Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Why I love Maureen Dowd!!


San Francisco.

I am sorry I’ve been absent. In the last three weeks I’ve been driving up and down Texas, traveling California and as I write this I am on a plane to NY. Whew.

Here’s a story that I couldn’t wait to share with you. I was in San Fran last week promoting the book. My dear, generous, beautiful friend Jennifer Seibel Newsom and her husband, Mayor Gavin Newsom (now running for Governor) threw me a beautiful and elegant book party at their home. It was the hottest day in recent memory in the city, reaching close to 100 degrees.

While waiting at the SWA terminal at LAX, Jason, my husband, pointed out that Maureen Dowd, New York Times Op Ed Columnist was sitting on the ground with the rest of humanity waiting to board the plane. She had every newspaper that was fit to print crammed into her big leather bag, loose cash was everywhere in her purse wide open, her hair in a loose bun, jeans tucked into some really kick ass boots and she couldn’t have looked sexier. I am a big fan of hers and while she’s controversial at times, she is always hilarious and says what all of us are thinking but too afraid to say. For that I love her and read her column religiously every Wednesday and Sunday. The column she wrote in honor of her mother still resonates with me and I think of it every Mother’s Day. I felt it was a good omen and I was really impressed to be sharing the same plane with her. I wondered who she would be interviewing in SF. What she was going to write about and for a brief moment, I was jealous that I wasn’t Maureen Dowd. It passed, but I had to acknowledge it.

There are some moments in life that you are led by something greater than you. When you turn off your inner committee that could ultimately talk you out of something and listen to your soul/sole voice, your instinct. They are magic moments and I appreciate everyone that I have. I had lots of voices in side my head saying don’t approach her. Don’t bother her. Don’t be “that girl” But my soul/sole voice said otherwise. It said, “Write her a note. Be short. Be gracious. Be generous with your admiration of her. Invite her to your book party.”

So I did. An hour after arriving into SF I get a call from her assistant saying that she was on a deadline, but she was going to try and swing by the Mayor’s house and attend the soire. It was one of the greatest moments ever when she waltzed through the door. She was in a dress, some wedged high heels and her hair was down and done. Again, beautiful and sexy. She shared a story with me that when she wrote her book she had invited some notable folks to come to parties and while some did, others didn’t and it was always disappointing when they didn’t. She also was very supportive, the fellow female authorship thing and realizing how hard it can be to sell books especially in this climate and that she likes to support writers.

It was a magic moment.

Note to Self: Let the boom of your soul/sole voice drown out the cacophonous chatter of your inner committee. You’ll be surprised at what can happen.

3 comments:

  1. OMG--what a great story!! Maureen Down is fierce (in the best way) and can make presidents quake. How brave of you to invite her. And how AWESOME of her to show. Bravo. I am inspired. Again.

    xoMichele

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  2. I will confess that I am not a fan of such readings, I found a very light book, that as you pass the pages full of wonderful stories and so positive, you can not wait to start writing your own stories. we all have these incredible moments and let our little Pandora's box without sharing without knowing that others also have. I really liked your book.

    I think soon I'll start with the first of thousands of my stories, I hope you can read it soon.

    I expect you to write books like these because the world definitely needs another color ..
    saludos desde venezuela hope might one day come, I assure you it is a place with many stories to tell ..
    bye julz narvaez

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  3. Love that I found your blog and get to read more of your writings more often. I've been blogging for just a short while now (always loved to write, also!). It's at www.outoftheclouds.com if you ever get a chance to stop by.
    Hope you are doing great!
    Terri (Graham) Phillips

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