Tonight I attended a frilly book-and-wine promotion event sponsored in part by a Large NY Publishing House and a Local Wine Boutique. The acclaimed novelist who put me in touch with Real NYC Agent #1 (there will be more) was the featured author so I decided to go, meet her face-to-face, and thank her for her kindness.
It was an event aimed at book group ladies of a certain socioeconomic sector, and while I am technically a member of this sector, I cannot count myself among their number. For starters, I DON'T HAVE KIDS and book group ladies ALL have kids. I was asked by several that I made chit-chat with if I had children and when I answered no, a door closed. There was also much chatter about the calories in all the cheese that was being served. Also, I don't have kids.
These ladies are usually very polite and I was held up as a beacon of good table manners, which confused the hell out of me. Just because I was eating my dried jamon iberico (hello, Espana!) with a fork and knife because THIS WAS A PROFESSIONAL OUTING AND THERE WERE SALES REPS FROM RANDOM HOUSE THERE HOLY CRAP! I was even wearing dress shoes.
Anyway, Novelist was very gracious and we had a nice chat about writing. But the big payoff of the night was when
(drumroll)
I WON THE DRAWING.
There were four winners, and my name was the 4th to be pulled. But I won a stack of paperbacks all tied up with a green ribbon. So four freshly printed paperbacks, plus Novelist's new novel (included in price of admission), equaling five novels (novels!) are now in my possession.
This event also featured the BEST CRACKERS I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. You don't really think about the quotidian substrate that is crackers, but these kicked ass. I also bought a bottle of the tumultuous, smoky, unresty (not the band) merlot that I was warned was "rugged" by the wine guy. Rugged indeed. It sort of tastes like someone dropped a barbecued pork chop and a roasted marshmallow in the wine.
IN OTHER NEWS, Mr. Natural and I have officially parted ways. The last couple of times I ate there, I didn't enjoy it so much. Today at lunch, I felt very sick to my stomach as I ate my food. There was nothing wrong with it per se, except maybe carrots and cheese should not be mixed together. I don't know. The food just had a soggy mop feel to it. I spent most of the afternoon wishing I had lunched at Bouldin instead. At any rate, my love affair with Mr. N has gone south. Goodbye, Mr. Natural.
Posted by Zerd at March 11, 2008 09:13 PMHello. I found your blog via the Austin Writer Grrls, but I believe we also have a certain hujhax-shaped friend in common.
How does one find out about these gatherings in Austin? I have a difficult time pinpointing readings, let alone finding swank and bookish wine and cheese parties. Please let me in on your secret?
Posted by: Chicklit at March 11, 2008 11:53 PMHi Chicklit! Yes, we have La Pierre Roget in common. Have we met before? Should we be writer pals? I'm always looking for more. e-mail me at mo at austinimprov dot com
Posted by: Mo at March 12, 2008 12:50 PM