“[Hardwick] understood at the bone the willful transgression implicit in the literary enterprise — knew that to express oneself was to expose oneself, that to seize the stage was to court humiliation — and she accepted the risk.”
-Joan Didion, New York Review of Books (speaking of the late Elizabeth Hardwick) (via my dearest friend)
I […]

If you had to encapsulate the whole of your life into six words, which words would you choose? Which words articulate who you are, who you were, or who you will become? Your life. In six words.
When Hemingway famously wrote, “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn,” he proved that an entire story can be […]

The clip above is from the remarkable film, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, which was based on the real-life memoirs of Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor-in-chief of French Elle magazine, who suffered a massive stroke at age 43 and was left completely paralyzed. The only way he could communicate with others was by blinking […]

The president of my imprint sits in the office adjacent to mine, and since we’re the only ones in before 10am, we find ourselves chatting through our respective offices while our fingers scramble mad on our keyboards. Sometimes we talk about music or a particular book we’re reading, however, yesterday he comes over and […]

*Reading: I’m on a Mishima spree! I’ve picked up Confessions of a Mask, as well as the fourth book in his master tetralogy, The Decay of the Angel. To note, I have the new Michael Pollan book in the hopper. And btw, snaps to the bff for shipping my ass some copies of the […]

“Staring at the ceiling, I thought of my father’s habit of collecting rocks. He is still a traveling salesman, and if finds a rock he likes he will put it in the back of his car and bring it home and add it to his garden. He has hundreds of these rocks, from smooth […]

Today was the best day ever. Essentially, I’ve peaked, because, quite honestly, it can’t get any better than this. I spent the day with my best friend, trolling bookstores, sipping hot coffee, indulging in buttery coconut macaroons, sampling dresses from Japanese designers, and speaking with some of my favorite booksellers. St. Mark’s Bookshop has […]

Take a look at this picture. Look at it closely. Anything seem off? Odd at first glance? True, on the surface it seems innocent - two best friends smiling for the camera, but if you close, real close, the picture isn’t entirely pretty. This particular evening marked my first relapse in four years, and […]

Apparently, everyone is panting for World Domination (and why wouldn’t they be??!) I’ve just discovered that my book is available, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS MOMENT, to be shipped to your little home, office, igloo, what have you. Right now, you have the opportunity to have my memoir in your little hands, paws, hooks.
Over […]

Believe me when I say that Dan Wickett is the hardest working man in the book business. I heart Dan Wickett. I wish I was as nice as Dan Wickett (I never heard him talk smack on anyone, and that is a rare breed in the book business). I wish I had as much stamina […]

You’ve got a book coming out later this year, and your editor suggests you start a blog to drum up interest — which she hopes will ultimately translate into sales. No problem, you think. You amble over to Blogger.com, whip up a spiffy title, and create an account. And then stare at the blank screen. […]

I got my picture taken this week for a forthcoming magazine feature. Normally, I don’t like having my photograph taken; I’m skittish, tend to do this squinty thing with my eyes, and I’m unable to smile without giving the impression that I’m under an extraordinary amount of pain. But the photographer put me at […]

I’ve been a long-time fan of Smith magazine and their very genius six-word memoir project. Now, they’ve gotten all cool like that and have assembled a terrific book of said memoirs from the likes of Mario Batali, Jonathan Lethem, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, among others. And, oh, snap! We share an on sale date. […]