Quiescent

This blog will remain quiet for a while as I launch my new book site for Behind the Bedroom Door or until the next time I travel. Meanwhile, follow my transformation to a sexpert
on my newest virtual adventure.
Ciao amici!
Paola

The First Reading of Behind the Bedroom Door

will be at my neighborhood Barnes and Noble on Broadway and 82nd St. on January 15th. WOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO! Rachel Resnick gave me very good advice today, which was to come up with a more G-rated reading (one my nephews could attend) and one that's more racy and raw. Curious? Read more about Bedroom Door...

Come one, come all. (Hey, that's a double entendre!)
Ciao amici--
Paola

Vice Presidential Debate Rating

Wow. This was a good debate (at least comparatively). I was extremely impressed with Biden, but my favorite moment was Sarah Palin's Freudian slip: When she said "McCain should leave" instead of "McCain should lead..."

Palin was decent. There is a definite sharpness to her--she was clearly able to keep a lot of recently tutored facts in her head. Which makes her all the more scary.

Biden was terrific--I like him 100 percent better than I did before--and his voice breaking when he talked about his kids and the car accident was both poignant and actually a great way to quash Palin's "I'm a hardworking mom!" schtick!

But it was refreshing to watch a debate in which issues were actually addressed, questions answered, important causes talked about, like Darfour.
Ciao bambini--
Paola

Apples and honey and a sweet New Year

What could be more renewing than autumn in the Berkshires with my two favorite boys in the whole wide world?
Ciao--
Paola

A wild and wooly Woodstock weekend

I should have been a hippie. Peace out.
Baci--
Paola

The reservoir, 6:20 PM

Is it my imagination?

Or is McCain less than inspiring? I'm listening to and watching his speech and thinking that he seems like a carefully modulated automaton delivering memorized lines and many redundancies: "I will fix problems that need to be fixed" instead of simply "I will fix problems."

I don't understand why this would even be a contest? Truly: a contest between good and evil, as primal as muslim fundamentalism in its way.

Ciao, belli--
Isn't my nephew Jordan so handsome? He's my little heartbreaker!

A political rant

It's impossible for me to watch the Republican National Convention without screaming and cursing at the television set. They are ignorant, name-calling, fright-mongering closed minded, selfish rabble rousers, appealing to the worst in human nature: greed, prejudice and fear. I just heard Mitt Romney speak. He sneeringly said the L word (for liberal) throughout the speech, making it an us versus them argument as opposed to one based on what the world needs now.
Grrr.
Ciao--buona notte amici...
Paola

P.S. I posted this decidedly unflattering photo of myself because my expression rather accurately reflects my irritated frame of mind at the moment. Blame the Republicans! Grrr, again.

No-Labor Days in Montauk

Beaching, biking, lobster, ice cream...who could ask for anything more?
Ciao belli--
Paola

Happy last week of summer!

Ever since I've been working on Behind the Bedroom Door (which, incidentally is now up on Amazon complete with cover!) people have been telling me their sexual secrets--spilling amazing confessions at odd and random moments. Is it because people are simply waiting for the opportunity to talk about the stuff they've been wondering and worrying about?

Got the galleys of the book yesterday. Very, very exciting, to see people grabbing copies and reading and responding (at least at SELF, where my colleagues have been so unbelievably supportive.

Up above, snaps from a blissful weekend at Block Island, from one of my favorite porches--the one at the Atlantic Inn.
Ciao, amici. Molto baci!
Paola
P.S.
Contrary to what the images above suggest, Millicent and I did actually leave the hallowed hill of the Atlantic. We hiked to Black Rock beach and biked and beached, too. And ate lots of lobster.

serious sexpertise needed

So, I had an extremely positive meeting with Bantam's ace publicity team, who many have told me are the "best in the business." I'm excited, scared, and trying to stay realistic, practical and as always, keep my expectations very low. (I'm Jewish, what can I say?) All of which is to say I have to get my butt in gear (among other body parts) and step up my Become a Sexpert project. That entails: A) losing at least 10 pounds, ideally 20. B) Toning up all over (I ran for a half hour today--my iphone rocks out when it comes to helping me exercise and even looking forward to it. Every run is a chance to listen to the latest new songs I've downloaded. I'm making my way through the 1960s, happily, from the Yardbirds to the Stones to Janice to Petula Clark! With a bit of Kanye West thrown in, to get me really moving.) C) Getting comfortable talking about my book, and what it taught me about women and sex D) Getting comfortable being on TV, preferably without the help of sedating drugs (kidding!), and enjoying my life as a happy single woman in New York City, who is wide open to love.

Above, sunsets from this summer, thus far. Block Island and Montauk are still TK.

Baci, amici--
Paola

P.S. I'm reading the galleys of my book right now and it feels so wonderful to see the stories in print--I really like the type they used. Maybe it's Garamond, which I've always liked. Anyway, is it a good sign that despite reading each of these essays upward of, oh, 30 times, I still get involved and deeply engaged with all of them, still laugh or cringe or sigh? Or am I just prejudiced on my own book's behalf? I guess it's my baby after all, and parents are always biased when it comes to their children.

Hot Rocks

That's what I listen to on my iphoneG3 during my run today. So much fun, to jog along to Mick. My iphone is reawakening my interesting in music--I'm downloading lots of old stuff (Janis, The Who, The Stones, Bruce)and even some new (gotta love Amy Winehouse!)
Ciao, amici!
Paola

BrOOOOOOOOce, Bayhead, babies and other summer iPhone highlights

Birthday week!

So far, 45 is divine, even if it IS half-way to 90. Saw Bruce Springsteen last night (I was 16 when I saw him last), and if this most recent concert didn't quite reach the transcendent level I experienced in high school, it was amazing seeing a performer who so clearly loves what he does and puts his absolute all into it. Amazing, amazing energy--I sang and danced and clapped pretty much the whole time, and you KNOW it's got to be good if it gets me dancing. Singing yes, dancing, no.
But Bruce makes me move.

Making progress on the book. Hired a web team to come up with a site for me; reviewing a proposal from a publicist. All exciting, new stuff. Just got to stay disciplined to get it all done.

Above, scenes from Wednesday night's Off Road Girls' meeting--our semi-regular martini-drinking, career-strategizing, man-and-magazine gossiping gatherings that are as close to a real-life Sex and the City as you can get (without all that sex). And an annual SELF summer gathering, at an undisclosed posh location.

Wish I knew how to migrate photos from my iPhone onto my computer or I'd share my Bruce snaps with you! Party in the Meadowlands!

Ciao amici--
Paola

The cover

This is it, the one and only, approved by the powers that be.

Ciao, belli...
Paola

Half-way to ninety

That's how I've been oh-so-optimistcally referring to my upcoming 45th birthday. The good news is that I had an amazingly relaxing, restorative weekend in one of my favorite places in the world, on one of my favorite beaches in the world, on one of my favorite porches in the world--namely, the porch of the Sunrise Guesthouse where I spent hours drinking coffee, gossiping, reading and looking at the ocean this past weekend in celebration of said upcoming day-of-birth. Mine.

Had much lobster, in many forms (on hot dog buns, nestled in hard shells and soft), lots of ice cream, got sandy, freckled and even went for a run. What could be better, especially when accompanied by such good friends?

Ciao, amici! I'm looking forward to launching into birthday week.
Paola