Happy Poe's birthday from Liz in New York

I just came home to Sandy and Lonnie's announcements of our new blog on the Guppies and DorothyL e-lists after spending the evening partying with the board of Mystery Writers of America at the Black Orchid bookstore, where the warm welcome from booksellers Bonnie and Joe--to readers and writers, published and unpublished alike--brings a crowd to every event in spite of the fact that the space is so small that most of the party usually takes place on the stoop and out in the street. It was a little cold for that this evening, so there was a lot of convivial squeezing by going on in the narrow aisle between walls of lovely mysteries. Many visitors don't know that down the almost invisible spiral iron staircase is a whole basement full of used and out of print books. I found a copy of one of my all time favorites, Peter Dickinson's King and Joker, in paperback for an unbelievable $2.50. I was the only one who thought of leaving my coat down there. I made my way into the depths of the basement to lay it on a high-backed wicker armchair that looked as if it belonged in a Somerset Maugham novel. As I turned to go, I realized that perched on the back of the chair was a huge, black-feathered, ominous, and probably once living raven. Nevermore indeed! And happy birthday, Edgar Allan Poe. :)
Liz
Elizabeth Zelvin
Death Will Get You Sober coming in 2008