::
In each autumn edition of WordSmitten, we've got a tribute to
Dorothy Parker and all things witty. October in Manhattan is
Parkerfest time. 
Sign up for this enduring (and some say sacredly funny) event.
Don't miss our exclusive interview with editor Nan
Talese and author Marion Meade
whose combined editorial and writing talents produced the newly
launched book, Bobbed Hair and Bathtub Gin.
Read the book (covering four writers from a unique period in
literary history including Dorothy Parker) before you attend
the Parkerfest celebration and read this report by Julie Farin.
[Credit
Photo: Columbia University Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Courtesy of Random House.]
The Portable Parkerfest. In October.
And Dorothy, you must attend.
By
Julie Farin
"Marion's
book, What Fresh Hell Is This?, is what set me off
and got me into this whole thing," explains Kevin Fitzpatrick,
who attended Meade's recent reading at The Corner Bookstore
on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Fitzpatrick
is president of the popular Dorothy Parker Society of New York,
a group of devoted readers and enthusiasts that has been meeting
for more than six years.
"A
friend gave me that book about ten years ago, and I've read
it many, many times." The web designer-turned-"Dottie"
enthusiast describes Meade's new book as "manna from heaven"
in a review he posted on what is described as the everything
you ever wanted to know about Dorothy Parker's New York
aficionado site, which boasts nearly 3,000 unique visitors each
week.
"Marion's
book really puts you in that decade," Fitzpatrick says.
He applauds her skills not only as a biographer, but also as
an investigative journalist. "She dug up some new information,
like the whole chapter about Zelda Fitzgerald and her affair
(in 1924 in France) with that naval officer (Lieutenant Edouard
Jozan). I had never read that anywhere before. She dug up the
guy's descendants—that was good journalism."
In
a monthly newsletter, Fitzpatrick writes and emails to thousands
of Parker fans worldwide, and he offers a "Round Table
Walking Tour" of favorite New York City haunts frequented
by Mrs. Parker and her "Vicious Circle" cronies.
The
mother lode, however, is his annual weekend-long "Parkerfest,"
which, "this year, we celebrate both the 85th anniversary
of the Round Table and the 60th anniversary of the publication
of The Portable Dorothy Parker. She's the only 'Round Tabler'
who never went out of print," he says. Parker, said to
be the originator of The New Yorker short story, died in 1967.
Parkerfest activities include a sunset sail around Manhattan
(the "Bathtub Gin Ball & Speakeasy Cruise") featuring
a live jazz band and kindred Parker spirits. Other events include
lunch at the Algonquin's Round Table, and a walking tour of
Parker's neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
According
to Fitzpatrick, Dorothy Parker's three great-nieces attended
Parkerfest 2001. "They were fantastic," he says. "They
had great stories to tell when we sat around the Round Table,
stories that were handed down to them." He adds, "They
gave me great photocopies of postcards and letters and telegrams.
They have big scrapbooks of her stuff."
For
Parkerfest 2004, "I'd like to partner with a couple of
other groups to do a bigger party," Fitzpatrick says. "I
know the Robert Benchley (Society) people and other arts groups…I
want to do a jazz cruise around the city with everyone dressed
in period attire. This year, since Parkerfest is being held
the same weekend as The New Yorker Festival and New York is
Book Country, a lot of people who love books will be in town,
so I'd like to get everyone together."
However,
when mentioning The New Yorker, Fitzpatrick complains that the
magazine doesn't pay enough tribute to the people who founded
it. "If you look at the plaque on the wall on West 44th
Street," he points out, "there's no mention of Dorothy
Parker, Robert Benchley or any of the people from the Round
Table who helped get the damn thing going."
Marion
Meade also mentions that co-founder Jane Grant "has been
practically written out of The New Yorker's history."
Fitzpatrick
even wrote to the magazine's top editor, David Remnick, to address
his concerns, but with little reaction. "Their whole 75th
anniversary came and went…I think if they really wanted
to pay tribute to their past, they should create a 'Parker Award'
or a 'Benchley Prize' or something."
"They
should have done what Esquire did," he says, disappointed.
"They reprinted their best story that ever ran - the Gay
Talese story, 'Frank Sinatra Has a Cold' - in its entirety.
The New Yorker would never do that."
::
PARKERFEST ::October
For more information on the upcoming event, contact:
The
Dorothy Parker Society of New York
or email Kevin Fitzpatrick at Kevin
dorothyparkernyc.com
This
year's Parkerfest celebrates both the 85th anniversary of the
Algonquin Round Table and the 60th anniversary of the publication
of The Portable Dorothy Parker. WordSmitten will be there, so
look for us at the Algonquin Hotel. Pick up a copy of our latest
issue containing an exclusive excerpt from Connie May Fowler's
soon-to-be-released novel, THE PROBLEM WITH MURMUR LEE.
Marion Meade's recent reading and book signing
was at The Corner Bookstore
1313 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10128. Ph: (212) 831-3554.
What
you'll read in WordSmitten:
::
Author Frank
McCourt - a rare interview with the Pulitzer Prize-winning
author of Angela's Ashes
:: Alice McDermott -talks about her experiences
at the Sewanee Writers' Conference in Tennessee
:: Book Editor of the St. Petersburg Times, Margo
Hammond on why she won't write a book
:: Publicist Scott Manning (guest columnist) discusses his tips
for getting P. J. O' Rourke's books into mainstream
media.
::
Author Connie May Fowler - on her newest novel
:: Literary Agent Gail Hochman
- on MMC'S PANEL
:: Author Arthur Herzog - a master storyteller's
fiction
:: Editor Nan Talese - managing book2film for
her writers
:: Author ZZ Packer - on writing, on travel,
on literary icons
::
Author Chris Offutt - on keeping his voice
in a pocket
advertisement
|
New
Voices - Mary McNulty's short story on infidelity;
Miriam Parker's
short story on publishing; John Ravenscroft's
award-winning short fiction; Bruce Pratt's
story Getting Something Back; Tanya Eby's The
Ride; and, an excerpt from Michael C. White's
historical novel (THE GARDEN OF MARTYRS).
Literary
Agents - Eric Simonoff,
Gail Hochman, Jeff Kleinman,
William
Clark and more
lit agents' great advice
Book Publicist - Scott Manning and more publishing
execs' tips
...and
exclusive interviews with senior editors who provide inside
information from Doubleday/Broadway,
HarperCollins,
Hyperion, Knopf, Penguin
Putnam, Random House,
Simon & Schuster, W. W. Norton, and Time Warner Books
to open their doors wider for a better view of publishing.
