Nicholas Kaufmann's Journal

Last night, Team Totally Tits scored our sixth win at bar trivia! We were back up to our full number of players and it showed. While we started off kind of low in the rankings, we made up for it in later rounds and pulled completely ahead in the final, audio round: '90s music. Thank goodness for teammate Dave, who is the kind of music nerd who can recognize Brandy and Monica's "The Boy is Mine" in just the first two notes! We scored a nearly perfect round that time, 58 points out of a possible 60, and only lost those two points because we couldn't remember who performed "The Macarena" (it was Los del Rio).

It felt great to win again after our depressing losing streak. I downed some delicious Hudson Manhattan Rye with our prize, a $50 bar tab, and then called it a night, happy that my team was once again in possession of the trophy. We'll be back in action Monday, November 9 to defend our title!

On Tuesday, October 20, at 5:30 P.M. I will be taking part in the Foundation Center's "Getting Published: A Forum for Writers." Joining me on the panel will be playwright Arlene Hutton and author Deborah Ludwig, with Joey Guastella moderating. I have to admit I'm not familiar with Arlene or Deborah's work, but I'm sure the forum will be a fun and enlightening event.

Joey tells me that rather than having us panelists pontificate endlessly, there will instead be lots of audience Q&A. The focus will be on the nuts and bolts of the business of publishing as opposed to more esoteric topics like inspiration and genre choice, but when you open it up to the audience you never know what you're going to get. The last time I did this for the Foundation Center a few years ago, the other panelists and I got some great, insightful questions that none of us had anticipated, and I'm hoping this time we get some more of that.

Here's the info:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
5:30-7:30 P.M.
5:00 P.M.: Check-in, networking, and coffee

The Foundation Center
New York Library/Learning Center
79 Fifth Ave., 2nd floor
New York, NY 10003

The program is free of charge, but they do ask that you register in advance because seating is limited. Last I heard, there were already 40+ people registered. You'll find a handy registration form on the page linked to above.

I've seen the book business from just about every angle--I've worked in publishing, book-related PR, have owned and operated my own bookstore, been a department manager for Barnes & Noble, have worked in a literary and film agent's office, and of course I've seen it from the other side of the table too as a published author. So if you're in New York, feel free to swing by and lob some questions at me. I promise to at least try to be entertaining!