Out-of/Inside Context 101.

_although of course you end up becoming yourself_, page 115:

READING LADY: I'm sure if you have any questions, David wouldn't mind answering them.
FIRST QUESTION: How do you get your ideas?

...

AFTER READING
HUNGRY MIND BOOKSTORE
THE SIGNING LINE
A LONG, EXCITED LINE

[It's not an easy process. People want to talk. They're thrilled when they get to the table: blushing, excited. David draws a smiley face next to each signature. One woman looks at hers with a frown. She's not sure what it is; she believes he's drawn a computer.]

It's a smiley face. If you want, I could put Wite-Out over it. It's your book.

[Someone pulls out a copy of _Broom of the System_]

Oh no. This old thing.

[After the signature, he does a birthday-candle blow over the ink, to dry it.]

Little, Brown taught me that.

from page xv: "He wrote with eyes and a voice that seemed to be a condensed form of everyone's lives..."