A meet and greet discussion between best-selling authors John Grisham and Sue Grafton held at the Kentucky Theater Wednesday night was hijacked by local lawyer and king of aliases Darryl Isaacs who entered the event carrying a VHS copy of The Firm for Grisham to sign.
“I keep it on the shelf between Kentucky Revised Statutes and Judge Judy’s E! True Hollywood Story,” Isaacs said in reference to his prized VHS tape. Then he pulled out the magnetic tape so he could read from his favorite chapter.
Grisham was in town promoting his newest legal thriller The Rooster Bar. Isaacs, a known fan of Roosters, the local sports bar, kept asking him how he gets his wings. “I like all drummies,” Isaac said.
The moderator attempted to take the microphone but Isaacs said he hadn’t finished questioning the witness yet. “Don’t you think it would be more realistic if your lawyer characters constantly gave themselves new nicknames?” the Heavy Hitter/Kentucky Hammer/Indiana Jones Impersonator asked.
Isaacs told the two literary giants present that he wrote all his own bus ads. “Most people read OUR work on the bus,” he said gesturing with his thumb at himself and Grisham. He even offered to create Grisham’s next dust jacket, promising lots and lots of smoke. All he asked in return was that Grisham make the villain in his next book mesothelioma.
Then he tried to buy The King of Torts title from Grisham before he realized that tort does not stand for tortellini.
The moderator unplugged the microphone only to discover that Isaacs brings a hammer-shaped megaphone with him everywhere he goes. “HOW MANY NICKNAMES DO YOU HAVE, JOHN?” he asked before he was escorted out by security.
After Isaacs had been removed, an obviously nervous Gary Becker shakily held the Q&A microphone and asked, “Permission to approach the bench?”