On Wednesday April 2, British novelist Lawrence Norfolk will arrive from London, England for a one day visit to Buffalo. The event is one of many hosted by Exhibit X Fiction, a reading series that invites innovative and experimental fiction writers to the Queen City to read from their works in progress. This particular event, however, is as singular for the celebrity of the author—Norfolk has published three historical novels which, together, have sold over a million copies and have been translated into thirty-four languages—as for his paradoxical anonymity. Most US readers simply won’t recognize his name.

The third baseman’s wife is 6’8”. When she goes to potlucks with the players’ wives she is nearly a foot taller than anyone there. The tallest player on the team is only 6’6”. The third baseman is 6’4” and Alana from Croatia, who received a scholarship to play basketball in the United States, is just his cup of tea. Often in the minor leagues, scratching his ass between pitches at the hot corner, he would fantasize about dating an extremely tall woman. They met at a benefit for children with Muscular Dystrophy in Washington D.C. and began to see each other. Eight months later they were married.