By Dwayne Nelson (QSP)
Plainwell, MI — On Friday evening a public reading by Andy Mozina at Hometown Used Books devolved into name calling and fisticuffs as an argument between two audience members as to who was a bigger fan of the author ended only after a life-sized cardboard cutout of Mr. Mozina had been destroyed and police separated the two zealous fans.
Carl Hoffman, a retired florist from Dowagiac, MI, and Arnold Brecht, a freelance security officer from Allegan, MI, clashed during Mozina’s reading when Hoffman repeatedly exclaimed, “That’s fantastic” or “That’s brilliant,” within earshot of Mr. Brecht who countered in a loud voice that he liked those parts better than Mr. Hoffman did.
The intense confrontation turned farcical when each man tried to take the cardboard cutout of Mr. Mozina stationed near the book-signing table. Their struggle for control of the cutout predictably ended when the figure was torn in half.
As the two men were led away by police, Mozina repeatedly reminded disturbed onlookers to buy his book.
