Posts Tagged ‘the book’

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>Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: The Tour

April 26th, 2009 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>The debut walking tour for Off the Beaten (Subway) Track was a smashing success! It was organized by the New York City Transit Museum, and all 30 slots sold out. The motley crew of explorers journeyed with me to the Socrates Sculpture Park, past a dental studio that displays weird dentures in its window, into the Cathedral of St. Demetrios to see the saint’s ankle bone, through the Louis Armstrong House Museum, and onto the Queens Museum of Art. In between, we stopped at the Euro Market, at a pizza place, and at the Lemon King of Corona for refreshments. (The tour was blurbed in Time Out New York, too!!!)

Husband took many photos, including this one of me proudly leading the troops across the street:


I wore a ridiculous wide brimmed hat with a big red flower on it so that people could spot my short head in a crowd:


Plus my hat kept the sun off my ghostly face during the 88 degree day. It’s the same hat I wore throughout my trip to India two years ago. I bought it when I was in high school, thinking it was the height of style. Now it is my touring hat. I still believe it is the epitome of fashion.

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>Stats

February 1st, 2009 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in random

>The year is 1/12 (8.4%) over already. For some reason, I find that reassuring.

I have completed four full work weeks (20 work days) already. I missed one (Friday) due to illness.

Thanks to a debacle* that had me spazzing for an hour on Friday while I was supposed to be convalescing, I finally discovered that from 8/1/08 to 11/1/08, I sold 960 copies of my book, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track. I don’t know if that is considered good or not, but I’m pleased anyway. (BIG THANK YOU to all of you nice people who bought a copy or, in some cases, as many as fifteen – which is 1.5% of all sales. I’m lucky to have such supportive friends.)

I called my doctor yesterday to report my ailing condition. He said I should wait at least another 7-10 days before considering antibiotics. I’m at the point where I’m blowing out all the really yellow, thick, sometimes bloody (it’s dry in here) mucus, so I suspect I’ll be better by then.

Today is the second day in a month in which the temperature is expected to go above 35 degrees. (Although it is 30 now, it is supposed to get up to 45.) I have not left the house in 2 days. I’m debating whether I should go to a “porkapalooza” Super Bowl party catered by the infamous chow hound restaurant Momofuku or continue my self-imposed house arrest.

Regardless, happy first day of February and enjoy the 32nd day of 2009!

*Oh, the debacle is that my publisher is out of business. My agent received a letter on Jan. 30 that was dated Dec. 24 and had been sent to the wrong address informing us that most of the catalog was sold to another publisher, they didn’t pick up my book. Hence, all copies were now remaindered (i.e. – unavailable for distribution) and my contract granted the rights back to me and the option to purchase them for $1.88 per copy to find a new distributor. FREAK OUT!!! I didn’t even know how many copies sold. (And I still don’t know how many were printed.) An hour later, my agent called back. He tracked the publisher down and was told “to disregard the letter. That deal fell through, and we sold the catalog to another company, which did pick up Susan’s [sic] book.” My heart began beating at a more regular pace again.

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>Karma Smiles Upon Me

October 8th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>To paraphrase Col. John “Hannibal” Smith, I love it when a good karmic plan comes together! On the heels of the bitch slapping I received from some pretentious wench in my workshop, I learned that my book, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track: New York City’s Best Unusual Attractions was cited as one of ten indispensable guidebooks to New York City by Julie Schwietert at MatadorGoods. How awesome is that?!?! I am honored to be included on a list compiled by “A New Yorker who’s skeptical of guidebooks.”

OTBST is also under review at a few travel blogs, and another travel website will have an article linking to the book soon. I may never write a literary masterpiece, but I like what I do, other people seem to like what I do, and I’m working to make it better. No complaints here. As “B.A.” Baracus said, I pity the fool.*

*And I specifically mean the little ray of sunshine in my class, hopefully never to be mentioned again.

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>Things I Know

October 7th, 2008 by Suzanne | 1 Comment | Filed in Asshole idiots

>I know that I am not a great writer, and probably will never be a great writer.
I know that I want to be a better writer.
I know that I decided to go back to school so I could learn more about the craft of writing.
I know that attending an MFA program was a scary decision because it meant I would have to confront my lack of literary skill.
I know that I am not a lyrical or beautiful writer, but I also know that it is as hard to pull off humorous writing as it is to craft a gorgeous sentence.
I know that, although I am not a literary writer, I deserve to have my writing treated with respect.
I know that one person in my workshop thinks so lowly of me that she thought it was appropriate to leave me the following comment: “My bologna has a first name! It’s n-o-t t-h-i-s s-e-n-t-e-n-c-e, p-l-e-a-s-e!”
I know that the person who wrote such an obnoxious line of criticism is capable of writing lyrical sentences.
I know that I have a published book that seems to be selling well.
I know that two publishers asked me whether I would be interested in writing more books about New York City.
I win.

