Reading is Fundamental

No one actually reads in L.A. but we do love books! We love talking about them, buying them, decorating with them. There is even a company here that sells "Books By The Yard" So you can fill those empty, pesky, shelves in your formal library, with beautifully bound impressive titles that you've likely never read. The best books in Hollywood are those that can be optioned to make films, or in lieu of that, ones written by a celebrity or name. To that end, we had the LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS this past weekend at UCLA. It's actually a really terrific event where you can meet authors & have them sign your book. There are also many Q&A panels with specific topics that can be very entertaining & enlightening. Sadly, I couldn't make it this year. But I was secretly thrilled when I went to Mass this evening & noticed a lovely looking older woman in a mint green jacket. Perfect hair & flawless makeup & a square-cut emerald that had to have been 10 karats! "Wow!" I thought..."that is one classy broad!" I kept sneaking a peak at her feeling I knew her. And then it hit me: MARY HIGGINS CLARKE. The vertitable "Queen of Suspense" sitting 2 pews from me! This former flight attendant was a young window with 5 kids when she turned her hand to writing and today has over 80 Million books in print! Mrs. Clarke, a New Yoker, was here to speak at the Book Festival, but by God, her priorities are in order. I wish I had told her of my admiration.