Author: Stacy Horn

So many people I know have new books this year! The most recent is Married Sex: A Love Story by Jesse Kornbluth. From Kirkus Reviews: “Some readers will love this book for the sex . . . others will be more attracted to the Big Apple wisecracking. . . . If you like your sexy books soft-core, highbrow, and bi-curious, here’s a hot couple hours for you.” Congratulations, Jesse!

Samantha Power, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, was at the same Lincoln Center concert I was at the other night. We figured she was there because my friend Steven noticed that her husband Cass Sunstein was tweeting about the concert. Turns out, she was right to our right. That’s Sunstein to her right in the black jacket.

I came in 2nd place in the NYC Parks & Recreation Lap Swim Contest!! Woohoo! Yay me!! I am the greatest swimmer of all time! Okay, in NYC now … at my pool, greatest of the women, who are swimming at night, and among the four who were really trying, and I’m 2nd. But 2nd!!

Then, what should come in the mail but a present from Citizen Reader, who read my post about the new Shirley Jackson collection Let Me Tell You, and she went out and bought it for me!! Could she be more generous??? Thank you so so so so much!! I love it. Life is good with new Shirley Jackson essays and stories in it, and people like Citizen Reader.

I always say New York City is a great city to be poor in (as long as you have the miraculous luck of having an affordable apartment, which I have). Bob Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited was performed last night as part of Lincoln Center’s annual FREE summer festival Out of Doors. It was fabulous, and you can actually watch the whole thing here. Thank you Steven Levy for emailing me to go to this!!

From left to right that’s Sara Watkins, Shawn Colvin, Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, and Pokey LaFarge. There were many more musicians not pictured, all great, I’m sure I’m forgetting someone, but also there was David Garza, Sean Watkins, and Al Kooper joined them and told stories about recording the album. Thank you all for such a wonderful summer night of music.

And my heart is broken about Jon Stewart leaving The Daily Show. But that’s my problem. I will always be grateful for what you’ve done, and for your amazing show. For me, you neutralized my rage during very trying times, and made me feel hopeful. You made me feel not alone. “This is insane, right?? And wrong. Right??” Yes, you’d show us night after night. It’s insane and wrong. And you always accomplished this with truth and humor. It never got ugly on The Daily Show. Everyone was treated with respect and given a chance to make their case.

I should just say thank you, instead of whining. But this is all about ME. Except, yeah. Thank you. Seriously. THANK YOU. Thank you for helping so many people I love with their careers. Also, the fact that you and your wife will be running a farm animal sanctuary is a great chapter two (or whatever chapter you’re up to). Thank you and thank you Tracey for that.

Okay, I’m going to go sob in the corner now. In times of sadness, sometimes what we need is a pitbull kissing a horse.

As some people know, I’m participating in the NYC Parks & Recreation yearly lap swim contest. There’s a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize for the man and the woman who swim the most miles in their division at their pool by August 8th.

Apparently people cheat. I just don’t get that. I would never cheat at anything unless my life depended on it, but I can at least see cheating for something important, something that you needed, like money, or health care, or a job. Not that I think it’s right, but I can at least see it.

But to cheat to get a trophy? The only reason they feel good to get is if you earned it, if it’s a real achievement. What is the point if it’s not? Seriously. Why would you want one?

So they’ve started randomly counting people who are in contention. I’m in contention so someone counts my laps from time to time. This is a little terrifying because if you are old, like me, you lose track from time to time. I manage by counting 1-1-1-1-1, then 2-2-2-2-2 and so on the whole way up and back. I know of two times where they counted me, although there could be more. One of the times their count exactly matched mine, the other time I had counted two more than they did. Hopefully that’s close enough that no one thinks I’m cheating and that it was an honest mistake. Which it was!!

I’m about to start writing about the former Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island. This octagon structure below is all that remains of it. I’m nervous because a lot of people have written about the Lunatic Asylum and I want to come up with a way to do it that’s original and makes it real and alive for readers. I have a plan but god knows if I can pull it off! Scary!