Literary Crowds

I have to admit that I was nervous about my readings. I was fortunate enough to get signings at three of LA's most literariest book stores: Skylight, Vroman's, and Book Soup. I knew I could get a good crowd at Skylight--I'd been hosting events there for 7 years. I was worried about the other two. I wanted to have a good showing. The last thing I wanted was to get there and have two people at the reading--which happens more times than people know. There's egg on my face and the bookstore ends up shrugging their shoulders, losing money on the event. I mean, they do pay for having the books sent and to have a staff person set up the reading and deal with the author.

I know that Vroman's and Book Soup were taking a chance on a relatively new author still buildling a readership. I did every marketing trick I could muster. I e-mailed, sent out invitations, made announcements on list-serves. I personally talked to dozens of people making them commit to one of the three signings.

Fortunately, press worked out where interviews were published that also announced the readings. The LA Weekly "Pick" also put me on the radar.

All of it led to three packed readings! I was pleased. The book stores were pleased. Whew!

Crowd at Skylight Books in Los Feliz.

Crowd at Vroman's in Pasadena.

Crowd at Book Soup in West Hollywood.

Literary Window

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing your book prominently displayed in a window. In this case, Book Soup did a great job!

Literary Chronicle

The San Francisco Chronicle reviewed "Talking to the Moon." It was terrific. It made quite some mention of the marketing of my book: it's unfortunate that it's been labeled "gay fiction."

Read up (it's the second article, so scroll down):

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/04/RVGITO8HEN1.DTL&type=books

Literary Pick

Whoa! I'm flattered that I was named "LA Weekly Pick," considering that there are some pretty awesome writers in town talking up their books.

Some writers that are making a splace in town include: Aimee Liu, Tara Ison, Daniel Alarcon, and Charles Phoenix.

http://www.laweekly.com/art+books/readings-pick/noel-alumit/15781/

Literary Lift Off

On Saturday, February 24th, my second novel Talking to the Moon was officially launched. Whew! It was a wonderful experience! Thanks to everyone for showing up and giving support. Here's some pics.

Literary Podcast

I did my first ever podcast. It was with playwright Prince Gomolvilas (left). I dig the artist always known as Prince, but he's like an annoying little brother who knows how to get on your nerves. Did I sound defensive in the interview?

Anyway you can download the podcast through itunes or simply click: http://bamboonation.mypodcast.com/

Literary Book Tour

Book tours are a funny thing. Some authors will be put on a huge tour, taking them to cities on both coasts and parts in between. Others will be lucky to do an interview with their company newsletter. I proudly sent in my photo to be considered for the "Employee News" section of my company newsletter, thank you very much. Among announcements of employee birthdays and newly born babies, I'll get a mention that my second novel is published!

However, I'll also be having a spectacular tour of...Los Angeles. Cities that I'll be flying into include Los Feliz (Skylight Books on 2/24), East Los Angeles (Cal-state LA on 2/28), Pasadena (Vroman's on 3/2), and West Hollwyood (Booksoup on 3/3).

Yippee!

Literary Encounter: Amiri Baraka

When I was a freshman in college, there were two plays that I'd studied that left on indelible impression on me. The first was Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf by Edward Albee and the second was Dutchman by Amiri Baraka (aka Leroi Jones). Tonight I had the pleasure of introducing the influential and controversial Amiri Baraka at an event at Skylight. He was amazing. He talked about being a "Revoluntionary Optimist." He encouraged people to read, read, read. He said that when we read, we learn to protect ourselves from people who may want to hurt us. If someone says, you can't do that. I can point to a book and say, Yes, I can--it says so right here in this chapter.

Literary Pub. Date

The "Pub. Date" is the date when a book is officially out. Even though my novel has been available for the past six weeks or so (it needs those weeks to wind its way into bookstores across the country), today is when I can say my novel is actually published. I'm not an author with a second book coming out. Today, I'm an author with two books out.

I think my baby looks pretty good!

Literary Satisfaction

I FINALLY saw a live production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It's one of my favorite plays and I'd been waiting for almost twenty years! It was pretty fantastic. Kathleen Turner (right) could "bray" with the best of them. (I didn't care too much for the movie with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.)

I went with my friend Joseph and we talked about the myth of Woolfe. The big one is the idea that the leads George and Martha were originally written as a vulgar gay couple. I'd read an article with Edward Albee who said that was untrue. He claimed the myth was created by heterosexuals who refused to believe that a straight couple can destroy each other like that. (Uh, with fifty percent of of marriages ending in divorce, I think destruction is conceivable)

Literary Out

Whevever I read someone's age in a magazine, I generally add five more years to it. In some cases, I knew the person in the article and thought: I know he's not THAT young. Then I go on to wonder: what's wrong with the age he's in now?

I've also written profiles about people and was researching a woman who'd been the same age in three different articles in three different years. I silently laughed about it.

Well, karma has a way of biting me in the ass.

In the March issue of Out magazines, there's a cool article on me. Through no fault of my own, they got my age wrong. They made me five years younger! There it was in black and white: Noel Alumit, 34. And you know what? I LOVED it. I'm not going to rush to the editor and tell him to print a retraction.

I know people who know me will roll their eyes when they read the article and wonder why I lied. I would never lie, but if someone else wants to do it for me, why quibble?

Literary Filming

I've seen two movies based on novels: Children of Men by PD James and Notes of a Scandal by Zoe Heller. I thoroughly enjoyed both, which actually surprised me. I guess I'm used to thinking that movies based on books usually stink. Then I realised that these two movies were made by the British. I wondered: do the British have better respect for the novel and carefully translate it better to the screen?

