None of Karen Dybis' four books are shelved in the humor category, but the Grosse Pointe Woods author and journalist definitely has a wry wit.
Public appearances to promote her latest title, "Secret Detroit: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful and Obscure," take her to bookstores, libraries, TV studios (video below) and three Costco stores -- a pure Americana setting that's a stage for wackiness, surrealism and potential humiliation.
Sitting at table with paperback stacks as weekend shoppers pass, and occasionally pause, could be draining -- or a refreshing glass half-full of funny observations, which this writer live-tweets.
Her two-hour book signings in Madison Heights on April 22 and in Roseville and Bloomfield Hills this weekend generated a stream of send-ups that may be more entertaining to read than they were to experience:
Costco Signing Chronicles: Failed to eat lunch and now surviving on Costco food samples. Related: The salsa is outstanding.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 29, 2018
Costco Signing Chronicles: A female shopper that passed by my table just ripped open a plastic container of cherry tomatoes, grabbed a handful and started eating them.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 29, 2018
I tried hard not to stare.
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: A lady just told me she wasn’t interested in my book because she and her husband “aren’t readers.”
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
WHAT?!
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: A Dad wouldn’t buy the book for his kid because “he has too many books.”
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
EGAD BAD DAD.
Costco Signing Chronicles: So far, my best selling techniques are staring st people and complimenting their clothing.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 28, 2018
Related: I have no shame.
Costco Signing Chronicles: I love looking into people’s grocery carts and making up stories about what they’re buying and why. Costco is the ultimate for this. The weird stuff in carts is almost beyond imagination. A shovel next to a rotisserie chicken next to a neck brace.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 28, 2018
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: Sold a copy of “Secret Detroit” to a guy who loves Detroit cemeteries. I’ve found my people!
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: A lady just stopped by my table to take one of the mints I brought. Just the mint.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: Cheers to you, dude walking through a windowless warehouse in sunglasses.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
Costco Book Signing Chronicles: A woman just stopped by to pick up the book, not even leaf through it and tell me, “I’ve already been to all of these places.”
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
Rude.
Costco Signing Chronicles: A man just walked by and put his sample garbage in my coffee cup.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 28, 2018
Gross doesn’t cover it.
From event #1:
Book signing at Costco started at 1.
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 22, 2018
1:01 pm: First person asks for directions.#amwriting #authorconfession
From event #2:
Costco Signing Chronicles: Not one person asked me for directions. Success!
— Karen Dybis (@KarenDybis) April 28, 2018