It’s completely impossible to predict what the future holds. I certainly never would have guessed that I’d be promoting my own book on national TV. All it took was two divorces to get me to the Today Show where Gay Courter (my co-author) and I shared the spotlight with Stephen King and Demi Moore!
Monday, June 23, 2003
As part of a publicity blitz for our book “How to Survive Your Husband’s Midlife Crisis,” our publisher, Perigee (a division of Penguin Group), set up several television interviews for us in and around New York City.
The Today Show was the first and most prestigious interview. Originally co-host Matt Lauer was scheduled to interview us but the show’s producer had already told us everything was subject to last minute changes.
When we got to the studio, we learned our segment had been delayed and weatherguy Al Rocher would be doing the interview. Since we were now too early, we had lots of time to spend in the Green Room. I’m not sure why these rooms are called “Green” rooms because only one studio I’ve been in actually had a room that was green.
Sharing Space With Stephen King
The show’s guests included actress Demi Moore and author Stephen King. I don’t know if Demi Moore actually spent any time in the Green Room but we were all delighted when Stephen King came in and joined us for much of the show. I’d been warned by Gay that photos were a no-no so I kept my digital camera in my purse. Later on, someone who didn’t know the rules stopped King and took his picture.
When it got close to our segment, each of us had to pass the inspection of Wardrobe, Makeup, and Hair. I stopped at the doorway to Wardrobe so the Wardrobe lady could check my outfit. (“Perfect!” she said.) Across the hall at Makeup, the Makeup person added more blusher and lipstick to my already made up face. I moved from the Makeup chair to the Hair chair a couple feet away so the Hair person could spray some fixative on my hair. With that over, I went back to the Green Room.
Show Time!
Finally it was time to go into the studio, be fitted with microphones, and find our proper spots on the sofa for best lighting and camera angles. A few minutes later Al Rocher appeared, sat down, confirmed who each of us was, and the countdown to air time began. What seemed mere seconds later, it was all over.
We shook hands and went back to the Green Room to collect our things. The publicist from Perigee and I headed out for my first solo interview, a taping for Naked New York with Bob Berkowitz, a show for a mature late night audience.
Still No “Green” Room
Okay, I admit it, that was the most fun I had of the four shows I did in New York. In the Green Room (nope, not green) all of the show’s guests got to know each other. James, who runs a Manhattan-based companionship agency; Laura Shanley, an advocate of unassisted childbirth, who delivered her own four children without assistance; Hedda Lettuce and Yolanda, two drag queens; and me, the midlife crisis author.
We took photos in the Green Room and on the set, between tapings. Bob Berkowitz is a very gracious man and excellent interviewer so my segment went smoothly and quickly although it was at more than double the time of the Today Show segment.
Afterward, since taping was done for the day, I went back to the Warwick Hotel to remove the stage makeup and change to more comfortable clothes so I could explore Times Square and 5th Avenue. President Bush was in town that afternoon, security was heavy, protestors were everywhere, and the city was crazier than usual.
News 12 – Times Two
Tuesday morning, my publicist and I got an early start for our trip to Yonkers, NY, for an interview on News 12. Again, no green room. From there, we battled heavy traffic as our limo headed to Norwalk, Connecticut for an interview with another News 12. At last, an actual “green” room!
Around noon, the limo drove me to LaGuardia Airport for my flight home.
It was a once in a lifetime experience. But could I have imagined my life taking such a turn when I was in the depths of dispair as my last marriage failed? Not hardly!
You just never know what the future holds. I’ve stopped trying to second guess much past today.