A favor ...

Well, it’s showtime. I’ve been barraging you with a never-ending stream of “Did I mention I wrote a book about Harry Houdini,” lines for more than a year. Now, finally, the book is escaping, appearing in bookstores, unlocking wonder and all other Houdini cliches that come to mind.

I’ll be doing my book launch event with Nick Offerman in, oh, about three hours at the Last Bookstore in Los Angeles. To be more precise, the event is 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 21. It’s not too late to get tickets if you happen to be in the area.

But what I’d like to do is ask you a favor. You don’t owe me any favors. You certainly don’t have to do it. But I will ask.

I don’t know if you have noticed but we are in a pretty unusual time in American history. The news besieges us from all sides, no matter which side you happen to be on. It’s exhausting, and it’s never-ending, and it’s so loud and ear-piercing that there is almost no way for anything to get through.

Now, in that environment, go ahead and try to tell people about a book focused around a Vaudeville star from a hundred years ago.

But I want to try. I am so proud of this book for so many reasons that I’ve been sharing with you for a long time. It was a big gamble for me, going way out of my comfort zone, going out of sports, taking on a world I knew almost nothing about. It was also impossibly fun. I love the way it turned out. I do want to let people know.

So here’s my request: On Tuesday, Oct. 22 — that is publication day — I’d love it if you would take just a few seconds and tweet or Instagram or Facebook something about the book. It can be as simple as, “Hey, ‘The Life and Afterlife of Harry Houdini’ comes out today.” You can obviously add and subtract as you will.

I’ll be on the lookout for your posts, will like them, etc. I’m just hoping that maybe, against all odds, we might be able to make Houdini trend in the middle of all this madness, even for a few moments.

Anyway, that’s the dream. Grateful as always for you. I’m going to get ready for my big event with Nick Offerman now. I wanted to grow a mustache for Nick, but I failed miserably and will show up clean shaven but happy.