Daniel replies:

You know, I almost never do those things--once in a while if they are local and the people at the bookstore or school or whatever are nice. Thing is, I never got the point. So you like the work of a writer, why would you want to then see him? I would think you'd try to avoid finding out that the writer is a boring or obnoxious person, (usually the case). I had lunch not long ago with a famous writer, (he turned out to be nice, so it was ok), and he had just met a really really famous person who behaved like a swine and badmouthed people, and was horrible, and the famous writer was grateful that I was merely boring and not obnoxious. I had some excellent soup, and a pretty good sandwich. I might do something of the kind again in a year or two.