Skip to content

Nerdfighting IRL

2008-05-11 · letter vlog · Hank · 4:53 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Nerdfighteria (also: Books & writing) · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, guest or collab, community lore, civic or action cta

Hank recaps the brothers' first public event, with Maureen Johnson at a Grand Rapids library, where 97 Nerdfighters came, using fans' footage; he thanks the Michigan Library Association and asks viewers to request visits via Eventful.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — The expected turnout grows from 16 to 60 to 97 Nerdfighters; the event filmed from many angles, footage used with permission

  • ★★★ Hank recounts that the turnout expected at the Kent library grew from a misheard 16 to 60; about 75 were there on arrival and 97 Nerdfighters by the end, in a very small room. — 00:00:00 · Maureen Johnson, Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Hank says the event was filmed by many cameras, including some fairly prominent YouTubers such as Mike Lee, and he uses their footage from YouTube with permission, linked in the sidebar. — 00:00:44 · YouTube

00:01:22 — Montage of the intro footage: Corey introduces them; backstage 'we thought it was going to be like ten people'

00:02:21 — The inaugural Maureen Johnson happy dance; John reads Paper Towns, Maureen reads Suite Scarlett; Hank plays songs on a borrowed guitar; the crowd knows Accio Deathly Hallows; Happy Birthday sung to Hank

  • ★ Hank says he is glad John is good at handling a big crowd, because he wasn't. — 00:02:21 · John Green
  • ★★ Hank shows the inaugural Maureen Johnson happy dance from three angles filmed by Nerdfighters, calling it possibly the most important thing that happened that night. (playful) — 00:02:21 · Maureen Johnson, Happy dance (practice), Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ At the event John read from Paper Towns and Maureen Johnson read from her new book Suite Scarlett, which Hank says viewers can buy via the sidebar. — 00:02:21 · John Green, Paper Towns, Maureen Johnson
  • ★★ Hank had not brought his guitar, so he played songs on one that an audience member, whose videos he knew, had brought in his car just in case. — 00:02:21
  • ★★★ Hank says everyone knowing the words to Accio Deathly Hallows felt like being a rock star in a library full of nerds, a room with more awesome than any concert hall; it moved him. (playful) — 00:03:03
  • ★★ Hank says he also wanted to cry when a crowd sang him Happy Birthday; he explains that clip was of librarians, some of them Nerdfighters. — 00:03:03

00:03:32 — The Michigan Library Association conference made the trip possible; thanks to its organisers, especially Corey

  • ★★ John, Maureen and Hank went to Grand Rapids because the Michigan Library Association asked them to speak at its conference; Hank thanks its organisers. — 00:03:32 · John Green, Maureen Johnson

00:04:12 — They want to do more events: request them on eventful.com; montage amnesty for going over; sign-off and song clip

  • ★★★ Hank says the event made them realise they kind of want to do this more, and they are thinking about doing more events. (hedged) — 00:04:12
  • ★★★ Hank asks viewers to request the brothers' presence in their city on eventful.com, linked in the sidebar; many already have. — 00:04:12
  • ★ Hank says he went over time but has been granted amnesty because the video had a montage (several). (playful) — 00:04:12 · Four-minute rule

In the description and comments

  • ★★ A Nerdfighter, J272 (Mason), has put the whole Grand Rapids event up on YouTube for anyone who wants to watch it all. — video description · YouTube
  • ★ The song at the end of the video is 'Nerdfighter Till the End' by Bill Martin. — video description

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Central: Maureen Johnson

Also: Works: Accio Deathly Hallows · Paper Towns · Suite Scarlett

Organizations: Eventful · Kent District Library · YouTube

Rituals: Four-minute rule · Happy dance (practice)

Places: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Only in the description or credits: Bill Martin · Mason · Michigan Library Association · Mike Lee · Nerdfighter Till the End

← Previous: From the Airport: And some Nerdfighterlike · Next → Hank's Punishment (ugh...I don't believe uploading this...)