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>And the Lead Item in the NY Times City Room Blog Is…

August 20th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>What is the New York Times City Room blog looking at today on the internets? Why, it’s the three subway road trip itineraries that I put together for WNYC!

Wow.

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>"Off the Beaten (Subway) Track" Hits WNYC!

August 19th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>Hear my thoughts on taking a “subway road trip” here. (I come in about 1 minute and 45 second into the piece), then read three suggested “subway road trip” itineraries here. I’m so excited that I’m shaking!

Thanks to Benjamen Walker for including me in his excellent story on “staycations!”

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>Beep Beep! Horn Tooting Time

August 18th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in hilarity

>I just adore this post that I wrote for BlogHer today about a crackpot new study that claims that the Pill leads women to choose the “wrong” partner. (The study involves 97 women thinking about taking the Pill, sweaty shirts, and sniffing. Sounds like a sound methodology, doesn’t it?) There are days when I think I might be one of the dumbest people on earth, and then moments like know when I am so pleased with my cleverness that I sound like an egomaniac. What can I say?

As long as I am encouraging people to read things that I wrote that I consider funny, I might as well put out another plea for reviews on my book over at Amazon. If you read it and liked it, please let potential buyers know how you felt. (Even if you didn’t like it, it would be helpful to know why.) Those of you who already posted something have my eternal gratitude. Those who post in the future will also have it. I don’t think it takes long to post, and you can even use a fake name. How often does something that takes five minutes earn someone eternal gratitude?!?!

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>Guest Blogging at NYU

August 15th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>I’m pleased to announce that I was invited to guest post today at the NYU Arts and Science Blog! I used the opportunity to suggest a few small museums near NYU’s Washington Square campus, and proposed a short “subway road trip” that is easy to embark upon from the NYU area.

While I have not been active with the alumni association at my school at NYU for a variety of reasons, I really do owe my current life situation to the university. I moved out to New York City almost 14 years ago (August 28, to be precise) to attend college there. Taking advantage of all my AP test scores, I graduated in three years, which was more than enough time for me. In those three years, I went through several dorming “situations” that made me relieved to be finished.

But in that same time period, I met Husband, “Big Giraffe” (who 6 years later became my high school friend Alex’s husband), Steph, Dianne, Dr. P, Dr. H, and Dr. F, among other friends, at NYU. Through the Dean’s Circle program, I was able to travel abroad for the first time, awakening my thirst for travel. And, of course, I began my love affair with New York. Although I initially planned to go back to Chicago after I finished school, I realized that I belonged in New York.

Eleven years later, I hope that love comes through in Off the Beaten (Subway) Track. I owe it all to NYU.

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>On the Radio

August 12th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>Thanks to a friend, a producer from WNYC, the NPR affiliate in New York, contacted me about doing a taped segment for Weekend Edition Saturday! I met him today on the L train, and we talked about the many cool things that there are to do in New York in August. As soon as it airs, I’ll link to the podcast. I’m pretty much jumping up and down and squealing as I type this, but I promise I was (slightly) more articulate when we rode the train with a camp group from Williamsburg. It was fun! I hope I get more opportunities like this.

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>The Party’s Over!

August 10th, 2008 by Suzanne | No Comments | Filed in Uncategorized

>The release party for my first book, Off the Beaten (Subway) Track, was yesterday. I loved having people from various parts of my life at the event. There were friends from junior high, friends from high school, friends from college, friends from my public policy grad program, friends from my book club, friends from various former jobs, friends from my writing group, friends from the writing class I took this summer, friends of friends, family, and family of friends. (Whew!) I missed my friends from blogging who live around the country and could not make it. If only I could have set up a virtual book party, that would’ve rocked!

The party was a lot like a wedding: I didn’t get to eat anything (for the most part), I didn’t get to talk to everyone, and it was over in what felt like five minutes. I had a great time, and I think that everyone else did, too. I posted some pictures from the party at my flickr account. Now, the real work begins: promoting the book!

My mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law, and bubbe came in for the party earlier last week. (Very regretfully, Granny didn’t feel well enough to travel. Her presence was enormously missed.) Overall, it was an overwhelming and exhausting week of fun. My family departed this afternoon, which is always hard for me. I don’t get to see them enough, especially my sister. I was a bit blue this afternoon now that it is all over. It’s always for me after an event that I’ve looked forward to for a long time passes. I’ll just have to keep extra busy this week.

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