MB instructor Susan Shapiro hosted our recent "Change Your Life Party" in New York, celebrating the paperback release of her memoir Lighting Up: How I Stopped Smoking, Drinking, and Everything Else I Loved in Life Except Sex. Authors, reporters, editors, publicists, and more (some of whom were Susan's former students) joined to congratulate the author and each other for making positive changes in their own lives. Want to change your career? Sign up now for Susan's upcoming classes: Basic Training: Intro to Writing for NYC Newspapers and Magazines, Master Class: Writing for NYC Newspapers and Magazines, and The Secrets Behind Writing and Selling Your First Book.

At Mannahatta, January 10, 2006

Photos by Eric Green

Host, mb instructor and author Susan Shapiro, Devon Sipheir and Amy Harris

Writer Elizabeth Economou and HarperCollins assistant publisher Margarita Vaisman

Fortune/Money Group sales developing manager Joe Kutchera and Time Inc. communications director Frederika Brookefield

Producer Karen Fitzgerald, art director Cynthia Eddy, and Rich Gaiti

Time Warner Cable producer Joel Mahan and Mannahatta waitress Monica

Russ Baker, writer Juliet Heeg, and ColoringTheNews.com journalist Bill McGowan

Dow Jones' Anthony Andrade and REVERBERATE! president Steve Deitsch

Employment Opportunist coordinator Nancy Lowery and Bernard Hodes Group senior account executive Evan Solomon

SRDS account manager Victor Silva, Nielsen Media Research web coordinator Drew Eastmead, and Nielsen Media Research associate product planner Jason Moore

Ester Pearl, Stacy Luftig, Susan Shapiro, Allison Sprout, and writer Phoebe Hovan

Humor writer Todd Jackson and Bantam Dell's Danielle Perez

Word of Mouth Communications managing director Ronnie Atlas and photographer Lou Manna

Bantam Dells' associate publicists Anna Dell and Rachael Dorman

GH.com ad director Joy Zurzolo and Disney Publishing Worldwide Promotions Manager Rainbow Kirby

Contract Magazine associate editor Sofia Galadza, Nielsen Media Research associate product planner Jason Moore, and Contract Magazine senior editor Katie Weeks

Writer Michael Menachem, Hina Ejaz, and Star Magazine research associate Darren Ratner

Routledge associated marketing manager Stephanie Pekarsky, Mud Puddle Books sales/editorial & art assistant Roslyn Schoenbrum

Nancy Lowery and Evan Solomon

Doubledown Media web director Anni Rodgers and Condé Nast Publications contributing editor Jennifer DeChristoforo

Sue Shapiro

Abernathy MacGregor vice president Robb Malin, Anna Crowe, and Rachael Dorman