#138 - The Full Tilt Poker Guide to Manhattan, Part II - Promises

I am an appreciative outsider to the worlds of Manhattan, the literary scene, and the media powers. Up close, the flesh and blood characters that inhabit and sometimes rule those worlds fascinate me. Spending an evening with them exceeded my lofty expectations.

The heads of the five families, the New York publishing powerhouses, were in evidence, either personally or by proxy. Erica Jong, author of (among other towering literary achievements) FEAR OF FLYING, the most famous sex novel of the last century, sat at an adjoining table. Peter Pringle, esteemed English journalist and author himself of a book coming out this week (DAY OF THE DANDELION, a thriller featuring a botanist as its main character), hosted the previous evening’s affair and was present. Noted academics, art historians – the list of interesting people was too long for me to recite, much less get to know. But who would expect less at a party honoring Tony Holden or thrown by Sir Harold Evans and Tina Brown?

Then Steve Martin showed up.

Despite the presence of so many wonderful people in intimate surroundings, I felt comfortable, owing to two things.

First, there was a poker contingent among the gathered:

Tony Holden, of course, the guest of honor and a treasured friend.

Peter Alson, with his dazzling wife Alice.

Colin Fox, the editor who brought SUICIDE KING to life and bought THE FULL TILT TOURNAMENT EDITION, before fleeing to Simon & Schuster.

Amanda Murray, the beautiful and talented S& S editor who wrestled Tony’s BIGGER DEAL into print.

John Stravinsky, editor of READ ‘EM AND WEEP, a poker anthology in which I have unashamedly begged to be included, if there is a future edition.

Michael Hirschorn, executive VP of VH1 and a poker killer contemplating taking on the World Series of Poker this year. His stunning wife Elizabeth Beier, who edited Penn Jillette’s poker book and shares my fondness for acquiring artifacts from interesting places and experience, was with him.

I knew many of these people, and were kindred spirits with the rest.

The second reason for my calm was a two-fold promise I made to myself before I arrived: I would not insert myself into a poker discussion with Steve Martin, and I would not pitch a book idea to Tina Brown.

OK, you know me, right? So it’s really not a surprise that I broke both promises.