Party Hopping

Yesterday marked the release of Brandon Sanderson's "The Gathering Storm," the next book in a beloved "Wheel of Time" series by the late Robert Jordan. As that video reveals, fans mobbed the Brigham Young University bookstore opening at midnight, looking for copies of the sequel. "I've been waiting since I was 16," says one fan.

If you are looking for more "Wheel of Time" news, GalleyCat has written about how the book's network of fans are helping with promotional efforts for the book. Also, we interviewed Sanderson earlier this year about the future of fantasy and digital publishing.

Here's an excerpt from that interview, as Sanderson hinted at the highly anticipated conclusion of the series: "I'm one of four people who have read this ending out of the millions of people who are waiting for it...It was a reverent experience, a surreal experience. I don't think it really hit home for me what I was doing until I sat down and read that...It was a daunting experience saying, 'This is where the 11th book ended, and this is where I've got to end up.' There was a big gap."

Guernica ("a magazine of art and politics") is celebrating its fifth anniversary next week with a major fundraising event at Brooklyn's powerHouse Arena, and GalleyCat readers who order tickets online can shave $15 off the listed prices (whether you're going for general admission or the VIP sponsorship levels) by using the promotional code "guernicaat5." So far, confirmed entertainment for the evening includes Jonathan Ames and DJ Didi Gutman from Brazilian Girls.

After four years on the circuit, GalleyCat knows from book parties—and, let us tell you, cramming upwards of 400 people into Ben's Kosher Deli Monday night to celebrate the publication of David Sax's Save the Deli has to be some kind of record. Which would be fitting, given the number of other world records being set in the room that night—granted, they were all in stunt categories like "most insults flung at a deli waiter in 30 seconds" or "most side dishes ordered in 30 seconds," but a record's a record. Sax (left) invited the owners from several of the delis he writes about in his book—a travelogue of the great delis still operating in North America (with a little side trip to Europe)—and brought in Jelvis, "the Jewish Elvis," for musical entertainment, but you can't go wrong with a free buffet... especially when it includes hot dogs, knish, potato pancakes, and several flavors of Dr. Brown's. (And this picture doesn't even show any of the corned beef or pastrami!)

Last night the Feminist Press at the City University of New York (the oldest continuing women's publisher in the world) celebrated its 39th Annual Women Write the World Gala, and—just as in 2007 and 2008, we asked Amanda ReCupido (the creator of The Undomestic Goddess website) to cover the event for GalleyCat. Honorees as this year's event included authors Arianna Huffington and Taslima Nasrin, along with human rights lawyer Rhonda Copelon and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (who was unable to attend due to a late vote in the Senate). ReCupido writes:

"Copelon spoke about the need for human rights in the United States, especially when it comes to laws protecting reproductive health care and abortion. Luckily, she said, 'there is a new generation of activists emerging to see this through." Huffington echoed her call, saying that "younger women are ushering in a new world.' Nasrin spoke about the need to separate state and religion in every country, saying that 'education and economic freedom alone is not enough.' She also addressed the issue of human trafficking around the world, stating that 'no one is free until all women are free.'"

Each of the women honored have left an indelible mark on women's progress, and Huffington reminded the crowd that each and every one of us has the power to enact change. 'We need to stop looking for someone to save us,' she said. 'Look in the mirror and find the leader within.'"

Last Wednesday, Amanda ReCupido went to Gotham Hall for the New York Women's Foundation's "Stepping Out & Stepping Up" fall dinner The "Stepping Up" award recognizes New Yorkers who "serve as role models of courageous leadership, vision and commitment to women and girls as individuals and as partners," and this year's honorees included social activists Elizabeth and Herbert Sturz and author/journalists Sheryl WuDunn and Nicholas D. Kristof. ReCupido spoke with Ana L. Oliveira, President and CEO of the foundation, who discussed how the evening's honorees affect change for women at both the local and global level. (Indeed, Oliveira explained, the Sturzs have founded 24 nonprofit and government agencies between them.)

WuDunn spoke about the importance of investing in women and girls locally as a prerequisite to investing globally. Her and Kristof's new book, Half the Sky, focuses on women and girls in the developing world, focusing on the issues of human trafficking, gender-based violence, and maternal care.

The evening also included music from Mary J. Blige, who dedicated her performance to the power and unity of women. Other attendees included New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg (as the date of co-chair Diana Taylor), Consul General of Mexico Ruben Beltran, designer Catherine Malandrino, record executive Steve Stoute, and a scattering of additional New York socialites.

DK's Rachel Kempster (she's the one wielding the lightsaber) sent us a picture from an office party she and her colleagues threw last Friday morning to celebrate the release of LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, a headstart on the 65 events across the United States that took place Saturday—and, we're told, some of the DK crew met up with members of The 501st Legion at a Manhattan bar afterwards.

On the DK website, Simon Beecroft discusses the rapid turnaround for the book's production: "I wrote a book plan in January 2009. Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group approved the book plan in February," he recalls, "and I started writing the manuscript text in March. Through April and May, I made lots of little changes, refining and adding info as the page designs were put together. There were further small changes from Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group. Finally, the finished book went to the printer at the end of May."

Last night diplomats, editors, and authors all mingled the Australian Consulate, celebrating the release of "The Literature of Australia" anthology from W.W. Norton & Company.

GalleyCat missed the event, but the Consulate passed along this picture of some of the night's cultural and political luminaries. Pictured in the top row: W.W. Norton editor Peter Simon, New School professor Nicholas Birns, author and screenwriter Luke Davies, Consul General Phil Scanlan, and anthology editor Nicholas Jose. Pictured in the bottom row: literary agent Mary Cunnane and author Shirley Hazzard.

Here's more about the forthcoming book: "[The anthology includes] coverage of over two hundred years of literature in all genres, from the 1700s to the present, and over 500 entries from 307 different authors, including writing by Aboriginal authors from the early colonial period to the present."

mediabistro.com's events team and AgencySpy got together last week to throw a party for James P. Othmer (center) last week celebrating the publication of Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet. Among those joining Othmer at Stone Creek Bar & Lounge for complimentary Hendrick's Gin cocktails and free copies of the book: Barbarian Group CEO Benjamin Palmer and director of communications Eva McClosky. For more of John Kealy's photos from the evening, visit mediabistro.com's Flickr set.

Last week, we stopped by the SoHo furniture boutique Ochre to check out a book party for Amy Sohn and her new novel, Prospect Park West—so we thought we'd take the chance to ask her about an article that had recently run in the NY Post delving into Sohn's use of real-life celebrities as walk-on characters...

Tomorrow night at Housing Works Bookstore Cafe, one GalleyCat editor will test his feeble skills of memorization beside some of the literary world's finest minds.

To promote Kenneth C. Davis and Jenny Davis' new book, "Don't Know Much About Literature: What You Need to Know but Never Learned About Great Books and Authors," Housing Works is hosting a literary trivia contest tomorrow night. The first round of the contest will feature bloggers and other literary types, and then, the audience will get a chance to participate. The show starts at 7 PM EST, and you can find out all the details at the Housing Works site.

Here's more about the killer line-up, from the post: "Both authors will appear to test your knowledge, from Homer to Harry Potter, from Chaucer to 'Charlotte's Web,' in a live game show complete with buzzers, book bloggers, and beer ... First round teams include Jason Boog, Garth Risk Hallberg, Buzz Poole, Edward Champion, Catherine Lacey, and Drew Toal. Second round teams include you!"