If you’re not doing anything this Friday, July 31st, why not come to the fundraiser at the Hotchkiss Library in Sharon, CT, where I will be signing books?
It won’t be just me (and I won’t be making this face, promise), many of your favorite authors will be there including Frank Delaney, Michael Korda, playwright David Rabe and Francine Du Plessix Grey. It starts at 6:00, the admission is $25.00 and that includes an open bar! And it’s for a great cause – a library!
Hope I see you there. Sharon is a beautiful town. Speaking of beautiful towns, I’m in Manhattan again this week. Last night I went to see West Side Story with my daughter and some friends. Midtown has been a mess all summer because the mayor came up with this crazy scheme of closing off traffic in Times Square and opening the blocks up to pedestrians and sitters.
Yes, the city has put down bleachers and lawn chairs right in the middle of Times Square so that people can sit back on their haunches and look at the traffic that is log-jammed for miles, because of them. My daughter is EXTREMELY tired of hearing me gripe about this.
Here’s the leaning tower of Samsung.
The play was fun. All the great songs and dancing. All the “Daddy-O” and those menacing West Side dancing/snapping finger gangs (one note to the wardrobe director – maybe have the guys tuck the backs of their thongs inside their jeans). The hopelessly corny love banter between Maria and Tony and then all the pretty young men fighting each other to the death with lethal ballet spins and those crazy jazz kicks. Jazz kicks will send you flying and lay you flat out, even if they never make contact with your body. I learned that last night. Beware of the jazz kick if you ever find yourself alone at night, on Manhattan’s West Side. You’re fine on the East Side.
Ann, the library cause sounds like a wonderful time, wish I could make that one. Oh, summer in the city, traffic as far as the eye can see. Chicago is finally fixing all the potholes, so we have road construction for days.
Good morning Ann! Went to see West Side Story when we were in NYC in April. I just loved seeing the play. There is something very different when you see the film and then see live theater. I found it quite exciting! Wish I was in the East to attend the booksigning. Our local bookstore, Harry Schwartz, went out of business recently and they were the only store that had regular author visits and signings. Borders and Barnes and Noble have very infrequent author visits. We need to help support our local booksellers and libraries, so I hope you have a good turnout on Friday.
Ok seriously calling the real estate agent this is becoming more and more painful every time you mention something cool you are doing. And I absolutely love the way you show me the city life.But “Green acres is the place for me….yada yada” you know the tune..Thanks again Ann
I would love to come to the book signing, but I just google mapped it, and it’s a little over 4 hours each way! I’d have to get a hotel room and stay overnight. So I won’t be able to do it. I’m envious of anyone who lives close enough and can attend.
That picture of you is hysterical Ann! Very cute and so you. I love it.
Ann, I resent the pics last night. Hopefully you got them this time.
I finally got the pictures from Kim’s and my day on Fire Island up the other day. Here’s the link, click on Drag Queen Invasion to see them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31419505@N03/sets/
There are a lot of them, I took about 230 pictures! Once I deleted the bad ones, these are what I have. I added some of Kim’s pictures to the set. I think you’ll all get a kick out of them.
We had the best time that day, and Kim, her husband Joe, and I hit it off instantly. We’re now going to the Miss Fire Island Pageant (Drag of course!) on Sept 12. Can’t wait!
Candy, – cmon, you know we have two seasons in Chicago – winter and pothole.
Ann:
Sign lots of books and have fun on your fundraiser!.
And looking forward to reading the study about the experiments on doggies about ‘guilt’. Really am.
It is like when you read the paper and they refer, as if passing by, to some results that somebody concluded on, but they do not explain how did they reach those conclusions…
And so..
Just my luck: yet another opportunity to attend one of Ann’s book-signings within a long stone’s-throw of my house…and I’m out of town! Oh, well… At least I have a good excuse: I’m currently vacationing in Iowa (honest!) and will then be traveling to Chicago to visit with my nephew for a couple of days.
Hi Ann,
I would love to attend the book signing. However I am sooooo far away. Far away enough to pine after the autumn foliage of New England. The autumns I experience are lovely in their own ways, but quite meek in comparison to places like Vermont or Maine. The bookstores around here rarely invite authors. I wonder why? I think it’s time I make a suggestion.
It’s hilarious that the mayor of NY allows lawn chairs to be placed in Times Square.
Annie M.
I enjoyed looking at the pics of your Drag Queen Invasion, Kim. Looked like you all were having a blast. The pics of you and the “gals” reading Ann’s book was a good one.
I do believe that’s the first photo I’ve seen of Kim too.
: )
Whoops! I meant to say “enjoyed the pics, Tracy. I knew you were the one who put them up.
: )
Ann- I wish I could make the event. Sounds like it will be a wonderful time.
Wendy- I oversee the booksignings for the Borders stores in Milwaukee too. The problem is with the economy the way it is the pubishers aren’t touring as many authors as in the past. Schwartz would get all of the signings but now that they’re gone the pubs aren’t including Milwaukee. Some are even bypassing Chicago too.
It’s so crazy. Most people don’t realize that the publishers pay for all or most of the tour travel costs ( airfare, hotel, car service)depending on the author when a book first comes out so it can be really expensive.
We’ve been trying to create fun activities for customers. Lots of weekend kids parties, book clubs, etc. We love our communities…I promise!!!
No problem Annie, I knew who you meant.
Glad you liked them.
Annie: Lets hope thats the last photo you’ll see of me. The day was a total blast but between the sun, the beach, every vision we took in and lets not forget the drinking………well, by night end we were all looking like Nick Nolte’s mug shot. Great job Trace!!!!!
