Authors Night 2024 Brings Back A-Listers for 20th Anniversary

It’s the hottest ticket to the hottest event of the summer. This is Authors Night to benefit the East Hampton Library. There are a lot of fans here. The hand held kind, the blowing kind and the book-fan kind. And on this particular Saturday, it’s the 20th Anniversary of the annual Herrick Park event.

“This is my favorite event of the summer,” says Jackpot Summer author Elyssa Friedland. “It’s the only time where authors are treated like rock stars, people line up and I’m not Taylor Swift,” she adds with a giggle.

“I just complimented a woman who had the prettiest dress I’ve seen,” announces Stan Herman. He should know. He’s designed everything from fast food and airline uniforms to confounding Fashion Week in New York City. His book Uncross Your Legs: A Life In Fashion is fashionably selling.

World-famous swimmer Diana Nyad is here with her book Find A Way: One Wild and Precious Life, but she is fan geeking. “I’m taking notes. You’ve got mystery writers, sports writers and foodies and athletes, I’ve met so many writers already. We’re all bookaholics here, it’s pretty cool.”

TCM Host and 50 Oscar Nights author Dave Karger agrees. He’s posing on the red carpet. He comes over even after I heckle him. We are old friends. “It’s nice to convene with other authors and find people who are interested in your topic. When you’re writing a book, you’re not thinking about people reading it, so I’m happy to be here.” When I ask him if any of the books here would make a good movie, he smiles and says “Diana Nyad has a good story.” It’s been done. But he knows that.

I’m going from Hollywood stars to interplanetary ones.

Neil deGrasse Tyson laughs when I ask if he’s ever seen this many stars in one place. “The Emmys and Grammys come close,” he said. And then like every other author in the room he’s signing for the next person in line. “How do you spell rhythm?” he asks? Oh, sure, intergalactic, exoplanet and Ganymede (it’s a moon) he’s fine with, but rhythm, ironically, is throwing him off.

The Daily Mail reported Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria were here. I don’t see them. And they get a lot of stuff wrong.

“Reading books is falling out of popularity,” laments TV vet and The Adventures of Spike the Wonder Dog author Bill Boggs. “But this is one of the great literary events in America and it reminds us that writers have a great passion and want to share it with you.”

Producer Thomas Maier has a catchy title for the local crowd, his Montauk to Manhattan is about a “TV show being filmed when a murder occurs,” he says. Mrs. McCuddy couldn’t join me because she’s home watching Dateline or 48 Hours so I grab a copy for her.

At 86, Wilbur Ross is a “new author,” he says proudly. His latest Risks and Returns: Creating Success in Business and Life sums up the whole day. He’s liking the attention for everyone. “It gives us visibility and generates interest in our work.” He’s new at this but a fast learner. He pre-signed his books.

Stephanie Krikorian helps pick the authors as a member of the Library Selection Committee. “We started looking for authors very early this year because it’s the 20th anniversary. We like a mix of locals, celebrities and debut novelists who don’t get invited to these things.”

Melissa DeRosa worked for Governor Cuomo during COVID. She knew almost immediately after the pandemic she had a book in her. “I decided I was going to write this 24 hours after we were out of office. The first draft of history is always done by reporters in real time, I was taking notes as it all was happening,” she tells me.

The result is What’s Left Unsaid: My Life at the Center of Power, Politics and Crisis. Note: If it’s ever a movie, that will never fit on a marquee.

Veteran writer Robert A. Caro is one of the heavy hitters here. And he sums the whole thing up well. “I’m looking around this tent here with all the people walking around with armloads of books, people still read,” he says. Then tells me, “I was one of the first authors 20 years ago, and I said, ‘I wonder if that will work?’ And every year I see huge crowds.”

You’re still here and we’re still here, I point out. And he sagely replies, “So far.” And then he is back to work signing.

Bill McCuddy occasionally reads and writes. He also cohosts ‘Weekend Live: The Hamptons Now’ on LTV and ‘Air Hamptons with Bridget and Bill’ on WLIW.