Stop the Presses!!

So, I think I'm a writer.

Emily Gordon at EMDASHES sent me a fedora, a press pass for the hatband, and her trust.... and told me I had my big break...

Annie, Junot, Colm, Donald and Neil.

Once you've covered the beat, you use their first names.

Feel free to read my entries to her site along with her far better done pieces of work.

Do I sense a Pulitzer for my work in journalism?

Hell no.

Am I grateful for Emily following the feed back here when I linked to her?

Yes.

I was able to hear amazing readings by Annie Proulx and Junot Diaz... the men sitting behind me had awarded Annie her first fellowship, which allowed her to write The Shipping News. We chatted about her work, and Junot's work... and about New Orleans, where one of them had just visited.

I gave him the name of Chris Rose's book, One Dead in Attic. He took down the name, and said he'd get a copy.

There was the great woman sitting next to me, who was a storyteller in the Berkshires. She had on a twirly black dress with multi coloured polka dots on it. Her voice was tinged in excitement as she told me, "I used to get this way for the Rolling Stones. You know, the rocker boys. Now, it's the literary women."

The Donald/Colm discussion was softly done... really only gaining a depth when I asked Donald a question he'd asked Colm, "Did you hate your mother?"

He leaned forward then, with an intensity he'd not shown earlier... and at that point, for a few moments... the talk was between the two of us. Two people who have dealt with difficult mothers, who knew that the other was on about.

I met Helen Mills, who owns the venue where it was taking place, it was her new hobby now that her children had grown. There were the tech's who worked there and who said they'd find me a ticket for the next day's morning interview... be there on time.

There was the long ride home, the ferry and the train at 1.30AM.

Up at 8AM this morning, a mad dash to catch the 9AM ferry.... the 1 train was CLOSED??? ARE THEY KIDDING ME???? I had to be at 26th and 7th by 10AM!! Just because I didn't get up at 7.30AM when my alarm went off, why am I being punished??

I did the New York City walk to Wall Street, ran down to the 2, and sat next to Diane.

We both raced for the venue on 26th, tearing downstairs, to be told there were.........tickets. Diane saved me..always trust women with open smiles.. and we were taken to our seats to listen to Neil discuss men. Men in his films, in his plays, in his life.

The man is charming, witty, intelligent, and was propositioned from the audience. Not bad for a 10AM interview.

On my way home, I cruised past Neil outside the Helen Mills Theater, keeping my cool..Ich bein New Yorker! Okay, I lied. I turned left instead of right on 6th, and had to do the spin around, ending up walking in front of his car proving I was no chic New Yorker.

I walked from 26th and 7th to Jack's .99 Cent Store on 34th and Broadway. There, I lounged and shopped and spent far more than .99 Cents. I spent some time talking to two girls up from Boston, who wanted to know where to go, what to do... I suggested a greasy breakfast before they went anywhere.

There was the woman who had grown up in Brooklyn, then moved to Tupelo, Mississippi. She had the best accent I've ever heard. Southern drawl mixed with a few yo's. She'd heard of the little town my mother was from, because it was near a local rehab facility that some of her friends had attended.

A huge parade was starting before I got on the train... Korean flags were everywhere, so, I presume that is what it was all about.

The R train ride to the Ferry ended with me having a long neglected friendship healed, I think. Two people who are not paranoid (that implies you THINK people are out to get you... we KNOW they are) talked instead of writing, and cleared the air. Miss Sof and I chatted, DB and I spoke... and the WeatherGuy called, too.

All in all, it has been a good 36 hours.


Here is my first work in journalism:


Annie Proulx and Junot Diaz

Donald Antrim and Colm Toibin

Neil LaBute, interviewed by John Lahr will be in a post script.... it's not on the site yet.

Journalism isn't my forte. However, I'll do this again in a snap. Thanks, again, Em. It was a hoot.