Literary Disappearance

I ran into a novelist I hadn't seen in almost two years. He apologized for not being around. He dropped out of society trying to write his book. He is venturing out into the world again, making social events and such. I laughed because many writer friends--especially those working on book length projects--seem to drop out for months, years at a time. Suddenly, they're around again, making readings, showing up on panels, feeling bad for not showing up. I don't mind. Only other writers know the importance of going away for long periods of time. Coming out of seclusion, breathing fresh air is a wonderful thing.

My response to anyone who leaves for literary reasons, then returns: "Welcome back. We've missed you."

Literary Itch

Here's a pic of Mark Twain reaching for an itch. I wonder if this has anything to do with writing.

I gotta tell ya, I have an itch. There's this book I wanna write and it's scary. I see it being this big monster novel spanning hundreds of years and hundreds of lives. For some reason, I see it being my seventh novel.

I'm actually thinking of going back to school to learn all about this particular subject matter so I can write about it.

Ugh! It's so frustrating wanting to write a book, but not having the necessary information to do it.

It's not like I need more to research. The third book that I'm writing has me reading books on religion, hemophilia, and homeopathic healing.

Literary Relations

It's a good idea to maintain good relations with those people marketing your book. Late last year, I e-mailed the head of marketing to introduce myself and let her know that I'm available for whatever press she'd like me to do. I told the marketing folks that I have a background in Communications and understand the job they must do. I made it a point that I don't want to be a headache to them.

This is good advice to aspiring writers out there: Be nice to the Public Relations people. They are the ones who try to get the word about your book into the world.

I used to do Public Relations for an arts organization. I would get phone calls from artists who made my life hell. They would demand that I contact this newspaper or that radio station. Some of them would YELL at me, wondering why they weren't on the cover of the LA Times. The last thing I wanted to do was get idiots like that press coverage. I'd rather they crawl under a rock and stay there. Apparently, they did; I never heard another word from those demanding, egotisical types.

I was a much younger man then and I SWORE that I'd never behave that way. I think I've kept my word.

Literary Stars

I'd been checking Amazon and noticed that there are two people who have already read and reviewed my novel. I was given four out of a possible five stars! Not too shabby. And the people who gave me the positive reviews are people I don't know!

Literary Highlights of 2006

So, Gladys, did a 2006 highlights. This inspired me to do one.

1. Most difficult Literary moment:
Doing rewrites for "Talking to the Moon." They were hard, but had to be done.

2. Most Literary Dinner:
Having dinner with James Ellroy at the Pacific Dining Car. He talked murder, rape, mayhem the entire time. I'll never forget it.

3. Most Literary Uplift:
Hearing the Dalai Lama interpret ancient Buddhist Text.

4. Most Literary Weekend:
The LA Times Bookfair, where I hung out with my editor Don Weise and lunched with writer Andrew Lam. I ran into other literati like Hope Edelman and Diana Wagner.

5. Most Literary Overload:
The Southern California Booksellers Associaiton Author Feast. Egad, ever been in a room with drinking booklovers? The gossip, the whispers, the dismay at the awards ceremony when a favorite author didn't win.

6. Most Literary Joy:
Getting high marks from my students at UCLA Extension. It's nice to know that I'm not spinning my wheels.

7. Most Literary Regret:
I didn't fisnish a draft of my third novel. Ho-hum.

8. Most Literary Purchase:
My computer. It's changed my life.

9. Most Literary Duty:

Moderating a panel about Los Angeles at the West Hollywood Bookfair. You can cover a lot of ground when discussing LA. It was work, I tell ya!

Literary Brunch

My family took me out for a birthday brunch over the weekend. What was most surprising is that my brother had a copy of "Talking to the Moon." He said he went into a bookstore to get something to read and there it was--my novel--smack dab on the table. He got it right then and there. The official publication date for my book isn't till February 13th, but it's slowly making its way into stores.

I singed his copy and I realised it was the very first copy of "moon" that I'd autographed. Whoa! It was a nice unveiling. My mother saw that I'd dedicated the book to my late father. She was touched by that.

Literary Musical

"Music and literature" are sometime said together, say on a board game. There can be music and there can be literature, but the musical (and opera) is a form that can actually fit into both. There's obvious music in a musical. There is also a plot, a protagonist, an antagonist--elements associated with the literary.

I love music and a really good story. Finding them working well together can be tough. There are a few musicals that really get me going. Into the Woods and Westside Story come to mind. And Dreamgirls.

I never saw it live on stage, but the music--oh, the music--is to die for. "And I'm telling you I'm not going" was a song that stuck to my bones. It is THE song from Dreamgirls, sung by the character Effie White. I saw the movie and just fell right into it. Jennifer Hudson (pictured) as Effie is really good, but Jennifer Holiday, the Original, was amazing. I'd heard the recording and saw her sing it live at an AIDS conference. (She'd slimmed down considerably.) I read an interview with Jennifer Hudson and even she says "And I'm telling you" is Holiday's song.

Keep this performance of Jennifer Holiday at the 1982 Tony Awards in mind when you see the movie. Hudson is good, but Holiday is...well, watch for yourself. (um, you may have to cut and paste it)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sq4uc9b2s1o&mode=related&search=

Literary Thirty-Nine

I turn thirty-nine today. The last year that I'll be thirty-something. I have so many books inside of me, I need to live till I'm 139.