LOOK WHO’S BOOKED, AT RIVER ROAD
In an event that was rescheduled from a couple of weeks ago, journalist and editor Regan Hofmann visits River Road Books to read from and sign her memoir, I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU.
They don’t have a whole rack devoted to remaindered tie-ins to old WB network shows. There’s not an entire aisle of get-rich-quick guides or karmic astrology dayplanners. In fact, the entire square footage of their shop probably adds up to less than they devote to Lindt chocolates over at the local B&N superstore. But what the owners of River Road Books in Fair Haven have is stories — the kind that are crammed between the covers of their biblio-boutique (a cranny of culture comfortably coccooned between a friendly neighborhood cleaner and one of the Shore’s most sublime bakeries), not to mention the kind that come directly from people whose passion is creating words and pictures.
Now, we’ve been known to take advantage of the late hours, sit-down cafe and “free” magazines at Borders on many a dreary night — but where the four(!) owners of River Road Books (Sharon Everett, Laurie Potter, Kim Robinson and Karen Rumage) have beaten the big chains at their own game is in the area of author appearances — setting up readings and signing events with such nationally known figures as former NY Giant (turned novelist) Mark Bavaro, network newsman Jack Ford and New Yorker cartoonist/ graphic novelist Marisa Acocella Marchetto. At the same time, the River Road renegades have made a concerted effort to spotlight the best of the prodigious talents who happen to hail from our own back yard — people like Red Bank children’s author and illustrator Elise Primavera, Rumson-based sailing expert and nautical-history novelist William H. White, and Little Silver’s own supermodel, “Soupermom” and safety advocate Farley Boyle. All of whom we’ve been pleased and proud to profile here in oRBit.
This month, the intimately-scaled indie does it again — not just once, but three times, beginning this Thursday evening with a special guest whose event was rescheduled from a supremely snowy February 25 — and continuing through March with two talented neighbors, one of whom is making a long-awaited and well-deserved homecoming.
Thursday’s 7:30pm event spotlights a memoir by a woman who, it’s been said, “seemed to have it all.” By which they mean beauty, brains, a Princeton pedigree, prep school, summers in the Hamptons, thoroughbred horse riding and a career in big-city publishing. For Regan Hofmann, however, “having it all” also meant being HIV-positive — a fact that she endeavored to conceal from the world at large since being diagnosed at age 25, until she decided to go public with what turns out to be a remarkable story. Now the editor in chief of POZ Magazine, the elegant and tireless advocate for HIV issues and awareness has composed her story as I Have Something to Tell You, a volume that’s been acclaimed as “candid and inspiring.” Hofmann will share passages from her book in an event that’s free with the purchase of a signing copy; call (732)747-9455 to reserve, or email riverroadbooks@verizon.net. Then Continue Reading to see what other surprises are in store.









Posted March 10, 2010
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