lover’s path book launch

The launch went great! Since I’m getting ready to go out of town for the holidays, time is short. Nonetheless, I wanted to update this journal before I left.

Here’s the Cliff notes version:

Everything went extremely well at the Venice in Brooklyn launch, even to my critical eye. About one hundred people came in total, with sixty at the height during the Brooklyn Borough president’s proclamation and my presentation/reading. (Yes, Marty Markowitz, president of Brooklyn sent a representative from his office to deliver a proclamation honoring the publication of The Lover’s Path. It was a real surprise - I did send him an invite, but I never expected that to happen!) The proclamation is this elaborately calligraphed document; I’ll have to get it framed for my office.

I was thrilled that many of the people involved in making The Lover’s Path a reality attended: Tamar Brazis of Abrams Books; Stuart Kaplan, Elizabeth Kerkstra and Bobbie Bensaid of US Games Systems; Theresa Park of the Park LIterary Group; and others, including Christy Vaughn and Charles Swartz, who posed for much of the art. Also, there were a lot of people who came because they were interested in the event and the book (ie: they didn’t know me personally). That was gratifying — The Lover’s Path is reaching outside my immediate circle! People seemed to have a great time, and loved the Vox Pop space. The party went from about 7pm until almost 11. And the string quartet was wonderful — people really enjoyed the music.

Some photos from the event:

proclamation from the Brooklyn Borough President’s office	masks at Vox Pop	string quartet playing
Elizabeth Kerkstra, of US Games Systems, and Thea	with Theresa Park, my literary agent	signing The Lover’s Path

Click on a thumbnail to see larger photo.

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adieu book of goddesses

By my silence, anyone reading this journal has probably figured out that I’ve been busy finishing up The Book of Goddesses. And they would be correct. As of last week, I’ve handed in all of the art, revised manuscript, and eight cd-roms filled with digital files. I’m relieved that the book is finished. Yet it feels strangely anticlimatic. It’s also strange to not be launching into another big project immediately. But it feels like it’s time from a break: I’ll be spending much of this winter traveling to warmer places: a week in Hawaii, three weeks in California, and some time in Florida too, to visit my dear friend Lisa Hunt.

Click here to view some art from the new-and-improved tenth anniversary edition of The Book of Goddesses.

My other preoccupation these days is the afore mentioned Venice in Brooklyn launch party for The Lover’s Path. Everything is moving forward — all of the invitations were mailed out, the details are in place. And there will be a chocolate cake. What can be better than anything chocolate?

Now all I need to do is work on my presentation for the book. I’m not one for public speaking; like most artists, I’m happiest working in the studio. But the occasion demands it. And after ten years of laboring on the book, it’s a nice closure.

In my next update, I’ll have to tell you how the launch goes!

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