MARTHA STEWART: Done Breaking the Rules - Now She's Inventing Them

Published in "New York Cool About Town" - Click here to read the below article on the website of "New York Cool About Town"

By Noelle Ashley

Martha Stewart has a reputation for rudeness and today’s remarks were aimed at Larry King.

“Larry King is an awful cake decorator,” she said.

King will probably recover from the remark. Especially since she clarified that “he’s a great person,” despite his lack of dessert-making skills on her show.

And this was as bitter as she got. The domesticity mogul was downright friendly, in contrast to all the rumors we’ve heard. But why shouldn’t she be upbeat? The audience was full of fans, with not a heckler in the room.

The newly liberated Stewart appeared at Barnes & Noble's Union Square location for the release of The Martha Rules: 10 Essentials for Achieving Success as You Start, Grow, or Manage a Business.

The question on everyone’s mind was “Did she write this book in prison?” Without mentioning her incarceration, Stewart cleared that up by saying she’s worked on this book for the last five years. She’s nothing if not diplomatic.

While Stewart signed books, one woman asked how she was “doing emotionally these days.”


Instead of pointing out that it was a personal question, Stewart chuckled and assured her, “I’m fine.”

The TV star sported a manicured look: brown suit, tasteful necklace and sensible heels. The crowd responded favorably when a smiling Stewart spoke about being an entrepreneur. Then she shook hands and encouraged people to believe in their business skills.

“You have to give her credit. She’s good at what she does,” an audience member said. “I’m all for Martha’s comeback. She’ll be stronger than ever.”

Stewart had the ultimate success at the signing – she came across as genuine. And for someone so polished, that’s hard to do.

Reviewing The New York Times

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Writers and book-lovers gathered in Bryant Park for The New York Times Great Read on Sunday. The goal was "A Celebration of Books," but the theme should have been "Acting Classes For Authors." I suggest shy or monotone authors hire appropriate people to impersonate them at readings: Chick lit writers can check Sarah Jessica Parker's availability; sci-fi authors should use William Shatner.

The highlights of the event came from authors who brought their work to life, like Isabel Rose (The J.A.P. Chronicles) who read dialogue from her novel in a thick New York accent. Wearing a tank top and jeans, the young author had the audience howling with her tale of a Jewish mother urging marriage and pregnancy. The protagonist protests that Madonna gave birth in her forties, until her mother tells her, "You're not Madonna. And nice Jewish girls don't get pregnant by their trainers!"

Rose receives the award for Funniest Excerpts, followed by L.A. Times reporter J.R. Moehringer. In a perfectly conversational tone of voice, the handsome Pulitzer Prize winner read about growing up fatherless in Manhasset. His memoir, The Tender Bar, told tales of a reclusive grandfather who suddenly "turned into Clark Gable." Gigi Anders also poked fun at her family, with an air-piercing Cuban accent, entertaining the crowd as she read from Jubana!: The Awkwardly True and Dazzling Adventures of a Jewish Cubana Goddess. In her childhood, her mother took her to a mental hospital and told her to "play with the patients." It was enough to make you want to cancel Mother's Day.

While the event marked the seventieth anniversary of The New York Times Bestseller List, not every author present held the distinction of being on the list. But as author Seth Godin (All Marketers Are Liars: But Great Marketers Tell Stories We Want to Believe) pointed out, "Dale Carnegie's book sold 40 million copies, and it was never reviewed in the Times."

(This article was published on Beatrice.com. Ron Hogan, author of The Stewardess Is Flying the Plane, runs Beatrice.com, the prestigious website known for its daily commentary on the book industry.)

John Travolta & James Gandolfini

Published in New York Cool - Read the entire article here

By Noelle Ashley (Saturday, April 29, 2006)

It started with the encyclopedia of crime.

Writer and director Todd Robinson flipped through accounts of robberies and kidnappings only to find a case where his own grandfather made the arrests. Stories had floated around his family for years. Now, with the help of actors John Travolta, James Gandolfini, Salma Hayek and Jared Leto, he presents the crime thriller Lonely Hearts, a film about two real-life detectives who chased America's notorious “Lonely Hearts Killers." The Killers, Martha Beck (played by Salma Hayek) and Raymond Martinez Fernandez (played by Jared Leto), earned their nickname from using personal ads to swindle and murder women. Travolta and Gandolfini play the two homicide detectives who track them down.

Travolta wore a black suit and striped tie but Gandolfini walked into the room in a short-sleeved shirt. The two men obviously have different ideas about the dress code for a press conference. But after doing four films together, including Get Shorty, A Civil Action and She's So Lovely, they are close friends. Putting their arms around each other, they joked around about the love between them.

One of the first scenes they filmed together involved a fight. “He’s a hell of a lot stronger that I ever thought he’d be,” the 45-year-old Gandolfini said of Travolta, age 52. “He really knocked me around.”

The star of the Sopranos compared playing a cop to playing a mobster. When he leaned into the microphone and said, “It’s the same,” the audience laughed. “They’re all strong men, except one is trying to do the right thing. Both try to get men to do what they want.”

“This part was kind of a sidekick to him,” Gandolfini said, nodding at Travolta. “For once, I’m not the guy losing his temper all the time.”

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Top Writers Hit Harvard

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By Noelle Ashley

November, 2005 - Hearing Tom Wolfe talk about Paris Hilton was one of many amusing moments at the Nieman Journalism Conference, Harvard University’s three-day workshop held at the Boston Convention Center. The brilliant, white-haired author of Bonfire of the Vanities (pictured to the left) used the blonde glamour girl to prove the point that truth is stranger than fiction. He said that in a novel, a socialite would cover up her scandals. Who would have thought the porno Paris made in between parties would turn her into a successful businesswoman? The fictional version is never as crazy as the true escapades.

