Jill And Alex At Author's Night

Article from WWD.

Saturday’s 6th annual East Hampton Authors Night brought out the well-lettered set who mingled outside the East Hampton library and perused the latest publications of varying local authors.

Photo:Life

Madras prints and seersucker blazers dominated, though some partygoers donned glitzy jewelry and sky-high heels to tromp over the lawn. “Tonight is the night I’m going to topple over in these wedges, probably into a ‘Real Housewife,’” one partygoer said.

“The gang’s all here,” her friend pointed out, motioning to Jill Zarin (barefoot and posing for pictures with her small dog) and Alex McCord both promoting their books about motherhood and child-rearing, respectively.

Bryan Batt, on break from “Mad Men,” was also present, promoting his memoir, a reflection on his own “steel magnolia Auntie-Mame of a mom.” Alec Baldwin, a co-chair of the event, was there with his book about divorce.

Fresh from competing in the 62nd annual Artists and Writers softball game that afternoon, Jay McInerney was interrupted by a blonde guest desperate for his attention, insisting he sign her text with a little more fervor. “You know me!” she said, a note of hysteria creeping into her voice. “Don’t just sign the damn thing! Take a minute.” James Lipton chatted with Beth Ostrosky Stern about her new guide to canine-ownership, “Oh My Dog,” while Candace Bushnell fielded questions on three of her latest novels. Katie Lee, meanwhile, received compliments on her comfort food cookbook and talked up her new novel, a romantic adventure set in New York and Mexico, to be released in June. Clearly, Joel’s been doing a lot of writing, but what has she been reading? “I haven’t been reading at all actually, I’m working on my novel. So I’ve been staying away from reading anything so I’m not distracted,” she said.

WWD asked guests at the 6th annual East Hampton Authors Night what they are reading. Katie Lee came up short, but here’s what some of the others said.

Alec Baldwin
“Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations” by Georgina Howell
“Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True Story” by Isabel Gillies
“Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall

Jay McInerney
“A Visit From the Goon Squad” by Jennifer Egan
“The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet” David Mitchell

Beth Ostrosky Stern
“Uncharted TerriTORI” by Tori Spelling

Alex McCord
“Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand
“Time and Again” by Jack Finney
“The Prince” by Niccolo Machiavelli

Jill Zarin
“You’ll Never Blue Ball In This Town Again” by Heather McDonald
“Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert
“The Tipping Point” by Malcolm Gladwell

Candace Bushnell
“Super Sad True Love Story” by Gary Shteyngart
“Faithful Place” by Tana French