The Best Places to Write in Pasadena

I'm guest blogging at Prospect Parks books today.  Find out the five best places to write in Pasadena. I'll just say this: Sprinkle cookies are involved. Read about it here.

PS: Why the cute picture of Scout? Because she loves sprinkle cookies.

My Exciting Life as an Author (Read no further if you are easily plagued by envy and jealousy)

Put on your sunglasses! The dazzling, hot brightness of my literary career is likely to burn a hole right through your retina.  Saturday, I was invited to participate in a book signing at the illustrious Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I was invited by Prospect Park Books, the publisher of Literary Pasadena, an anthology of short fiction that includes my story "Genius Unleashed."

Naturally, my schedule is extremely busy, what with all my important obligations to the grocery story and laundry machine. But since I like to show my appreciation to the little people, I promised the good people at Prospect Park Books that I would try and squeeze them in.

They insisted on sending a car, but--now that I am famous and people are always looking to me as a role model--I said, "No! The planet needs me to take mass transit." Here I am on the bus showing ordinary people how authentic and normal I am. I'm with author Petrea Burchard. (I think you can see that I am bit more authentic than Petrea, but that's because I'm all about my art and Petrea is all about her cheekbones.)

When your work is in an anthology, you naturally are delighted to share the spotlight with fellow co-authors, and I was especially delighted because I am not the sort of person who seeks glory. So, of course, it was a RELIEF to stand in the back of our booth and hand copies of Elizabeth, the First Wife, to Lian Dolan, whose previous book, Helen of Pasadena, was an LA Times best seller and who perfect strangers come up and talk to as if they are all part of the same carpool.  Lian has a story in Literary Pasadena too. So do Naomi Hirahara and Dianne Emley, Wally Rudolph and Petrea, who were all also at the signing. They are all kind of a big deal, but again, I'm all about my art so, you know, I don't begrudge them their awards and per diems and book club invitations. Give me an un-air-conditioned bus and a little carpel tunnel syndrome and I'm good!

After the signing was when the real fun began. Here I am hobnobbing with the always charming Julia Sweeney (The tiny person to the right of the big head).

Julia read from her new memoir, If It's Not One Thing, It's Your Mother. I am sure she wanted to ask me all about The Goddess Lounge, etc, but I just felt like: It's your moment, Julia. Enjoy it!  I already spent an hour handing books to Lian Dolan. I'm good.

XOX to all of you. One day I may be too good for you, but, for now, I am still humble me.

Me, Me, Me! It's all about Me!

Can't get your fill of marvelous me? I've got you covered!

1. Hear me read my personal essay "The Reel Classroom," at I Pretend, a spoken word event featuring cool writers at SPACE this Saturday, April 13 from 7:30 to 9:00 PM. Adults only. Suggested donation $5. 1506 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA. 91030. Phone: 626/441-4788.

2.  Read my story "Genius Unleashed" in the new anthology Literary Pasadena, which also features stories by such acclaimed writers as Michelle Huneven, Victoria Patterson and the always charming Petrea Burchard. (Full disclosure: "Genius Unleashed" is a reworking of my story "Creation," which some of you may have read elsewhere.)

3. Visit me at the LA Times Festival of Books, Saturday, April 20, from noon to one o'clock, where I will be signing copies of Literary Pasadena at the Prospect Park Books booth. USC Campus.

4.  I think it is time that I remind you that Mother's Day is just a month away. What better way to celebrate the moms you love than with a copy of The Goddess Lounge, a story of love, motherhood, a lot of dogs, tons of traffic, a few modern-day monsters and a little divine intervention.

5. You have until the 15th of this month to post a picture of the ugliest shoes of the season. The winner will get eternal glory and an as yet undetermined prize of very little worth. I know that's a little off topic, but I'm just saying...

6. Enough about me. Did I mention that you are rocking those sweat pants! You look fabulous. Stop losing weight already! You're shaming all of us!

7. Wondering about the picture? That's me (looking haggard) and my sweet teen E (looking adorable) at Disneyland a few weeks back. She's a cutie!

Busy, busy me

Three fun things:

1. My story "Genius Unleashed," will appear in the anthology Literary Pasadena, which will be out in April, 2013. I'll keep you posted as the day draws nearer. (Full disclosure, the story first appeared in C4 and was titled "Creation.")

2. I'll be doing a book signing on Saturday, December 1 from 6:30 to 8:30 at Webster's Fine Stationer's, 2450 N. Lake Avenue, Altadena, California. It's their holiday open house so it should be lots of fun. Consider this your official invitation. If you are nearby and looking for fun, come! I'll tell you who your inner goddess is! I'm gifted that way! And, besides, you want to buy copies of The Goddess Lounge to give all your women friends for Christmas, remember? This way you can get them signed.

3.  Want to get all those copies signed but don't live nearby? Drop me a line at mail@margaretfinnegan.com. I'll send you signed bookplates!