Have you guys been following what’s going on with the London Book Fair?
A volcano that erupted in Iceland has whited-out British airspace, making it almost impossible for folks to get to the Book Fair from elsewhere in the world. Not only that. But it’s also making it impossible for the ones who made it to get home again.
Publisher’s Marketplace today quotes White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, upon being asked if the US would follow the example of the UK’s Royal Navy and try to bring citizens home by boat, as saying, “We’ve got some big ships, but that would be a pretty big ship.” The US Embassy estimates 40,000 Americans are stranded in London.
Here’s a tip while you’re waiting for release, guys—don’t go in any tea shops and ask for an “English muffin.” They’re pretty testy about that over there. (Instead, I highly recommend whiling away your time engaging Brits in conversation about Stonehenge so you can tell them, “We’ve got one of those, you know,” and show them Carhenge. I once sent a postcard of it to my friends in Wiltshire, and they kept it on their fridge for years.)