After taking the summer off, I'm excited to be doing a few more discussions and signings.  First up is the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday, November 7, where "Under Their Thumb" will be featured by the museum's Book Club.  I'll be speaking/signing at 9 o'clock that night, and it's part of the museum's monthly First Saturday series, where admission is free.  My appearance will coincide with the museum's "Who Shot Rock & Roll?" exhibit, so it'll be a unique opportunity to view some great rock 'n' roll images (including photos of the Stones) and everything else the museum has to offer, free of charge.  (They do sell food and booze.  And parking's just 4 bucks.)  Check the Events page or the museum's web site for more info and directions.

I want to convey my gratitude to everyone who showed up to my events in the spring.  I was overwhelmed by the turnouts at chain stores like Barnes & Noble and Borders (in New York and Philly), as well as indie stores like Book Soup (in Los Angeles) and the Book Revue (in Long Island).

At some of the events, I was thrilled to reunite with the characters from my book.  People I hadn't seen in years -- like the guy who sneaked me into my high school's mimeo room to print the first copies of my fanzine (see page 6) and the guy who called to tell me about the Stones' "Out On Bail" bootleg while I was in the process of almost losing my virginity (see page 5).

But there were bittersweet moments, too.  At one book signing, I was approached by the sister of Lisa, the wheelchair-bound girl from page 284.  Lisa had MS, and won my contest in 1993 to see Mick's private club gig at Webster Hall.  She was so eager to see the show, she didn't care that the club wasn't wheelchair accessible.  "I'll climb the stairs on my hands and knees," she told me back then.  (The end of that story is on page 294.)  Sadly, Lisa died a few weeks before my book signing near her town in Long Island.  Her sister said that if Lisa were still alive, she would definitely have been there.  So she and Lisa's best friend came in her stead.

At Book Soup in Los Angeles, a stranger handed me a note during the Q & A portion of my spiel.  His note said that he was unable to speak, but that he still had a question for me.  I read it aloud to the audience.  He was asking whether I'd ever performed my Stones impersonations in front of the Stones.  (At each of my book signings, I usually throw in a couple to amuse the audience.)  I relayed the story (from page 90) about how I tried to do Mick in front of Mick but sounded more like Dwight D. Eisenhower.  Later, when the guy approached me to get his book signed, he handed me another note.  It said that he couldn't speak because he had tongue cancer.  I told him to "hang in there."  And yes, in light of the Stones' famous logo, he does recognize (on his own blog) the irony of a Stones fan getting tongue cancer.

The November 7 event at the Brooklyn Museum should be a lot of fun.  If you live in the New York area, I hope to meet you there.  Tell me your stories and I'll tell you mine.