The book launch party was a spectacular success!

The friends and family book launch party for Walking to Guantánamo, kindly hosted last Thursday night by Anthony Chase and Nini Ordoubadi, at their loft, was a splendid affair, and not just because of the tremendous pleasure I felt when actually holding a copy of the finished book in my hands for the first time.

As we went to open the first box of books I had a flash of panic when I noticed that “Guantánamo” was spelled wrong, right on the outside of the carton, but the books themselves were perfect.

The stalwart and patient publisher, Stelios Vasilakis, manned the tables until the boxes were empty and the piles of books had dwindled away to nothing.

Nini layed out a massive spread, upon which the greedy hordes immediately descended, some before they had even noticed my book!

Right here is the man who really made the evening a success, St. John Frizell, master cocktelier, who mixed innumerable mojitos, as well as a drink he had dredged up from his deep collection of historical literature devoted to festivities of the Antilles, a cocktail known as the Isle of Pines (that island is now known as la Isla de Juventud, or the island of youth). It doesn’t really matter what you are promoting, launching, introducing or displaying; if you locate someone with the skills, panache and good humor of Mr. Frizell, your event is guaranteed to be a roaring success.

Ben Schneider and Sohui Kim of the Good Fork

Ferne Pearlstein and Bob Edwards, of Chinatown and Hollywood

Anthony Chase and Jainardo Batista

Clearly I am saying something utterly preposterous

My old friends from Mo’ Guajiro, now the new and improved Nu’ Guajiro, stopped by and threw down some spectacular and authentic Cuban musical flavor.

The Brooklyn Red Hook posse was well represented. Here Francis Kerrigan (center, with hat and beard) grimaces at Jens Veneman and Anne O’Neil. On the later side of the evening someone approached me with a book to inscribe, saying “when I bought it that other guy with the hat and the beard told me he would sign it for me; he was quite insistent about it.” It was as if they were wondering whether such a thing had been authorized. I congratulated them on their caution, and urge you all to be vigilant: watch out for those pesky counterfeit signed copies.

The authentic author, with hat and beard, about to sign another copy.

Enormous thank-yous to Nini Ordoubadi, Anthony Chase, St. Jean Frizell (oops, I mean St. John Frizell, I always want to make that more New Orleans than it is already!), Laura Harmon, Stelios Vasilakis, and Nu' Guajiro, for making this such a special evening.