Andrew McCarthy's Book Launch...

Oh how I wish this evening, with one of my favorite parts of the 80s, could have been in person!

I was in when one of my most loved bookstores announced, "Warwick's will host Andrew McCarthy as he discusses his new book, Brat: An '80s Story, in conversation. Since starring in the movies he recounts throughout Brat, Andrew McCarthy has become a director, an award-winning travel writer, and a bestselling author. He has directed more than eighty hours of television, including Orange is the New Black, The Blacklist, Gossip Girl, and many others. For a dozen years he served as editor at large at National Geographic Traveler, and his award-winning travel writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, TIME, and elsewhere. He is the author a travel memoir, The Longest Way Home, and a young-adult novel, Just Fly Away - both New York Times bestsellers."
For an hour, I was star-struck. There is no decade in my life with a greater impact than the 1980s. A huge part of that impact was the movies that drew me to the theater, many of which starred Andrew McCarthy.
He shared so much that I was frantically taking notes while still trying to watch him speak. What appealed to me previously on the big screen translated surprisingly well on my little laptop. Andrew was funny, charming, intelligent and incredibly introspective. When asked why he never wrote about this chapter of his life before he said, "That time in my life, (the 80s) was a huge rock in the middle of my path that I just never chose to look under." It seemed that the past was just that... past. He finally became "friendly" with it all and decided to write about what he knew to be, "an outgrowth of the experience which became an interpretation of what he remembered."
He spoke a lot about the movie, St. Elmo's Fire (1985), which not only launched his career, but helped give the world a new term: Brat Pack. An article in New York Magazine profiled a group of very up and coming actors the author called Spoiled Brats-- Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, and Emilio Estevez. Eventually their co-stars got saddled with the moniker, including Molly Ringwald, Ali Sheedy, Andrew, among others, and it wasn't complimentary.
"It is to the 1980s what the Rat Pack was to the 1960s—a roving band of famous young stars on the prowl for parties, women, and a good time. And just like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peter Lawford, and Sammy Davis Jr., these guys work together, too—they’ve carried their friendships over from life into the movies."
Pretty in Pink resonated with me far more than St. Elmo's Fire. Released on February 28, 1986, it was how Steve and I spent our second date. Andrew shared much about this monumental cinematic masterpiece (my words, not his). I thoroughly enjoyed his recollections and his thoughts on why he was so impactful to so many fans.

He spoke a great deal of what he has been doing for the last 35 years, including his writing, travels (he's a huge believer in the transformative power of travel), and children (14 year old daughter and 19 year old son).

This zoom presentation was like spending time with an old friend. Now, I can't wait to read his book and get the entire story!

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1 comments:

Lisa in Canada said...

This would have been fantastic! I loved him too. I had no idea he was such a travel buff. I am glad you enjoyed it so much :)

May 17, 2021 at 7:30 PM

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