Transatlantic Midas touch paralyzed by really bad cramp
Author and publicity machine Margaret Atwood has been getting written up all over the world for her novelty device the LongPen, a machine that allows authors to sign their books and speak to their fans from thousands of miles away via a robotic arm and video display panel. This past weekend was supposed to be the “Marconi moment” that would see the device used for the first time, linking Atwood, in a booth at the London Book Fair, to a crowd of fans at the McNally Robinson bookstore in New York City. The only problem was that, at the last minute, the LongPen broke down, leaving Atwood to apologize to the fans with a few trademark quips — “The first helicopter didn’t work either” — before promising to sign the books the old fashioned-way — with a ballpoint, in person.
Related links:
Read the Guardian article on the LongPen
