Marley and Me
Sunday, October 08, 2006
The First Lady & Me (and Cesar, too)
I was eating Chinese carry-outs the other day and opened my fortune cookie to find this salient little gem: "You maintain a sense of balance in the midst of great success." Well, I don't know about that, but I do know I'm sure trying. Sometimes it feels like balancing on one foot while riding the lead car on the big rollercoaster ride at Dorney Park, the sprawling amusement park near my home outside Allentown, Pa.
Marley & Me is fast approaching its one-year anniversary, and I think I can now safely agree with my fortune that it's a "great success." It was released mid-October 2005, and just hit its 50th straight week on The New York Times nonfiction bestseller list, 23 of those weeks at #1. It's now in its 32nd or so printing, with about 2.3 million copies in print in North America, and is also out or about to come out in 25 countries around the world. A screenwriter is hard at work adapting the book for Fox 2000 Pictures.
Sometimes it's all a little hard to grasp, and one of those times was a couple weekends ago when I was in Washington D.C. to speak and sign books at the National Book Festival on the Mall. About 100,000 readers showed up to meet some 70 authors, poets and illustrators. But the coolest part was what came before the festival started.
The night before, all 70 of us were invited to a black-tie gala with President and Mrs. Bush and several Cabinet members. A Marine orchestra played and we got to listen to readings from, among others, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner. And the medallions of lamb and mango shrimp were damn tasty. A guy with a vaguely familiar face sat down next to me, extended his hand and said, "I'm Scott Turow." I mean, how cool is that?
The next morning, Jenny and I were at the White House bright and early for an author breakfast with Mrs. Bush. I have to say she was very charming and gracious. She even shared a classified state secret with me: Barney the presidential dog was turning six that day -- and was celebrating at Camp David with the president. Just remember, you read it here first.
I wrote a column about the visit, which appears in today's Philadelphia Inquirer. You can read it at http://go.philly.com/grogan. You will also find a column there about Cesar Millan from National Geographic Channel's "The Dog Whisperer" returning to my home for a follow-up visit. The bottom line: I've decided Gracie our Lab is just fine...but I'm going to try out Cesar's calm-dominance techniques on the children!
I'm mostly a jeans-and-sweatshirt kind of guy. But on Tuesday I get to imitate a penguin and dress up in a tuxedo for The Quill Book Awards in New York City. As regular readers of this blog know all too well, Marley & Me has been nominated in two categories -- audio book and biography/memoir -- and I'll let you know how it turns out. Either way, it should be a fun night. I just hope the chef is as good as the president's. :)
Until next time.... john
posted by John Grogan at 9:31 PM
 
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I finished your book a couple of days ago. It was very good and I am excited that it is becoming a movie! Hope you had a great time.
Hi John! - and congratulations!!
Just read that "Marley and Me" won best audio book and best biography sections of the Quill awards.
Best wishes to you and your family, and congrats again for your well-deserved success.
Thank you for sharing Marley with the world.
I am close to being done with the book and it is one of the best I have ever read. I have laughed outloud on public transportation and do not care who is looking at me. I hope someone does say something so I can tell them to go get your book!!!!
Congrates to John for your win with Marleys book. I just wish Marley was here still to see this.
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The Italian version has just been released and I have just read the book: it made me smile and cry. I loved it so much! Thank you for sharing your amazing love story....