The Weekend Report: Charlottesville

I spent this past weekend in Charlottesville for the Virginia Festival of the Book, where I discussed publicity at the invitation of Bella Stander of Book Promotion 101, along with (Lux Lotus power commenter) Kelly Powers, on Saturday afternoon. My mother came along because she loves the whole C'ville scene, as you regular readers know. We arrived on Friday just in time to see the fantastic Dallas Hudgens discuss his work with a crowd of 50+ booklovers gathered on a Friday afternoon for a panel about writing about con artists, moderated by the delightful Jenny Gardiner of The Debutante's Ball. Friday night, my mother and I saw the beguiling literary adaptation, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, which was exactly as described on the poster: "a champagne cocktail." Saturday, my friend Kevin drove down from Maryland for the afternoon, and we hung out and kicked it around town. Saturday night, I met up with Anne Landsman, who was dazzling audiences everywhere I turned all weekend, for a nightcap at the hotel bar that was full of "prom people." It was all good for a laugh. Pictured (from top): a still from "Miss Pet;" a snapshot of all the iresistible finds I came back with, including two sundresses, a bone-colored Gucci belt, the perfect little mink hat for five dollars, and a biography of Steve McQueen; and my favorite drugstore on the bookstore-lined commons downtown, which has a sign in the window advertising "Chanel No. 5, 20% off" and is also a great place to stop for a Twix.

Comments

[jenny gardiner]

Hey you! Great seeing you in Cville this weekend! You certainly did find all sorts of treasures on your visit. I LOVED that movie too--beguiling is a perfect way to describe it. Don't ya just want to take Amy Adams home and keep her? Love your Timberlakes Drug Store pic--I know the word as we know it will change if that place ever closes.
When you get a chance touch base w/ me about Dallas guesting on the Debutante Ball, BTW.

[Bella Stander]

Thanks again for being on my panel. I told your mother that you're brilliant--and you are.

After meeting her at her wonderful historical fiction panel w/ Arthur Phillips and George Minkoff on Thurs. 3/27, Anne Landsman became my New Best Friend at the Festival. She was at a happy hour (along w/ Jenny Gardiner) that evening, then joined me, Darling Husband and LANDSMAN author Peter Charles for dinner. (Anne & Peter want to do a Landsman panel with Michael Chabon, as that's the last name of the protag of YIDDISH POLICEMAN'S UNION.) She was also part of my dinner crowd on Fri & Sat nights, and I ran into her Sat a.m. in the Omni gym & at breakfast on Sun. Now I'm going through withdrawal--though it won't last long, as THE ROWING LESSON is creeping to the top of my To Be Read pile.