BEA
So I just got back from 3 days in NYC attending BEA, or Book Expo America. It's the largest conference/trade show in the book industry and everyone goes to it. Thursday was full of seminars at the hotel (in Brooklyn, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge), and Friday and part of Saturday I spent at the trade show in Manhattan. So much free food, free alcohol and of course free BOOKS! Among other things, I got a signed copy of A Thousand Splendid Suns (2nd book by the guy who wrote The Kite Runner), a signed copy of The Secret (not that I'll ever read it), a signed copy The invention of Hugo Cabret (looks like an amazing kids book), I got Jonathan Safran Foer (who I LOVE) to sign TWO copies of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close for me, I came back with 2 more huge bags than I went down with (stuffed to the brim with books), IT WAS INSANE, and overwhelming, and I really liked it. I saw Julianne Moore and went to a breakfast panal hosted by Stephan Colbert and here's an interesting non-book thing, I got to hold the Oscar that Rain Man won for Best Picture in 1988. Some guy (I think the producer of the movie) was walking around with it.
Oh, and I started AND finished an entire book in the car ride down, so the weekend (to me) was already a smashing success before I even got to the city. I can't remember the last time I read a book that fast. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, I think it comes out on Tuesday, it was very good. The whole story takes place over the course of a few hours, it's about a virginal young British couple about to have sex on their wedding night. The writing was virginal and British and old-fashioned and I thought, hey, the story is appropriate at least (ha).
I also got to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (which I'd never done) and go to the Ground Zero site (which I'd never done). Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge there was this cool three-piece jazz band playing, and if I hadn't already sent the check to our musicians for our wedding I would have stopped and ask those guys if they'd like to play a wedding in Massachusetts in three weeks. I mean, the guy had a red trumpet. Come on, AWESOME. See this is why I say "planning in advance is for sissies!"
But yes, the only thing I was sad about concerning the trip to NYC was that I wish I could have seen some of my friends in the city while I was down there, but there just wasn't enough time, I was overbooked already (so to speak).
...and today I went to Maine and got TWO tattoos :) So excited about that! And tomorrow I have off! Yessssssssssss.
Oh, and I started AND finished an entire book in the car ride down, so the weekend (to me) was already a smashing success before I even got to the city. I can't remember the last time I read a book that fast. On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, I think it comes out on Tuesday, it was very good. The whole story takes place over the course of a few hours, it's about a virginal young British couple about to have sex on their wedding night. The writing was virginal and British and old-fashioned and I thought, hey, the story is appropriate at least (ha).
I also got to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge (which I'd never done) and go to the Ground Zero site (which I'd never done). Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge there was this cool three-piece jazz band playing, and if I hadn't already sent the check to our musicians for our wedding I would have stopped and ask those guys if they'd like to play a wedding in Massachusetts in three weeks. I mean, the guy had a red trumpet. Come on, AWESOME. See this is why I say "planning in advance is for sissies!"
But yes, the only thing I was sad about concerning the trip to NYC was that I wish I could have seen some of my friends in the city while I was down there, but there just wasn't enough time, I was overbooked already (so to speak).
...and today I went to Maine and got TWO tattoos :) So excited about that! And tomorrow I have off! Yessssssssssss.