I did a mini-concert and CD signing for my first CD at Seaburn Books, so it was fun to return with a new CD. Seaburn is a great used book store on Broadway in Astoria. It’s always nice to
see my record in the window, especially while I'm going around the
neighborhood hanging up posters and inviting people to hear me perform my music.
Seaburn is where I find terrific cookbooks at low prices. (They also have a great biography section, where I found Judy Collin's moving book, "Singing Lessons".) Jen Kilmer, the Events Manager, had sent out
announcements to all the Queens newspapers. An armchair, a sofa and a few other chairs
were clustered in the middle of the front room, very cozy. People walked in, browsed the bookshelves,
took a cookie, and sat down for a song or two.
Parisi’s Bakery (corner of Broadway and 31st
Street, right at the subway stop) gave us a big
box of lovely butter cookies, some dipped in chocolate and raspberry jam inside
that were my favorite. My CD is called “Broken
Cookies,” so I really appreciated that!
Parisi’s also has good tea biscuits, which are like big scones, a real treat to dip in a mug of hot tea.
Several people came in and listened, then bought my CD. But something else happened, too. It was like a neighborhood gathering, like making music on your porch and people crossing the street to listen and chat awhile. A man invited
me to a weekly gathering of friends who sings traditional Irish music in the
Village. I got into conversations with people
about their work, including a woman who teaches Special Education students and
finds it very rewarding. A man sang a grand ballad to me in Spanish and then asked me to autograph his T-shirt! Just when I
thought we were done, a family came in, about 3 adults and 4 kids, including a 5 year
old girl. She was so sweet that I had to sit down again and sing “Broken
Cookies” just for her. The song is about a
day my mother took me to a bakery when I was 4. She loved the song and so did her
mother. Her father took photos and
promised to send them to me. If he does,
I’ll post them here and let you know. Here is a photo of Jen Kilmer and me at Seaburn Books.
