Two Firefighters Die

The stark headline slammed down on my front porch two minutes ago. How could I possibly have compared this real life horror surrounding us to a movie?

New Book, New Bookings

Vacation's Over
Back to work. Thursday, September 7th - YIKES - that's this week!!!
READING at BOOK SOUP.

No no no - not yet another reading of my memoir, The Devil Made Me Do It - though I will be doing more of that in San Francisco September 16th at Good Old Good Vibes Erotic Emporium. The one on Polk Street. That's from 5 to 7pm - preceding a screening of The Devil in Miss Jones at the Lumiere Theater. All part of the Good Vibrations FOURTH ANNUAL Independent Erotic Film Festival.

No. This is a new book, Hos, Hookers, Call Girls, and Rent Boys.
I contributed a big fat six page essay.

You may have seen the Great Review it got in (be still my heart) the New York Freakin Times?!
Front page of the book section. I'm still breathing hard.
Whoops - just tried that and it seems old snooty NYT makes you join to read their stuff.

David Sterry (co-collector of these stories) just sent me these links to other reviews, and you don't have to join anything to read 'em. Some of them even mention me.

http://therumpus.net/2009/08/hos-hookers-call-girls-and-rent-boys-professionals-writing-on-life-love-money-and-sex/
http://tigerbeatdown.com/?p=448#more-448
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6667888.html?
http://www.nypress.com/article-20211-the-happy-hook-book.html

It's hot, the air smells like an old ashtray, and we're watching the fires on TV as they're being fought by our heroes. Who needs adventure movies when you live in LA?

The Amazing Mr. Crisp

If you don't know who Quentin Crisp is - read Naked Civil Servent - or see the film. I loved the book too much to see the film, but I've heard it's quite wonderful.
An avant guarde film maker, David Nahmod, hired me to protray the mother of a man who dies of AIDS in a poignant "small" film called Red Ribbons. To my great delight, I learned that the "Effin Ineffible" Mr. Crisp would be in the cast! I rushed out to buy an additional copy of the above-mentioned signature memoir in order to have my very own SIGNED copy of it. We were shooting in New York, and my copy was back home in L.A. On the first day of the shoot, I tremulously approached Mr. Crisp and asked for his autograph on the fly leaf. "Why, how sweet of you. And you must give me yours, as well," he graciously replied, whipping out the call sheet for the shoot for me to sign. David had the still photographer on the set snap a quick shot of "his guest celebrities" and this is the result.
And here is a slef-portrait done on the spot and sent to me by the owner, Steve Lopez. Check out HIS art here.

New Pictures

I found a new friend! The amazing photographer, Paul Sanders. You gotta check out his vintage car photography - even if you're not especially into cars. Just gorgeous.
www.paulsanders.com (cars)
His "bread 'n butter" stuff is here:
www.psweddings.com
For immediate contact, you can call:
Paul Sanders PhotoBiographer ™:
1.888.323.7374
206.780.5152
Paul emailed me one day to say that he would be in LA on a job soon and asked if he could do a portrait of me while he was here. I haven't wanted to get my picture took for the past decade. Yeah, I've been caught in candid stuff (most of which has been posted here) and that's OK. But an actual photo shoot? Spare me!
Still, he seemed so nice, I invited him for lunch and told him it was ok to "shoot" me if he wanted to just follow me around and catch me at whatever I was doing. So he did.


He did finally talk me into getting spiffed up for a couple of "portrait" shots.

Not bad for an old broad, eh? I'm definitely using one of these for the cover of my next book, Goin' Down in Flames. (Due out January 2010) But which?
I'd love to hear from anyone who would like to state their preference.

































And here is one where he caught me packaging a signed copy of my book to mail out.



Definitely one of my most favorite activities!

Looks like we might have to do another print run. There are only 16 copies left and I've got orders coming in every day. Don't get me wrong. I'm delighted to get them.
In case you missed the notice on the home page - to get a signed copy, email georginasworld@gmail.com and I'll reply with order options. But if I run out, you'll have to wait for a month or two. Sorry. I'm tap-dancing as fast as I can.

The good doctor Thomas Horowitz

Last year I managed to decapitate a mole on my shoulder in the course of some overly enthusiastic yard building.
It was worth it. I love my yard.



Here are a couple of shots of it - still a work in progress, of course.


Being one to let nature take it's course on most things, I neglected the angry mole until it got REALLY mad. Finally, a couple of weeks ago I went to see my wonderfrul GP, Dr. Thom. (If you've read my book, you know who he is.) As well as being a great doctor, and a good friend, he's one of the most vocal and active physicians in the county on behalf of Dr. Sharon Mitchel's work with AIM - also mentioned in my book. He took one look at my festering mole and said, "Let's see what's going on here." A quick biopsy and a return visit and the bad boy was carved away with no fuss or pain. When I went back to have the stitches removed last week, the HIV panic was at high tide. My great pal, Cindi Loftus, asked me if I would ask him about it, so I did. Our interview is presently posted on her news page. Take a look if you're interested.

Barns & Noble at The Grove, L.A....

...is the biggest damn book store I've ever seen. The Writers' Society event that took place last Saturday (June 13th) was staged in their special events area on the third floor. Jon E. Directo (that's his real name) the Community Relations Manager, and Tony Toledo, the GLAWS president, made it all go like clockwork. Lights, cameras, action! Tony just sent me this picture he snapped during my turn. I have simply GOT to remember to stand up straight when I do these things.
A very huge THANK YOU to Jon E., the store, GLAWS, and all my wonderful pals who braved the crowds and the late hour. I didn't go on until 8:45 - and I'm usually in bed by 9. Having you there to laugh in all the right places really made it work for me.

BARNES & NOBEL APPEARANCE

ALERT THE MEDIA
The Lady-writer in the floppy hat
has been invited to read from her memoir, The Devil Made Me Do It, at a Barnes & Nobel book store!!!

Next Saturday night (June 13th) The Barnes & Nobel at The Grove, Fairfax Ave. and 3rd in Los Angeles, will host a select slate of GLAWS members - Ray Bradbury and yrs trly included - at a reading/book-signing event from 7 to 9pm. How 'bout dem apples! I'm not scheduled to read until 8:45, but I'll be there from 6pm on to enjoy the other readings.

Another piece of news that should have been posted DAYS ago - mea culpa, mea culpa:
One of my favorite authors, Charles Shea LeMone did an interview with me!

I fell in love with a Rastafarian cab-driving detective named Solomon Priestly in Shea's smashing crime novel, Dance in the Street. When I found out my friend Jim Morris (another fine author) KNEW him, I just had to get in touch. A vigorous e-palship ensued. Next thing I know, Shea asks to do an interview with ME.
Here's a bit about him and his newest work:
Charles Shea LeMone, the author of several mystery and romance novels, grew up on “the most dangerous corner in North Philadelphia.” This novel, Corner Pride is based on his life. He now lives on a remote mountaintop in Virginia where he writes and leads workshops on creative writing. He hopes to one day open an art center in his old neighborhood. He can be contacted at his Website: www.allwordman.com Oh. Here's the link to the interview.
What a guy.