Koffee? provided the baked goods and the East Rock Ramblers served up the bluegrass, as an Independent crowd celebrated the publication of a satirical novel about a lame-duck president turned Western novelist.
Bold-faced names turned up at the Audubon Street coffee shop Tuesday night for a launch party and reading in honor of The Midland Kid: Tales of the Presidential Ghostwriter. Independent staff reporter Allan Appel wrote the novel; the New Haven Independent Press published it. Click here to order it. Click here to read an interview with the author.
And click on the play arrow to watch highlights of the evening. And click here to read Thomas MacMillan’s Advocate blog entry on the event.
Author Appel signed books and schmoozed literarily with such movers and shakers Rebecca Turcio (aka “Cedar Hill Resident“) …
… the Board of Ed’s Carlos Torre …
… fellow New Haven author Cheever Tyler …
… Gemma Joseph Lumpkin, a board member of the Online Journalism Project (which publishes the Independent) …
… city government machers Rob Smuts and Susan Weisselberg …
… the Arts Council’s Kara Arsenault …
… and cop and Dixwell youth organizer Shafiq Abdussabur.
It was a bonafide New Haven event, thanks to an appearance by the ubiquitous Chamber and Yale honcho Michael Morand (shown conversing with Fairfield County Weekly editor Tom Gogola and New Haven journalist Carole Bass).
The East Rock Ramblers — Advocate editor Andy Bromage on banjo, Brian Noell on guitar — were tight, harmonies and picking clear as a mountain stream.
In addition to the music, it was an evening to savor a good book and Koffee?‘s baked goods. Noted New Haven author and political columnist Jim Sleeper took the time to check out both.
so sorry i missed it!! congrats allan and the new haven independent!