Wally Lamb launches new book

Tuesday night at the Co-op, a packed crowd sat waiting patiently for acclaimed author Wally Lamb to read from his newest novel, "Wishin' and Hopin.'" But what the audience got first was a special intro-performance by musician Bruce John. John played two songs on his acoustic guitar after confessing to be a huge fan of Lamb's. At the end of his performance, Lamb took the podium.

Being from the Eastern Connecticut area, Lamb has cultivated a following of fans who came out in droves to support his newest novel. After an introduction by the events director, Lamb said "Alright lower your expectations." The crowd laughed along.

To start off, he spoke about the process of writing his book. He did not miss an opportunity to use his self-deprecating humor, joking about the fact that his last book took him 10 years to finish, and then this one only four months.

"I couldn't believe it, I kept pinching myself so many times people probably thought my wife was giving me hickeys," Lamb said.

Lamb then talked about what made "Wishin' and Hopin'" so special. As the author of three highly-acclaimed novels that are each over 500 pages long, a short, quirky Christmas novel was the last thing fans were expecting from Lamb.

Lamb is coming off the success of his latest novel "The Hour I First Believed," which takes place during the Columbine High School shootings. But "Wishin' and Hopin'" is anything but that, which was evident when Lamb began to read from the beginning of the book.

The story chronicles a young boy named Felix surviving, a parochial education in the '60s and the ridiculous and entertaining events that unfold. Lamb has a gift for references and descriptions that recall awkward school days, whether they be about sharpening a pencil without permission or first forays into sexuality.

Many attendees enjoyed the reading. Mandi Casolo, a 7th-semester English and communications double major and Daily Campus graphics manager said, "I love that he was so animated [during the reading] he made the characters come alive." Another highlight of the evening was his question and answer session, where he relived a startling moment that occurred on his book tour. After speaking at a book store near the town where the Columbine shooting occurred, he was signing autographs and the next man in line introduced himself as the father of one of the gunmen in the Columbine shooting. According to Lamb, he and the father have traded e-mails and spoken about the events. Sal Faella, a 7th-semester history major confessed, "I didn't even know he had written a book about Columbine," and agreed that the story was the highlight of the evening.

Lamb's book "Wishin' and Hopin'" is on sale at the Co-op.