The book tour Part 3
New York City: KGB Bar (with Lynne Tillman)
On Sunday night, I had the pleasure of reading together with Lynne Tillman at KGB Bar. We had a large and enthusiastic crowd. I read one of the last chapters, which requires a lot of setting. I might have given away too much of the plot, but I can’t help it. Once I start talking about the book, I can go for hours. I was also interviewed for the KGB magazine. I don’t know when they’re going to upload the interview, but if you want to check it out, go to http://www.kgbbar.com/lit/live. Thanks to all of you who came to hear me read despite the weather. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Thanks also to Suzanne Dotino, curator of the Sunday night reading series at KGB, for inviting me to read. After the reading, many of us went to Inoteca (http://www.inotecanyc.com), an amazing Italian restaurant downtown. Good food, good wine, good friends, good times.
Audience Highlights: Miguel Falquéz-Certain (a Colombian poet and friend), Alejandro Aragón, (a Colombian writer who came all the way from Vancouver to celebrate my book), my favorite couple: Melissa & Lucas and their rowdy and awesome friends, gorgeous Akiko, Janet, and Sarah Heller, and many, many more.
Brooklyn: Barnes & Noble/Park Slope
Another successful reading, thanks to Maria Celis-Hampton of Barnes & Noble. She started the event by telling us how much the staff at B & N loved Tales from the Town of Widows.She said they’re recommending it to all Brooklyn book-lovers. The reading wasn’t as crowded as KGB’s, but I can’t complain, the turnout was great for a Monday night, plus the audience was pleasant and very receptive: quality before quantity. I’ve been reading a different chapter at every event. It’s fascinating to watch people’s reactions to specific scenes or sentences. Humor has always been a safe choice for me, but I’m discovering that moving sections are just as effective. Thanks to Rick Murphy and fiancé-to-be (hopefully) Lindsay, who after the reading took us to a great spot in Park Slope (I can’t remember the name though I only had ONE beer), and showed us why Brooklyn “is the place to be.”
Audience Highlights:
David, a really cool Colombian guy who works at B & N/Park Slope, with whom I had a nice chat before the reading; Susan and Don (Lucas’s wonderful and “unconventional” parents. Will you adopt me?); wonderful Lisa Shea; Lauretta Charlton from Harper Collins; Michael and fiancé who came all the way from Long Island; and a homeless guy who didn’t have a clue about what was going on… Oh, well, at least he stayed warm and, most importantly, among books.
