Touring Authors’ Secret Weapon: The Literary Escort

“Escorts immediately make you feel as if you had known them for decades. Their duties range from bypassing pileups on I-95 to purchasing double soy lattes to explaining why only one person showed up at your reading in Winnetka. … They are a vanishing feature of the landscape — even though most people are unaware of their existence — a testament to that amazing American ability to create niche careers where no such careers should exist.”