My four months of self-imposed exile has come to an end. I went to America to write my book. To Los Angeles in fact. I know some people will instantly shriek in horror at the idea of a someone going to Los Angeles to write a book, usually those who either have never been there themselves or who don’t know the place well, but we shan’t have that argument all over again. I wrote a blog on that very subject some ago. Let me just say the town suited me perfectly. I was up in the Hollywood Hills, just below the well-known sign. It was like being in the country, invaded as my house was by racoons, skunks, deer and, from time to time, wildcats. The weather was charming without being absurd, the people ditto. I write in the mornings, the very early mornings, from about 5am till lunchtime, which allows afternoons and early evenings for other things. Bed by nine if I can and then the same the next day and the next and the next until it’s done. A peculiar life, but it seems to be the only way to coax a book out of me.
In case you forget where you are
In that writing period I have, as I explained to my followers, more or less abandoned Twitter. There were one or two exceptions, my journey to San Francisco for the iPad launch and a trip to Barcelona for the World Mobile Congress. I hope now that I’m back that I can resume a tweeting life, but I hope too that I will be forgiven if I do not instantly accede to every request to tweet or retweet on behalf of charitable instiutions, birthdays, political affiliations, injustices and other causes. I would rapidly lose my followers if my twitter feed became nothing more than a charity bulletin board.
I start life back in Britian with recordings for sixteen more QI programmes, so I shall be hitting the ground running. I also have various speaking engagements for causes I support and shall be busy writing speeches and preparing addresses as well as revising the book and catching up on the mountain of obligations and correspondence that my absence has necessarily occasioned. So, once again, I hope those who are looking to buttonhole me and beg for some of my time will be aware of the fact that while I may be back in Britain very, very few of my hours are my own.
So far as this site is concerned, stephenfry.com – we have plans to develop and enhance. In a few weeks we launch an iPad app on which you can read blogs, blessays, microblogs and other pieces of writing that I publish to this site. We’re testing it at this moment and I’m very pleased with the smooth flow and finish of it. Of course not many in Britain are likely to have an iPad and many would rather eat poo than be seen dead with one, so astonishing has the tribal polarity and antagonism for and against Apple become in the last few months. I shall reflect on that in an upcoming blog. I have the good fortune to have got my hands on some juicy and exciting HTC Android phones, the Desire, the Legend and the Incredible (somebody in the naming department should be spanked) and I will unburden myself on my thoughts on those two as soon as I find the time.
Well, I must go and pack. The plane leaves in a few hours and I should hate to miss it.
Sigh, America will be a little less awesome without you here. Have a safe trip home, and I’m really looking forward to your new book.
well, I like to welcome you back of course.
)
congrats on getting that book done, do give it to the guy with the press so he can make LOTS and LOTS of copies of it and sent one to the Netherlands
have a save flight.
much love
Welcome back! You have been missed of course, but then we’d all the worse off if the world didn’t have your literary output – so all is forgiven
Really Hoping to get to QI recordHings agHain this Hyear…t’was fab..
n
(ps. any launch date for the HTC Spondicious yet?)
Do you ever have a rest, except sleeping at night?:) I admire lots of things about you (well, everything that is visible to a public eye in fact), and your energy isn’t the last thing in this list of love.:)
Congratulations on your book! I’m sure it is as great as ‘Moab is my washpot’. Can’t wait to read it.
Have a safe flight home. It’s so good to have you back in a neighbour timezone and on Twitter. You’ve been missed hugely (you’re well aware of this, I’m afraid… hehe).
You’re really a treasure, Stephen. An international treasure.
xxx
Thats great to hear! Hope you had a great time in US. And lovely photo, btw.
Have a good flight, and congrats on the book. Looking forward to.
Cheers!
Safe journey!
Welcome back Dear Twittermate! You have been missed. Have a good flight back.
Cheers and can’t wait to read the new book. I agree with you that LA is not bad at all (an no I don’t live there).
Unbelievable. I got myself an iPhone today AND you’re back! I can’t decide what’s best… well… actually, I can. ;P
Congratulations on your book, and I hope you’re proud of what it turned out to be.
Overjoyed that you’re back with us, Stephen! Safe trip back home!
*hugs*
Odd – I leave my introductory reply as you leave the country. (I’m packing for the UK, too, but have a few weeks to do it. Would love to be going today…) Send my love to London town. Go safely
x
You shall be missed here in the States, but I wish you a lovely trip home.
Personally, I have never understood the snarkiness towards Apple from those poor PC users. I think it must be some sort of right brain/left brain conflict. If one has actually used an Apple, how can they ever go back to the clunkiness of a PC? Sigh.
I am so looking forward to your book, by the way!
Thank you for writing us.
)
Safe flight x
Great to hear you’ve finished the book, can’t wait to read it!
Beste Grüße aus Deutschland und guten Flug zurück nach Hause!
