Letting it all hang out

More people would rather die than speak in public.  While I've never been comfortable speaking in public, I'm not sure I'd go that far. But it's still pretty high on my list of fears. I hated leading the Friday night news meeting at the newspaper — and I knew all those people, and "all those people" only counted about six.

When I had my very first book event at a local bookstore where most of the audience was friend or family, I took a Xanax to get me through.  I don't have to do that anymore, but I still get butterflies right beforehand.

Yesterday a friend told me something that made me take pause.  Her husband plays in a local band, and the band has been invited to perform — at a nudist colony. His first question was whether the band had to be naked, and he was assured they didn't have to be. But the audience could be.

This takes that idea about imagining your audience in their underwear so you won't be afraid to a whole new level.

The band took the gig, but I'm not sure I could do it, stand in front of a group of people who are naked and talk about my books like I'm at any other library or bookstore event. It's not that I'm not for being naked, but there's a time and place for that and it seems like it would be rather distracting.

What about you writers out there?  Would you do it?  Would you do it naked?

And for you readers, what do you think?

And for all of you: What's your greatest fear?

Karen

Comments

[J.D. Rhoades]

Bears.

[Patti Abbott]

My husband, a professor for 35 years, still feels sick before every class. I guess it never goes away.

[David Terrenoire]

Trust me, no one, and I mean no one, would want to see me perform naked. But a naked audience, yeah, I could do that.

Greatest fear? Waking up Republican.

[Lori G. Armstrong]

Heck yeah I'd present in front of a nudist colony. But naked? No way.

As for fears, naming them gives them more power so I'll keep quiet.

[Charlene Teglia]

Allen Ginsberg read naked, but I'm not sure I would have wanted to see it. Do it myself, never. A naked audience, er, I'd probably be distracted by worrying about people getting splinters in awkward places.

[spyscribbler]

Would I do it naked? NO! Ohmigosh, I'm having heart palpitations just thinking of it. And I'd probably be a silly schoolgirl if everyone else was naked. I'd be blushing, trying not to look, giggling because I was embarrassed, and unable to look away.

It would not be pretty, LOL.

(But I think it's uber-cool your friend's band has a gig in a nudist colony.)

[J. Carson Black]

My luck. I started out as an opera singer, but I hated getting out and performing in front of people. So I become an author, which is what I really wanted to do. Then it turns out I have to perform in front of people.

[J. Carson Black]

I'm sorry to hear that Allen Ginsberg read naked.

Just the thought of it makes me what to put my eyes out.

[AlisonGaylin]

Ginsberg. Nude. RIP and all that, but talk about a HOWL! Yikes. As for reading nude... how high is the podium?

[Louise Ure]

I know that Rhys Bowen, David Corbett and Cara Black did readings to a book club at a nudist colony a couple of years ago. They said they got a kick out of it ... and that books were often held to cover the most private parts. Not sure I could have signed them afterward.

[Mary Stella]

When I was 17, my summer job was with a local radio station. Some of the djs hired out for parties on weekends and I sometimes picked up extra money by helping schlep equipment.

A local nudist camp hired one of the guys to spin records at their party. My father forbade me to go.

Could I do a booksigning naked? No way. Could I do a booksigning and talk for a bunch of nude people? I think I would have to, even if for no other reason than I'd get to blog about the experience.

[Allison Brennan]

I'm with Lori. I'm not going to name my fears.

I have no problem speaking in public. It's usually the first five minutes that I have the hardest time. But I usually wing it and do fine. I'm giving my first real "speech" this October. I.e., not a workshop or speaking to a small group, but a REAL speech that, like, needs a theme and beginning and middle and end and all that stuff. I'm a bit panicked over it. But I wouldn't imagine the audience naked.

Now, if the audience was filled with Jensen Ackles and Johnny Depp and Gerard Butler . . . no, I probably wouldn't be able to speak then, either.

[norby]

I have a BA in public communications-my college courses included lots of public speaking classes. My advisor, who was also the prof for many of the classes I took, told us once that if we ever got up in front of a group to speak and found that we weren't nervous, or we didn't have at least some butterflies, then we really had nothing to worry about, because we had died and gone to heaven. And dead people have nothing to worry about.

So make the best of your butterflies, and one thing I usually found out is that the audience is usually on your side, so use that to your advantage.

[Libby]

Actually, my day job is to train people to be better speakers. And speaking in public is always the #1 human fear... beats out fear of flying (my personal biggie)... even fear of death.

I usually tell clients that they're nervous because they're thinking it's a performance. That they've got to be "perfect"... I suggest that instead, they think about what that audience needs to hear, feel, and do as a result of their talk. By focusing outward... on the audience, rather than themselves, speakers can relax. They don't have to be perfect... all they have to do is communicate. Takes tremendous pressure off the whole activity.

[Karen Olson]

I'm still reeling from the naked Ginsberg. Yikes.

So consensus seems to be that most don't seem to mind the idea of a naked audience. Interesting...

[Jen of a2eatwrite]

First off, I'd never speak naked. There are limits. Period.

Would I speak to nudists? I'd hope so. I have to say, though, that when I was much, much younger I was traveling through Europe and ended up in that huge city park in Munich where nudists are common (as are everyone... and everything... else), and I was annoyed with my traveling companions, because their main interests in Europe seemed to be to find the nearest Wendy's and laugh at the "quaint" Europeans. Well, they were gawking at the nudists and I was determined to take it all in stride. And then I saw a group of male volleyball players. And, um, parts of their anatomy were flying around in synch with their playing and it was... funny. And I just lost it. So much for not being an ugly American.

[david terrenoire]

Jen,

That's one of the big problems with naked athletics. Things flop around and it's highly uncomfortable, as much as it is amusing.

[Karen Olson]

LOL Jen!

[Jeff Shelby]

There have been several times in my life where I've been "forced" to run naked in public, including once thru a grocery store.

I believe it strengthens the soul.

[Terri B.]

Well, this is something I've never thought about! I don't tend to get nervous when speaking, but I think I would have a few problems speaking to a crowd of naked people. I'm sure I would devolve into jr. high giggling (just thinking about this makes me giggle). I'd pretty much have to speak to the blank spot on the back wall in order to get through it! Hopefully, I will never be called on to speak to naked people.

[kathy]

In my opinion, the type of people who frequent nudist colonies are the type of people I wouldn't like to see naked. We're not exactly talking Hugh Jackman or Pamela Anderson here.