Every summer, the East Hampton Library sponsors “Author’s Night,” to raise money and to see how it can be in large tent.
On Saturday, more than a thousand locals jammed into said tent pitched at Herrick Park to support the library and to see which writers are most popular.
The authors are stationed three to a table with piles of their books, which they sign for customers who pay on their way out. Unless you’ve got an outside corner table, the chances of passing out while wearing Lily Pulitzer or Prada are fairly high.
The joke is, it’s the best way to lose weight in two hours!
The guests are often as interesting as the writers. This year, celebs like Alec Baldwin moseyed around surveying the chaos. I ran into the great soap actress and now documentarian Ilene Kristen (of “Ryan’s Hope” fame). Famed NY TV news personality Lynn White glowed, and not just from perspiration! There was no sign of Howard Stern, but wife Beth Stern was busy signing books from the beginning to the end.
Writers with longest lines and fastest disappearing piles of books included the eminent Robert Caro, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Beth Stern (wife of Howard), and famed publicist Norah Lawlor, whose “Mom’s Book of Wisdom: Timeless Advice from My Mother & Yours,” sold out like lightning — 100 copies signed and gone in the first two hours.
Tom Freston had his memoir of starting MTV, David Margolick’s excellent history of Sid Caesar, and Tom Junod’s recollections of his unique father were all hits. I ran into comedy writer Carol Leifer, news personality Don Lemon, and the great society chronicler Michael Gross. Fan favorites included Valerie Greenberg, Monty Farber and Amy Zerner, Susan McGuirk, Aphrodite Jones, and Karine Jean-Pierre.
Jay McInerney — celebrating more than 40 years of “Bright Lights, Big City” — left early with a big stack of his latest novel unsold.
Maybe my favorite author? New York Times architecture guru Paul Goldberger. He’s written many bestsellers, his original one — “The City Observed” — is like a bible of New York city history. He told me it’s not in print right now! What? Goldberger’s book launched a lifetime of websites and books about vanished landmarks. Some publisher must bring it back immediately!
PS How much did I spend? Eighty-two dollars! And well worth it.
