Events
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Tuesday, April 4, 2023
I did a Zoom presentation, "Ernest Lehman: Woodmere's Gift to Hollywood," for the Hewlett Woodmere Public Library in the Five Towns area of Long Island in New York State. The presentation showed the origins of master screenwriter Ernest Lehman on the south shore of Long Island. We had 22 people -- not a mob scene, but respectable. The tech. dry run I did the day before with David Farber, my computer guy, and librarian Marie Drucker was calamitous. But fortunately it paved the way for smooth sailing on event day. There were good questions and I had a good time.
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Writers Guild of America West (IN PERSON)
7000 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Courtesy of master archivist Hilary Swett, I appeared in the Shavelson-Webb Library of the Writers Guild of America West. Ernest Lehman was a long-time member, activist and Guild official. He served as president of the Guild from 1983 to 1985, a period that covers the 1985 Writers strike.
I talked about the book and told some stories about the process of writing it. We had between 20 and 25 people: friends, neighbors, sources for the book and WGAW people. It was a good mix. Apparently Vince Gilligan, the illustrious writer of the hit TV series "Breaking Bad" had planned to attend, but had a conflict -- I signed a book for him, though.
The audience had some good questions and I signed the 10 copies we sold (pretty good for a crowd of that size, I think). This will apparently be the only reading I do for the book; fortunately, it was a very pleasant one.
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Turner Classic Movies (THE TUBE)
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Courtesy of my indefatigable publicist, Carrie Eisner, it was all Ernest Lehman all the time Tuesday night, May 30, on Turner Classic Movies. They showed "North By Northwest,""Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" "Sweet Smell of Success" and, in a surprise, "West Side Story." (They hadn't told us they were going to show that last one.)
As "Virginia Woolf" was introduced and after "Sweet Smell" ended, they mentioned the book and showed the cover art. And they mentioned my name, which I don't ordinarily hear on TV. (I don't watch TV -- I had to go over to a neighbor's to see it -- but even if I did watch TV, I wouldn't hear my name very often.)
This appears to the end of the road in the publicity/appearance/whatever department. This book has not made the splash I had hoped for, but it's now time to devote my energy to my next project. I'll leave this website up for a while for any stragglers who show up.
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