I need to get a copy of Paul Auster’s "Brooklyn Follies" to my friend Mary because I think she is pictured on the cover. I saw her yesterday at Maggie Moo’s and asked her if it’s her on the cover. She didn’t know a thing about it. I told her that I’d posted about it a few weeks back.
I loved that you stopped in at Maggie Moo’s to tell me about the Brooklyn Follies cover. The kids were running in too many circles from their ice cream high for me to focus on what you were saying. Now that I’ve read your post, I’m blushing. Thanks for calling me "very nice" (in the post).
Still, Mary isn’t sure whether it’s her picture on the cover. Oddly and coincidentally, she’d had her picture taken for Time Out Magazine on the same Second Street corner and she thought that was what I was talking about. Who knew about her busy modeling career.
As far as the photo on the Auster cover goes–it wasn’t the one I thought it was. The one I told you about that was taken on the 2nd street corner was taken of me and my husband and supposedly appeared in Time Out–although I didn’t follow the issues closely enough to see it. And I wasn’t carrying a beach ball as "I" am on the Auster cover-but my husband was carrying a huge bag of brickettes. I haven’t been able to run out to the bookstore to scrutinize the Auster cover tonight. Looking at a close up view on Amazon has been inconclusive. I have to say, it does appear to be me!
I am also pretty sure that it’s Mary. I assumed she knew about it and had signed a release or something. The fact that she was unaware of the picture being taken adds another element to the story. I thought it was particularly interesting because Mary is a writer (she and I met in Tim Tomlinson’s fiction writing course at the Writer’s Voice). Since she moved to Park Slope a few years back, we’ve had regular chitchats about writing, children, work, and other Park Slope-ish matters.
I’ve always wanted to write an essay about the strange places your image could appear without your knowledge (think of those group photos taken in restaurants–with your table in the background.) Once, when I was dining at Ellen’s Stardust with a friend, the waiter (whom I had never seen before) said "What will it be, Stacey and Mary?" After we completely freaked that he knew our names, he said he recognized us from a photo he saw in Chicago when he was staying with a friend of his–who was also a close friend of ours–who mentioned (I guess several times–since he remembered them) our names.
The oft-photographed Mary is going to let me know soon if it’s her on the cover. But even if it’s not, she’s still a big deal in my book. In addition to the care and feeding of two kids, she writes daily at the Park Slope Writer’s Space and has a story coming out later this year in a webzine.
I’ll let you know what I think after I see the real cover! And, thanks for asking, my story is coming out in a 2006 issue of Paper Street. (A small lit mag based in Pittsburgh).
I finally bought “Brooklyn Follies.” It ISN’T me holding the beach ball on the front cover because, as Austin Powers would say, “That’s a MAN, baby.” (In addition to be much photographed throughout my life, I have been mistaken several times for a man in real life. Seriously. Despite lipstick.)
However, if you look at the back flap, (near the author’s portrait) there is a woman in a black jacket and light jeans. And I am 99 percent certain it’s me.
I bought the book at the Seventh Avenue bookstore and told the owner as he rang it up that I thought I was on the flap. He looked and agreed it might be me. He then asked for $25.07. I gave him $26.00 and said I didn’t have any change. He said, “Well, seeing as I’m running out of change and you are a celebrity, I won’t charge you the seven cents.” So, being on the Auster back flap is paying off all ready. If I carry the book around with me, will I get free drinks at local establishments? Perhaps 2nd Street cafe will give me a half-priced coffee.
At home, I took out a magnifying glass. Under magnification, I still think it is me. And my husband and four year old think so too. My 2 year old also has declared, “That’s Mama.” Unfortunately she was pointing to the photo of Paul Auster. “That’s a man, baby!”
The cover of Brooklyn follies is very odd, and seems to have been photoshopped together ( is that so obvious?). Those people were obviously not positioned on the corner of 2nd Street – And it’s the oddest picture of Paul Auster – isn’t that him in the front looking into a plastic bag. Actually, I can’t imagine that he would allow himself to look so bad – It probably isn’t him on second thought. Your friend Mary was obviously not really holding a beach ball. Could someone tell me what this cover is all about anyway? Perhaps an interview with the designe/and or photogrqpher is in order – see backcovern- photo is by Sam Bassett and it is designed by Raquel Jaramillo. If Mary didn’t know they were putting her on the cover, isn’t that a legal issue? Perhaps the person who photographed her for Time-Out is the same photographer, and he pasted in her photo into this cover. Who knows? Perhaps she signed an all rights release when she had her pix done for Time Out. Those don’t stand up in court.