I’m sure you’ve
all heard and read about stalkers once or few times in your life. Mostly you
hear the word stalker mentioned when they keep annoying and even threatening
Hollywood stars and some of the very persevering ones have even ended up in
jail.
And, of course,
for most people who read, Annie Wilkes instantly comes to mind, the mad fan
thought up by Stephen King that was so perfectly brought to life on screen by
the great Kathy Bates in “Misery”.
I think there is
a fair share of writers who have had experience with very devoted fans that
stalk their favourite author – I like to “stalk” my fave writers, too, though I
am quite a watered down example as I am happily married.
Normally it takes
a lot to shake me but I must admit I was taken aback and also a little scared
when I saw a stalker close up and “in action mode” for the first time a few
days ago.
I won’t mention
if the stalker was male or female and therefore will sometimes just use the
word “it”, nor will I tell on which author the aim was but it was surely scary
to witness the situation.
It all started
when friends of mine and I went to an author event.
Three writers
were introducing and reading from their new books, there was a moderator asking
questions and as the authors were all English speaking there was a professional
actor who wonderfully read excerpts of the books in German.
When I arrived
with my friends there was a nicely mixed crowd already, young and old, stylish
and normal and – the stalker!
All three of us practically
uttered the same word when we had sat down and stuck our heads together as it had
been so fucking obvious! Unfortunately I can’t give a more detailed
description, fact is it would have even been clear to Stevie Wonder.
When the event
started I became totally creeped out witnessing how the stalker didn’t leave “its”
object of desire out of “its” sight for a second, like a predator who was
afraid his prey would vanish into thin air if blinking.
Strangely enough
I had just read a book about amorous paranoia weeks before and so the stalker
became an object to study for me, too.
No matter who of
the three authors spoke, the glassy eyes of the stalker never left their special
one and after finding it funny the first few minutes it became annoying.
Also spooky to
witness was the filming part that started when mentioned author was speaking
about her/his new book as he/she was zoomed in as much as zooming was possible
– probably for the video to be watched over and over again by the stalker for 657 times in a
row…
At the book
signing afterwards we waited and talked to people from the publisher while the
stalker waited ‘til everybody had had their books signed and then sat down beside
the author.
The stalker
forced "its" cell phone number on the writer and even offered the author to stay
at “its” hotel next time – so much for fucking obvious and creepy.
Needless to say
the eerie shadow was back the next day, keeping in close proximity to the
object of desire, this time standing right next to the author and while she/he
signed books “it” kept taking about 289 close up photos, almost shoving a
camera in the writer’s face and “it” seemed entirely oblivious to the fact that
other people were even approaching the table who wanted to have a book signed
and a short chat with the author, too.
I couldn’t help
it as the song text “You are an obsession, you’re my obsession, who do you want
me to be to make you sleep with me?” from “Obsession” by Animotion from the
80’s started playing in my head over and over again.
Being stalked was
surely not very funny at all for the author as one could tell it was an
irritating situation to say the least.
And it made me
think about all the men and woman, normal people and celebrities, who have
suffered because of a stalker. I have utter compassion for all of them.
I can only
halfway begin to understand what it must feel like to be the target of a
stalker and I think if I ever should become fucking rich and famous a stalker
would be the very last accessory I’d ever like to attract.
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