For a writer, finding a great story compares to meeting a husband. “It happens when you’re ready, when you stop making excuses,” said Diana Sug, the Pulitzer Prize winner and journalist at The Baltimore Sun.

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Vanity Fair Party

Published in "New York Cool About Town" - Click here to read the article
April 26, 2006
Written by Noelle Ashley
Photographed by Marlo Clemente

(Photographed: Ed Burns and Christy Turlington)


From Robert De Niro to Jerry Seinfeld, stars of the entertainment field walked a new kind of red carpet: one laid down a long flight of stairs. That's due to the venue of the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival's Vanity Fair party: the New York State Supreme Courthouse at 60 Centre Street and Pearl Street.

Hundreds of candles lined the courthouse steps. Beneath the American flag and the architectural wonders of statues, columns and moldings, the words VANITY FAIR were carved in huge, red block letters above a sign reading, "Tribeca Film Festival."


(Photographed: David Duchovny)

(Photographed: William Dafoe and Giada Colagrande)
The award for best-looking couple goes to Ed Burns and Christy Turlington. Burns, who has a film to promote, said, "It was a no-brainer to come out tonight." When asked what fans yell out these days when they see him on the street, Burns joked, "What fans? Have you seen the box-office returns of my last couple movies?"
Turlington laughed and then praised his new film, The Groomsmen.


(Photographed: Mr. and Mrs. Regis Philbin; Patty Smyth and John McEnroe)
Iman and David Bowie were another glamorous duo. The parade of guests included David Duchovny, Jeff Goldblum, Russell Simmons, Fran Liebowitz, Damon Dash and Harvey Weinstein.
Designers Carolina Herrera and Diane von Furstenberg joined the party, as did television stars Barbara Walters and Regis.
Tennis champion John McEnroe came to support the festival. He graciously stopped and answered questions. "De Niro is a quiet, behind-the-scenes guy who stepped up to the plate," he said. "There's more to [the festival] than just seeing a movie."

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Vogue editor and New York icon

Published on Beatrice.com - Click here or read below

Two Sides of Vogue
Tuesday, December 6, 2005 - There are two sides to the Vogue editor and New York icon André Leon Talley (far right).
When Naomi Campbell, Donald Trump and Vera Wang joined him at the New York Historical Society benefit on Monday night, I expected a breathtaking presence to stand before us. Often caught on camera in flamboyant fashions, Talley delivered a surprisingly subtle look, with black on black simplicity. The only hint of color peeked from his pocket in the form of a cranberry silk handkerchief.

Co-chairing the event were Pat Aschul and the pregnant Melania Trump, in a cleavage-bearing, gorgeous black gown, who stopped by with her husband en route to the premiere of King Kong. Unlike Melania, Talley looked like he wanted to blend in—but his height didn't let him. Talley is too tall for anonymity, and too graceful to slouch.

Who is this New York icon? He studied French at Brown University, but found himself eyeing the art students at the Rhode Island School of Design. He was inspired by beauty since childhood, when he'd watch his grandmother get ready for church with her navy stilettos and matching purse.

Talley is the author of A.L.T. 365+, a book that is itself a testament of style. He scrawled his signature on the large, glossy pages that highlight his life from 2003 to 2004. Next to each photograph is a description of an A-list person he encountered, beginning with Anna Wintour. He admits he was afraid of her at first, as are most people, but their friendship solidified on her wedding day, when she stuffed her bridal bouquet into his arms.

Talley tells this tale of Diana Ross in Paris: Though she went shopping without money or credit cards, the owner of an estate jewelry store let her leave with diamonds. A.L.T. 365+ also pays homage to another star, Oscar de la Renta, featuring photographs of the manicured grounds of the designer's Connecticut estate and showing off the private waterfall on his farm in Santo Domingo.

Talley dedicates the book to his father, who gave him his first camera at age ten. A dignified guest of honor, he showed an affinity for children as he urged the audience to stay seated and watch the kids on stage. Before Talley spoke or signed books, he arranged for the spotlight to showcase the liturgical dancers from his church in Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church. During the show, Talley stood alone in a dark corner with an expression of almost paternal pride.

Step dancers from Riverside Church performed inspirational numbers, followed by Joan Faye Donovan, who delivered a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night." The music of singer Aaron Conley and the Harlem Festival Orchestra sealed the holiday spirit. Talley compared the evening's music to a performance he heard in St. Petersburg on a recent trip to Russia with Marc Jacobs.

Talley acted humble and selfless throughout the night, a vessel of charity. He was only comfortable reversing roles after the event, when a circle formed around him. A friend handed him an open gossip magazine. "Here you are in Brazil."

"Look at me!" Talley laughed, thrusting the photo spread into the air. "Look at me!" He broke the quiet, dignified aura, as animated as a child at play. His eyes widened while he waved the pages in front of his friends, who leaned in to see him in a floor-length animal print coat. He'd spent the entire evening directing attention elsewhere — to the young dancers, the singers and the orchestra — making sure the night was about everyone else, not him. But now the crowd had cleared and, for the first time that evening, he let us look directly at him, albeit through the medium of a magazine. Beyond his generosity, beyond the hard work of the self-made man, the energy in his voice gave a glimpse of a youthful spirit.

• The article continues here, published on Beatrice.com

FASHION WEEK

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