Amen, Amen, Amen

My neuropsychologist mom taught me how to diagnose people from a young age. She also left me with a deep jealousy for her patients, who stole away her time. If I had Autism or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Mom could stay home to treat me. Amen, Amen, Amen (Scribner Hardcover) by Abby Sher is a memoir of uncontrollable OCD, the product of childhood pains and passions.



Sher perfectly captures youth's rituals--small things we do to control a world often wild and unruly. Yet, demonstrations of love and loss turn to demons that force Sher to obsessively incant the Shema, starve and finally slice at her skin. Sher's fiercely funny candid book is inspiring, causing me to question my own ways of coping with crippling loneliness, confessional Jewish family and death. No better way than attending superb scribe Susan Shapiro's generous fete thrown for Sher, who toasted Amen, Amen, Amen, a true triumph of faith.


(Royal Young, Pomp & Circumstance, Executive Editor, Susan Shapiro, Author, Speed Shrinking, Abby Sher, Author, Molly Lyons, Agent, Samantha Martin, Editor)

-Royal

Spotlight

Two of our own (Royal Young and Lori Bizzoco) are getting their reading cherries popped tomorrow. Come get crunk, shrunk, photographed and advised by Susan Shapiro and Frank Flaherty NY Times editor on how to rock the mic at your own rock star writer bash.

Join veteran journalists and rising media stars for a night of lit, laughter and libation.

Featuring:

Susan Shapiro (Speed Shrinking, Five Men Who Broke My Heart)

Frank Flaherty (The Elements of Story, New York Times editor)

Royal Young (Pomp & Circumstance Magazine)

Lori Bizzoco (The Bizz pomponline.com/SingleEdition.com/Dating Columnist)

FREE EVENT
DRINK SPECIALS

8:00pm - 10:00pm
Franklin Park Bar and Beer Garden -- Crown Heights, Brooklyn
618 St. John's Place, between Franklin and Classon Avenues
Subway: 2/3/4/5 trains to Franklin Avenue
franklinparkbrooklyn.com

The Bizz

The first time I met Sue was at her Secrets of Getting Published seminar. I was writing my memoir, Single to Baby, when two people mentioned her name in three days. I've never turned my back on a coincidence. I waddled my seven-month pregnant belly up six flights of stairs to attend the six-hour class. I was hooked on Sue's energy.

Susan Shapiro's wonderful and witty break-out novel, Speed Shrinking, is the story of self-help guru, Julia Goodman, a sugar addict who consoles herself with cupcakes when her therapist and best friend both move out of town. As her weight increases prior to a national television interview, Julia realizes that she can’t coat her feelings in frosting forever. She embarks on a mission to find a new therapist by speed meeting 8 shrinks in 8 days.

At the book launch at Knickerbocker Bar and Grill, karma met counseling. The room was filled with super-charged writers, therapists, students, agents and sugar addicts. The highlight of the evening was a three-minute speed shrinking event where guests had the opportunity to sit down with seven real self-help gurus to get advice, the power of "showing not telling" in action.








When it was time to begin the event, I whirled around to see which expert was sitting near me and found Dr. Diana Kirschner, author of Love in 90 Days. I confessed I found love in less than 60.

-Lori Vadala Bizzoco

Spotlight

Scribbling half stoned poetry in the hood got me by until I met Susan Shapiro. Her intense drive and blunt, honest critique woke me up and got me published. She is a star at making people realize their potential, as well as a sharp, witty and darkly analytical author. Whether lamenting lost loves or digging into her past addictions Shapiro never fails to inspire and motivate me. This month, my mentor is heating up the summer and sharing her words and wisdom with all at these energizing events.

SELL YOUR FIRST BOOK SEMINAR
Sunday July 26 from 2-8 pm $175
with Delacorte editor Danielle Perez
& literary agent Ryan Fischer-Harbage
in Greenwich Village. For more info
email:ProfSue123@aol.com

FREE SHRINKS ARE AWAY READING
with Ian Frazier & Patricia Marx & Jon Fast
Tuesday night August 4 at 7 pm
at McNally Jackson Booksellers in Soho
52 Prince Street (at Mulberry Street)
Cupcake reception to follow

FREE SECRETS OF PUBLISHING PANEL
moderated by Susan Shapiro
with NY Times editor Frank Flaherty,
Self editor Paula Derrow &
Random House & St. Martin book editors
agent Brandi Bowles & PR guru Barb Burg
Wednesday night August 5 at 7 pm
at the Time Warner Borders Books
Columbus Circle & 59th Street

-Royal

Just Don't Burn My Books

A girl once told me autumn was the most violent season. I’m starting to agree. It’s been a time of financial ruin, ecological destruction and casual remarks about a second Holocaust (if Ahmadinejad doesn’t believe the first one happened, how can there be a second?). Halloween is coming up, promising sadistic pranks and of course, lots of people dressed up like schlockey mom Sarah Palin, but slutty.

Recession, hurricanes, Holocaust, Hoes—bring it on! As Yosemite Sam, that paragon of wisdom advised me when I was five: “If you can’t beat ‘em join ‘em.” This autumn I’m going to ride high the wave of carnage, at least until I can drug ‘em and drown ‘em.




Last Wednesday I got to see Jonathan Fast read from his chilling new tome Ceremonial Violence ($25.95, Overlook Hardcover, 336 p.). This exploration of the hows and whys of school shootings is as insightful as it is intense. Often my morbid sense of humor got the best of me and I chuckled in horror at Brenda Spencer, 16, who after shooting elementary school children explained "I hate Mondays."




Fast describes school shootings as “grotesque going away parties.” Luckily I had only RSVP’d for the book party graciously feted by epic writer Susan Shapiro. I ran my red wine stained mouth to a pleasant man writing a book about Chinese spy Chi Mak “the perfect sleeper agent.” The Bordeaux went well with the talk of bullets and how in New York “when things like this happen, they happen on the streets.”

More on China, and how everyone keeps telling me they’re bigger, stronger, smarter, richer and own 1/3rd of America. Joe McGinniss’s Never Enough ($7.99, Pocket Star, 384 p.) is a fascinating true account of million$, milkshakes and murder in Hong Kong. There’s sex, drugs and expatriate investment bankers google searching Taiwanese gay boys. Besides the lurid details McGinniss serves up a rich psychological portrait of greed, love and loss.



The leaves are turning fiery red and falling faster than I can crunch them. At least I’m not killing 7 lbs. cats, or growing a mustache and chasing after Bugs Bunny with a shotgun...yet.

-Royal Young