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In just 15 minutes, more than 1,000 bookworms will pack into a white tent behind the East Hampton Library on Saturday, August 13.
And there are 170 reasons why.
In its biggest year to date, the seventh annual Authors Night will draw out 170 writers—Alec Baldwin, Robert Caro, Dick Cavett, Barbara Goldsmith, Nelson DeMille and Katie Lee, to name a few—who will mingle with avid readers and fellow authors during the largest literary event of its kind on the East End.
The event has grown from 25 authors at its inception to last year’s 155, according to East Hampton Library Director Dennis Fabiszak. The writers are seated alphabetically with towers of their most recent titles to be signed for the droves of fans circling the tent, their arms full of autographed favorites.
“It’s to the point where it’s difficult for even myself to get through the entire list of authors to say hello to everybody during the event,” Mr. Fabiszak said during a telephone interview last week. “It’s taken on a life of its own, you could say.”
Among Mr. Fabiszak’s roster of personal favorites are Mr. Caro, Mr. Cavett and Mr. Baldwin, he said, adding that they are author favorites, too.
“Bob Caro, a lot of writers look up to him,” he said. “He’s won two Pulitzer Prizes. He really stands out. He’s an inspiration and hero to many of these authors. It’s as much a treat for them as it is for the rest of us.”
Mr. Baldwin also has a fan in Mr. Cavett, the columnist and former talk show host said in his distinctive voice during a telephone interview last week.
“I love Alec Baldwin. He’s one of the best things this country has ever produced,” Mr. Cavett said. “We first met when I was in the movie ‘Beetlejuice’ and the first day of shooting, a young man came ’round from behind some scenery and said, ‘You don’t know me unless you’ve seen me on a soap,’ and he named the soap, ‘but I wanted to meet you,’” he recalled.
Other than reuniting with Mr. Baldwin, Mr. Cavett said he’s greatly anticipating meeting “anyone” during his first Authors Night. He will be signing copies of his book, “Talk Show: Confrontations, Pointed Commentary, and Off-Screen Secrets,” and said he was amazed when he learned of the vast sea of writers that will be joining him.
“There’s so much writing talent in the world,” said Mr. Cavett, who splits his time between Manhattan and Montauk. “There are people out there who can write, and hopefully they’ll be at Authors Night, that it won’t just be me and you.”
That certainly won’t be the case, as the event typically rakes in more than $200,000 annually, Mr. Fabiszak pointed out. All proceeds benefit the East Hampton Library, a valuable asset to the community, said cookbook writer-turned-fiction-author, Katie Lee.
“Going to the library, I think, is one of my earliest memories,” said the West Virginia native. “Growing up at the library, 5 years old at Story Hour. I met my best friend at the library, who I’m still friends with to this day. A lot of people have similar stories. Having the access to all these different books, where would we be without all that literature at our fingertips?”
Ms. Lee, who is returning to Authors Night for her second year in a row, will be signing copies of her recent novel, “Groundswell.” The story follows Emma, who divorces her celebrity husband after she discovers him cheating. She escapes New York to the beaches of Sayulita, Mexico, where she discovers her love of surfing and realizes that losing everything may have been just what she needed.
“Like any author, I take inspiration from my own life, my own story, my friends’s lives,” said Ms. Lee, an avid surfer who was married to musician Billy Joel. “There’s certain parallels, but at the end of the day, it is fiction.”
About two years ago, the idea for the novel hit Ms. Lee as she was walking up Gibson Beach in Sagaponack—where she lives year-round—after a day of surfing.
“I went into the house, started writing and never stopped,” she recalled. “Switching from cookbooks to fiction was a lifelong dream. I tried in the past a couple times to write fiction, but I couldn’t find a story that stuck. I kept thinking I needed to write about food.”
But the author will never choose between food and fiction, she said.
“Cooking will always be my passion,” she said. “I grew up in the kitchen, but I really do love writing fiction because it’s a way to escape. I get to play make-believe all day long. It’s like being a little kid.”
Ms. Lee said she too will be making the rounds at Authors Night, picking up books and getting them signed. She said she was awestruck by the sheer number of local authors in attendance last year.
“When I was there, I looked around at all these different authors—so many well-known, well-respected people—and to think they all live in our community,” she said. “It goes to show that where we live is a pretty inspiring place.”
The sixth annual East Hampton Library Authors Night will be held on Saturday, August 13, beginning at 5 p.m. at the library. Tickets are $100. Author dinners will follow the authors’ reception at private locations, tickets start at $225. For more information, call 324-0222 or visit authorsnight.org.
on Aug 8, 2011