Brian McDonald

June 27

did Ron and Fez radio show last weekend, it was fun. and i'm playing at an assisted-living center in the Village in two weeks (small rooms, big hearts: "hello Elmira!") and so it goes... KV: red wine, compulsive cigarette smoker. (the previous really does make sense)

June 2

it's been a while since i posted an update mostly because there hasn't been a lot to report. i've been getting positive feedback on the book, plenty of it, but all is word of mouth from people in my "club" and so forth. part of me was hoping for louder trumpets and applause. but i like what i got. it's a good, little book. i'm proud i wrote it, and my wish now is that it continues to make people laugh and maybe help someone who's run out of hope. i do have a book signing coming at border's on 57th and park, tues june 17th, 7 p.m. i'll be back here if there's anything to report.

May 18

so after all my bitchin and moanin, the times today reviewed 'last call at elaine's.' click on above link




May 13

ok, i know you're not suppose to edit blogs, but i felt that the may 13th entry exposed me as a jealous whiner. i love james frey, i hope he wins the nobel freakin' prize

May 8

awoke last night at 4:00 with an overwhelming feeling that "Last Call" is a bomb. this is not an unusual occurrence. That particular time of the morning for me is fraught with all sorts of free floating anxiety and negatives. but, with the light of day, i'm really not worried--for some reason i feel detached. i took the chance, took the big swing, and there's nothing else i can really do. as i wrote in Last Call, the lesson here is that writing is its own reward. Last Call is a good book. And whether it's read by 500 or 50 thousand, it's the best i could do.

May 5

People keep asking me if Last Call is going to be reviewed anywhere. It did get a small review in a roundup in Black Book, and had a full review in the NY Post (positive), but as far as the Times is concerned, I just don't know if or when. For some reason (I don't know why), it was not reviewed by any of the industry magazines: Kirkus, Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal. This is the first time this has happened to me and is a mystery.

Tomorrow (Tues, May 6) I'm interviewed in the Journal News

May 1

It's been a busy week with Last Call. Radio and print interviews (ny mag. web site for one, an item in rush & molloy, etc.) and it looks like more to follow. friday i'm doing something called a webcast from columbia's graduate school of journalism. i'll be interviewed and people around the world can listen via computer and interact. the technology is such that anyone can host their own webcast. it's like live blogging. very cool stuff. listen in if you can on friday 1-2 p.m. at www.blogtalkradio.com/ColumbiaJournalism.

April 22

Ok, I'm back on earth. Got a Gawker item about the book signing that was quite complementary actually. Not the usual Gawker snipe. The book is selling well on the Upper East. But the Amazon number is not good at all. We'll see how things shake out. My sources tell me that Elaine is furious still. She read the review in the Post and hit the roof, especially mad about an anecdote I wrote about her telling Robert Evans that she didn't run a fucking ice cream parlor when he told her he came in only for dessert. The anecdote is true. I watched it happen, then wrote about it that night in my journal. I got hard copy!

April 18

I was left practically speechless. The crowd at the book party spilled out onto Madison Avenue, the Corner Bookstore sold out of copies of Last Call--over one hundred books. It was the biggest day they've ever had. Malachy, Susan Cheever and Bill Scheft were phenomenal. I am the most grateful man alive. Thank you. Everyone.

April 17

Last chance to clear plans for the book party at Corner Bookstore, Madison and 93rd, 6 p.m. this evening. Please come if you can. There will be cheese. And other stuff and Malachy and Bill Scheft and Susan Cheever. Should be fun.

April 15

Ok, so my publishing day falls on tax day; that can't be a good thing, right? Ah, the hell with it. I'm glad it's here and even though the journey was anything but smooth, I wouldn't change a minute of it. I'm going over to Barnes & Noble to see how it looks on the shelf. Thanks everybody for tuning in to this soap, and here's to Last Call!

April 13

Last Call received a very nice review in the NY Post today, but it mentioned a couple of unflattering things I wrote about Elaine's food--taken out of context. If Elaine was peeved before, now she's gotta be nuclear. To paraphrase Capote: I'm a writer, what did she expect? Link to review: FOOD, NETWORK

April 11 (3:30 am)

Wide awake with anxiety over book. Elaine wasn't at the joint so I dropped off my little kiss-and-make-up gift with her doorman. I imagined her throwing the bag right in the garbage. I have to let this whole thing go, it's playing a lot louder in my head than it is in real life. I'm going to try to go back to bed.

April 10 (5:30 pm)

I'm headed over to Elaine's with a bottle of Chanel No #5 and a note saying I'm sorry if she's mad at anything I wrote, and inviting her to the book party. Wish me luck.


April 9 (6 days to pub.)

I think people are starting to notice that Last Call at Elaine's is coming out and this is a little frightening to me. I reveal quite a bit in this book and I feel vunerable. So what, right? It's all freakin' ego. I did an interview yesterday for New York magazing, Leonard Lopate is booking me in May and the NY Post is going to review. All good, and more to come I hope.

April 3, (12 days and counting)

One of these days I'm going over to Elaine's (it's only two blocks from my apartment) and invite Elaine to the book party at the Corner Bookstore. I'd be surprised if she says she'll come. But Elaine has surprised me before. I'm a little embarrassed and more than a little peeved that my publisher didn't pony up for a party at Elaine's. Along with being a slight to me, it is supremely disrespectful to Elaine. She's a literary institution, as important to the history of publishing as anyone who has ever stepped on the gilded elevators of the Flatiron Building. Shame on you, St. Martin's Press. You went on the cheap, and missed a chance at doing the right thing (nothing against the Corner Bookstore, which is my favorite).

I'll let you know what Elaine says. Hope to see you all at the book gathering.

March 30, (16 days to publication)

Malachy McCourt will serve as MC at the book gathering (I say "gathering" because I worked more than my share of "book parties" and calling them a "party" is a disservice to even house warmings). It's at the Corner Bookstore on April 17, at 6 pm. Tickets to the event are going fast. So if you haven't signed up, please do. There has been very few publicity requests so far. I still believe it's the clam before the storm. Elaine's restaurant has been a lightning rod of publicity for 45 years, why would a book about the restaurant not garner its share? Although I wouldn't mind some good pub I'd rather have good reviews and sales figures. There, I said it.

Speaking of reviews, here's what Blackbook magazine had to say: "Brian McDonald tells a titillating tale of slinging drinks at the famed Upper East Side watering hole-slash-shrine to Plimptonian literary hijinks in Last Call at Elaine’s: A Journey from One Side of the Bar to the Other (St. Martin’s, $25)."

March 26, (20 days to publication)

I've received my first copy of Last Call at Elaine's. I must admit, the whole package looks pretty good. I think it will look good on the shelf but not for long, I hope. Yesterday I did the Judith Regan radio show. It was ok, but most of her questions were the usual celebrity dish about the joint. I mean, that's a fun part of the book but there is more to Last Call at Elaine's than just Page Six gossip. I hope people get that.