My Barnes and Noble
I am sitting here waiting for Sharkey to cut my hair. His shop I Style is an Upper West Side favorite and I'm a regular. BUT today is unique because on the other side of Broadway in Barnes and Noble (my Barnes and Noble) there's a poster in the window with the cover of Galway Bay and my picture announcing that I'll be reading from the book on Monday February 9, the date of publication. It is especially exciting because I have spent so much time in that store over the years. I know the booksellers -- Pat, whose family roots are in Galway too, Barbara, who wrote a wonderful comic novel, Lou, the community relations manager, whose book on William Randolph Hearst is a classic (he was delighted to hear that I live in an apartment building Hearst built) and Lou's colleague Anne, a playwright I see at Church.
While writing Galway Bay, when I needed to be sustained I imagined it finished, published, and the poster announcing a book signing hanging in the window of this very Barnes and Noble. Well the day is here. Join me Monday February 9th at 7 pm for a short reading and book signing, and after a stop at The Parlour to raise a pint to Galway Bay.
Oops Sharkey's calling me. One thing's for sure I'll have a good haircut on the day.
While writing Galway Bay, when I needed to be sustained I imagined it finished, published, and the poster announcing a book signing hanging in the window of this very Barnes and Noble. Well the day is here. Join me Monday February 9th at 7 pm for a short reading and book signing, and after a stop at The Parlour to raise a pint to Galway Bay.
Oops Sharkey's calling me. One thing's for sure I'll have a good haircut on the day.
Labels: Barnes and Noble, Book signing, Galway Bay, The Parlour, Upper West Side, William Randolph Hearst
posted by Mary Pat Kelly at
8:03 AM
3 Comments:
Mary Pat, You are a kindred spirit! I began only 2 years ago researching my family and my dream is to do exactly what you have. I have visited the family farm and it still stands the people are characters and we spent 6 hours toegether as we first met. Their lifestyle is much different than mine but we got along well. I still spend nearly every day hunting the internet about more things about Ireland. I sent you a question already and then read your blog. I have wonderful stories of my Aunt Catherine who worked for the Alexander Graham Bell desendents and met many dignitaries generals and presidents during her 70years as a nurse in Washington DC.
Since my trip I have watched every Irish film on netflix and read every Irish book I could find. I really like to listen to the audiobooks esp. when the reader has an Irish accent. It really makes the characters seem like people I know!
Anyway I saw your book at Borders today and came home to see what I could find on you and the story of the book.
Thanks for writing it. Congratulations on finishing it, and I wish you great success on it becoming a bestseller!!
Kim Garvey-Hathaway in San Diego
Mary Pat, I bought Galway Bay on impulse. My wife Eileen, who reads a book a week said “You never read novels. What made you buy that one?” I told her it was because our trip to Ireland (which included Galway) last summer had finally put me in touch with my heritage and I wanted to learn more.
I grew up in a large Irish Catholic family in Indianapolis. Sort of like your Peter O'Toole fascination, my identification with Ireland was superficial—mostly shamrocks and green beer on St. Patrick's Day. That all changed when we saw the statues of starving people on the quay in Dublin, the ruined abbey in Roscommon and the famine museum at Strokestown.
My family never told stories about Ireland, even though their arrival in the US was relatively recent. I think it's because by the time they made it to Indiana they wanted to put what had happened out of their minds.
The characters in Galway Bay have made my ancestors' experiences come alive for me and I thank you. I'm only about halfway through the book and already I've shed tears.
Michael in Illinois
Mary Pat, thanks so much for sharing your excitement about the book signing. And how wonderful to do it in a store that is familiar to you. My first book signing is coming up not in my hometown. I landed on your post via a google search about book signings. Now I want to go find your post AFTER the signing, to see how it went!
~ Diana Daffner
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