Good luck with the book
Good to have you back
KSx
Safe journey and welcome back. You have been missed. Would love you to come to the Algarve, Portugal when your book comes out. Its sounds like the Hollywood hills. Anyway its a joy to get your tweets. xxx
You’re leaving Hugh with us, right?
Like the others glad to hear that you are coming back to us. It’s been lonely without you. I know the book will have been worth the misery of the last 4 months of silence on the twitter front. Good flight home and as Fryphile says-”Leave Hugh with us!” Enough already! Cheers! Glad you’re back!
Good to have you back Stephen, I just hope the Apple fayboy nonsense will fade soon. Seriously, an unboxing?
adam
Safe home, Stephen. It’ll be nice to see you in the twitterverse again. You’ve been missed.
“the Desire, the Legend and the Incredible (somebody in the naming department should be spanked)”
Obviously should have been named the Super, the Lovely, and the Gorgeous.
Excited for the book!
Very glad to hear about the book, and the return to Twitter. I hope this will be a good proviso for the (inevitable) tweet solicitations as well.
Note to Fry Followers looking for reflected glory: he’s not a public service – pay a PR person to advertise your work or develop your own list of followers.
Congratulations on the completion of your book! Very exciting it must be to get it done, and be returning home to Britain. In a split second I am real on a mountain of agenda only waiting on your return and no doubt you’ll be as tied down time wise as ever: pretty much business as usual!
Very well done, and all the best for a safe journey home ahead of a busy new `chapter’ of events in the world of Stephen Fry!
Ahh Stephen someone who found the beauty of LA… some years ago I stayed with friends in Studio City in a leavy part and it was delightful.
Love your stuff, watch QI every now and again here in Perth on Aunty ABC. And truly loved your America tour.
Have heard mutterings about “the second person in the UK” ever to have an Apple… mainly from those who are so jealous [Time article]
Looking forward to you back on twitter more often – send some followers my way please
Wayne Mansfield in Perth as close to paradise as you can get on Earth
(First thing’s first–I’m finally convinced that Apple is all right and it’s your fault, Fry. Maybe it was the unboxing that did it. I hope “precious” doesn’t sound insulting or demeaning, but it was absolutely precious in the best of ways.)
I’m 100% excited about this new book and forecasts for more tweeting and blogging, and glad you could find a nice place to write. Congratulations on crossing the finish line, and drive safely back from California now
Since I´m too late to wish you a safe journey, all I can do is wish you the very best for your QI recordings and other engagements. Hope the sun will come out the moment you touch British soil to make it that little bit easier to settle back in and not miss the charming LA weather too much. I´m sure your loved ones will be overjoyed to have you back. Take care. GS xx
Can’t express how happy I am that you’re back. Very happy, very very happy.
x
I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that Britain feels a little warmer knowing you’re back. Looking forward to the book too, as there are few writers who can spark my interest and love of all things English as much as your good self.
I misread that as “those who are looking to butthole me” and thought you’d picked up some dodgy American slang…
Good to have you home, also glad you are doing more QI best programme on television. My thoughts are not to apply for The Weakest Link as everything i have learnt in life has gone out the window since hearing there are 5 moons.
So happy to have you back (on the blog, that is).
Part of my daily writing routine is to let the words of my favourite bloggers kick my ass into gear. With you here, I think I’ll finally be able to get that last chapter down on paper.
So thank you.
ps: am writing in Paris. At least you’re not a living, breathing cliché…
It’s very good adventure.
Welcome back
Good luck with the revisions!
I must admit that I had forgotten about the Stephen Fry blog with the lack in posting, but all it took was one post to get be back into the swing of things.
Glad to hear you are back.
Your iPad app might be reason enough to get it (if I wasn’t already swooning for one in South Africa).
I’m excited to see you back on Twitter! Next time you come to the US, you should stop by Utah State University! I would love to get to know you.
I had my eyes on the Hollywood sign last week, if only I had known Mr. Stephen Fry was there!
Congrats on your new book, I can’t wait to read it! If you could re release Moab is my Washpot with your new book that’d be amazing, because I can’t find a copy anywhere!
Love,
Ariel
Supremely glad to hear of your successful literary sequestration, and even more overjoyed to hear of further episodes of QI being recorded. *anticipation*
Not sure if you read these, but may I thank you for your help in getting me across the finish line yesterday. I ran my very first marathon, in a wretched time, no doubt but the standards of true athletes, but nonetheless completed a course from Avebury to Stonehenge. I could never have done it if you were not in my ear the entire way, reading me the entire volume of the Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Thank you for being the voice that encouraged me to carry on, no matter how improbable!
Welcome back – to say you have been missed is a slight understatement and oh what you have missed, especially your beloved Norwich City Football club.
Great to have you back and please stay and rest for a bit.
x
Well happy return. I hope some day come to Buenos Aires.
I do not think you can write, but will you entertain a lot!!
Congrats for you new book. See you on Twetter.
(And visit us!!)
