In all the years that I’ve lived in New York and worked in the media, I’d never ventured deep enough into the Upper East Side to visit Elaine’s, so when I got an invite to Wednesday night’s launch party for David Goodwillie’s (top row, left) Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, I jumped at the chance. The place was packed with literati—while I was busy snapping pictures of Amy Hempel (top, center) and Ron McLarty (top, right), other writers like Amanda Stern, Sue Shapiro, and Jami Attenberg. The next time I could get off a clear shot (bottom row), I spotted Small Spiral Notebook editor Felicia Sullivan chatting with Anne Ishii of Vertical Books, KGB Bar Lit editor Susan Chi, and novelist/freelance reporter Alix Strauss. The enthusiastic crowd augured well for Goodwillie’s memoir, which has also earned the USA Today seal of approval for being verifiably accurate in a random spot-check, back when we all worried about that sort of thing. New Yorkers will have ample opportunity to see Goodwillie read over the next few weeks, beginning with an appearance next Monday night at the Half King.
