guess our relationship is about to change. Will you look at my writing any differently? Will pre-conceived notions fall to pieces? Would Kate Winslet consider swimming the Atlantic for a horizontal hoe-down? Only time will tell.