In the opposite of what happens in the UK, did you know that here is allowed gay marriage?
Welcome back! I finally signed up for twitter about 4 months ago after discovering QI (I’ve recently relocated to the UK) and your Podgrams. I was shocked to find that you were lying low but I understand the compulsion to hide oneself away and write.
Glad to hear you have more things coming for the site. I’m looking forward to the forthcoming app and hope that you’ll consider continuing your Podgrams which I’ve so much enjoyed. Congrats on the completion of your book!
Ste. Stevie. Stevie baby. Stephen. Perhaps. I’ve been watching you. And listening. And reading. For years. Please don’t get scared. just the stuff you have in the shops. You understand. Yes. I’m one of those freaks who may scare you in street with lines you said from Blackaddder. Sadly I am one of those. Although I’m not. As I wouldn’t like to annoy you. Manners maketh Man, Bernard. Despite what Mr. Cleese has to say.
The Stars Tennis Balls. Is amazing. I fecking hate apostrophes. Load of auld wank. Pardon my French. And rudeness. Lets cut to the chase…
I know, as you do, you did almost rip it off. But you didn’t. Ned and Porsche and the rest are as real to me as real peeps are. As Harry E used to say.
All I say is this. Keep up the good work, Ste lad. You do English better than the English do. You’re like Oscar and the Other Stephen – Mr. Morrissey, in that sense.
I ask nothing else. I used to watch A Bit Of Fry & Laurie with my bothersome brother. We often asked each other “What will they do next?”
If only we knew. House is amazing. And you need no more compliments.
Looking forward to The Book.
Keep it cooking. I shall be a reading soon. If only there were more like you about. This world would be a much better place.
Tis appreciated fella. You do good work.
R
Since you don’t like so much the comments, I always think over of whether to leave one or not…
Thank you for the blog, it’s marvelous, and thank you for writing us, – I love when you write/address, as if you really “know” us. That’s always important for me!
I wish I could attend some QI recording, some day
I love you, Stephen *hug*
obviously as eloquent as we would expect, and you make absolute and perfect moral sense. thanks for standing up and being counted for doing what we feel we should and not being ‘tribal’ as you say.
Tell Pamela I can’t help it. I started on Mac, but work says Windows, so I PC.
Wait, I didn’t come here to wank…
I hope you had a nice trip. You now rank up there with deadlines as things that make nice whooshing sounds overhead. I can’t fathom L.A., but I don’t have the money to hang in posh Hollywood, either. We have lots of wildlife in Georgia… come see!
Mostly, very glad to see you back ‘out’ in the virtual world, although why I should beg you to waste your time when you’ve obviously got so much fabulous stuff to do… it must be sheer fannishness on my part.
Dear dear Stephen, we’re so glad to have you back.
Do you remember visiting the Bloomsbury theatre (near the UCL campus, WC1) in London in October last year, before you went to America? You signed an autograph for a boy (who refused to buy your book) “Cheapskate! Love Stephen.xxx” He gave it to me, it persuaded me to be taken out on a date, and now we are very much in love. I am happier for the first time in years (a mixture of the good of you both I think!)
Congratulations on the new book, I hope I can manage to catch you again in London and ask you to sign it for me to give to him. He’s an avid fan and he missed out. If you have time to mail me an autograph that would be super nice and I’d be super grateful. Else I’ll just have to look out for you signing again in the big smoke.
Safe flight, LauraLaurent.xxxx
At least! A new book from my favorite writer! Humor, incisive words and litterary style and sensitive look on our world.
LA for writing? Could we esperate, some day, a guest star apparition at Hugh’s side in md House?
Sorry for torturing the english language but I’m french…
The biggest problem is, the people who can push through political reform don’t want it as it is not in their interests. MP’s are supposed to work for us, in our interests but they are showing themselves to be wholly self satisfying. Politics has to change so that the 23% of people that voted for the Lib dems get 23% of the votes in the commons not the 10% that they are currently entitled to. Without PR anyone in the middle ground may as well not bother voting or fore-go their principles in favour of the two main parties. Viva la revolution.
Wow, Our mutual friend Jesse told me you were hiding out under the Hollywood sign when I visited him recently. But I didn’t know it was this literal. I’m going to put have to go over my ‘tourist style’ picture with the Hollywood sign with a magnifying glass now. Cause I might just have a picture with my favourite famous person after all. Reading your book in the LA hills with the knowledge that you where just a few miles away penning your new book made the place just that more special to a first time visitor.
Congratulations Stephen on finishing your book. I admire your determination and time managing skills. lord knows if I was stuck in LA for four months I wouldn’t get a single letter on paper.
What a pleasure finding your blog! I can almost hear your oh so British -but in a nice way- voice wafting out from the screen.
I’m also happy to hear that you enjoy L.A., being from Griffith Park/Atwater myself (an ex-pat today, though).
Do you KNOW how much pleasure you give people?? I hope you enjoy you as much as we do!