Facebook and Monsieur Ambivalence

Do you know how it is when you don't really know what you're doing and you do it anyway?

That's what I do on Facebook.

Lucy Cohen says I should have a Facebook page for the new book my small press IF SF Publishing has just published, Monsieur Ambivalence, a novel, and has even sent me the link that would enable me to do so.

Thomas Fuller, author of Monsieur Ambivalence, is a semi-recluse and the last thing he'd have is a Facebook page. However, Thomas Fuller is not 100% Monsieur Ambivalence and has no legal right to prevent his publisher from creating a Facebook page about the wonderful book Thomas Fuller has written.

However, when his publisher, me, asked him to make some appearances on behalf of Monsieur Ambivalence, Thomas Fuller replied, "isn't it enough that I've written the book?"

You see the dilemma, don't you?

Late last night, when everybody else was sleeping, I went to my Facebook page. It took me awhile to get on as I'd forgotten the password. I had 3 friend requests, one from my old buddy John Phillips who, the last time we talked, didn't even have a computer. There was John's face, all smiles like he'd just got a new toy.

I started looking at the Facebook 'posts.' Kerry was going to Hawaii, Steve M. was 'tagged' in front of the Ferry Building, Amelie was pissed at Obama, and so on.

Since I was already on Facebook and I saw a likeness of his face, I added John Keats as a friend.

And once I added John Keats, I started adding other poets with whom I was 'mutual friends,' just for fun.

Charles Bernstein and Ronald Silliman "weren't accepting friends", but Anne Waldman was.

I made a vow that sometime in the not-distant future I'd start a Facebook page for Monsieur Ambivalence, the book, not the person, whether Thomas Fuller liked it or not.