I just may come to that fundraiser if I can find a sitter. Sounds awesome!
I didn’t know that about Times Square. It’s been too long since I’ve take a day trip out there.
Yes Annie, it was a day of a little too much sun, a little too much drinking (maybe a lot too much???), and laughing so hard and so often that my sides hurt for a couple days after.
Kim, we’ll just have to take better ones of ourselves at the Miss Fire Island Pageant! hehehe
Sorry Ann, but I love the pedestrian areas in Times Square. It is a great idea for that area, it makes it much safer to walk around in because now you don’t have to fear the traffic when you have to walk into the street to get around all of the wide eyed tourists. It’s actually very relaxing to sit in the chairs and take in the sights.
I know it was an experiment to see how badly it affected traffic, but haven’t seen anything about what the verdict is.
Hi Wanda and thanks for the info about the bookstores in Milwaukee. I frequent the Borders in Fox Point has it is right next door to my grandaughter’s ballet class, and I always wondered why there weren’t more author’s coming to the stores other then Harry Schwartz. It’s such a shame because I loved when Schwartz’s brought the authors in to read from their books. We are missing something here in the Midwest not being able to get author visits, and it is too bad because book lovers live here too!! Hopefully, when the economy picks up, authors will see fit to come our way!
Ann:
President Obama’s birthday is August 6th, which make him a Leo?. I know you and your husband are Leos.
I continue to watch old movies, and reading books and continue to steer towards the old ~ Brando and his magnificent work, to his end. He just had it in him. He should have worked much more for me to enjoy.
More documentaries and movies about recent political figures. Amazing stuff.
Soon, all of this shall conclude and another journey shall start and I do think I am headed for Los Angeles…and looking forward to it.
In the meanwhile, I am reading till I ‘drop’. I suppose unless you know everything from the past, have legislative knowledge, read all of the papers, watch all of the news, and can guess ahead, we cannot know what is happening until it has. Must be an expert on all things?. Car mechanic too?
And a funny note. My friend is taking a bike trip to napa; they have the young daughter; and she felt the need to have a will readied up. New parents are like that… And the funnier part?: she tells me early in the morning while she is on her way to work. Her trip is tomorrow. Today is Thrusday. I guess she had the attorney draw ‘the papers’ yesterday..because? she is going to be gone for three days. Sweet or what.
Ann,
Hello, Times square with lawn chairs, sounds scary….Glad you and your daughter had a great time seeing West Side Story. Never saw it “live”, but watch it everytime on the television. Would love to go to the book signing, but gotta work. Maybe one of these times I’ll manage to get there. Hope everyone is well, HAve a great weekend.
Dear Ann,
Have a great signing!I would love to be there, but instead will be in Saskatchewan—the home province of the late, great Ace Bailey— visiting my sweet parents.If only I could be two places at once! Your pic suggests that an Ann Leary event is fun, to say the least!
Tracy-I’m tempted to hang my camera up and concede the Ann Leary photo contest to you—Fire Island and drag queens—what more can I say?
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Lynne, you made me laugh so hard. That’s what Kim & I are hoping! hehehe It was such a fantastic day, & we hit it off instantly. I look at the pictures and start laughing all over again.
Have a good trip. I was just on the phone for a business call with someone in Saskatchewan. Who’d have thought I’d hear Saskatchewan twice in one week!
Ann:
Again, enjoy your signing!. We we all be there in spirit.. the best available way.
I watched two more movies…
In 1950s England, Stella Raphael, a restless, beautiful woman, desperately desires to find in romantic love the one thing that will change everything. When her husband Max, an ambitious forensic psychiatrist, is appointed Deputy Superintendent at a high-security psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane, Stella and her young son come with him to live on the grounds. Being in proximity of madness…
Well, this is the depiction on the movie. My take on it was twofold: how in the world can a normal female (maybe she was not) fall in lust with a patient, when she knows what he did before?…
And the ‘killer’: the role played by the ill patient is a georgeous male (forget name) and I was thinking to myself: ‘don’t do THAT to me’. I mean, put a more despicable looking hominid in there, so I do not get ‘attached’ to the role/person.
Same thing with another movie “The Black Dalia”, whereby ~ and this was a while back.. in the L.A. area, again, roles played by gorgeous males, who are nuts.
So I shall go get over my disappointment and watch something else tonight, as I have had my fill of politics. Then again…
And another thing, Ann:
How about planning a get together for the publishing of your third book??
That would give some of us time to ready up for things!.
Ann,
I was actually going to try to go to the book signing tonight; but I talked myself out of it. My husband has to work late, the weather is really bad here (wicked thunderstorms predicted this evening) and I hate to go to things by myself. You would literally be the only person that I would know there!!!! The Hotchkiss Library is about an hour and a half away from me, which isn’t bad, but I don’t know what the drive home would be like. I have to learn to stop talking myself out of things.
Maybe they’ll be another event like this soon. Have a great time and drive safely.
Christine
Hope your fundraiser book signing went well. Any plans for the fall book signing in Los Angeles?
Must go put eye ointment in Shantidog’s eyes now. It’s a 2 person task, hubby holds his head, while I apply the ointment in his eyes. (He has a nasty case of an infection in both eyes…) poor pup…feeling better today though. Yesterday he was not so good….
Thanks for the past couple of posts, I’ve enjoyed them.
Ann,
Hope the book signing was a sucess. The weather in my little piece of the universe was nasty…rain and T-Storms. Eventually I will make it to one of them. Hope all is well with everyone. Have a great weekend.