Dan Rattiner’s STILL IN THE HAMPTONS Released

Excelsior Editions, a division of SUNY PRESS, today announced the publication of author Dan Rattiner's third memoir, "STILL IN THE HAMPTONS, More Tales of the Rich, the Famous and the Rest of Us," on July 15, 2012. 

Each of the first two memoirs features fascinating encounters with celebrities and locals during Rattiner's half century writing and editing the newspaper Dan's Papers which he founded fifty two years ago.  This third memoir features more of them, with memories of such well known figures as Alec Baldwin, Kim Cattrall,  Peter Beard, Colin Powell, Leon Uris, Peter Jennings and a host of locals, including Paul Sidney, Charlie Vanderveer, Chris Johnson, David Willmott and fishing boat captain Carl Darenberg Jr.

Regarding the first memoir, playwright Edward Albee wrote "A long love poem to the area and the extraordinary people who have occupied and, more often than not, helped to preserve its character…This book is damn good work."   The New York Times wrote "Each portrait is written in unassuming language, with emotional punch, telling detail and impressive recall…to find as many memorable characters gathered between two covers, you'd have to look back to Joseph Mitchell's Up in the Old Hotel."  Alec Baldwin wrote about the second memoir "Who else can give you authoritative takes on Pollock and de Kooning, Steinbeck and Vonnegut, Billy Joel and Steven Spielberg?" And Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs, comments about the third "Dan's memoirs are like Dan's newspapers; charming, fun and filled with insightful knowledge of the East End conveyed with a twinkle in the eye."

Beginning next week and for the next twelve consecutive weeks, the author embarks on a unique "book tour," reading chapters outdoors, over a microphone at locations where the encounters in those chapters take place.  Other readings are in local bookstores and on stage.  Nearly all are on Saturday mornings at 11 am, though others take place on Sunday.

FIRST WEEK:

Saturday, July 28th 11:00 AM.  Corner of West End Ave, and Georgica Road, East Hampton.

The author will be at this location to read the chapter "Grey Gardens," about the mansion on that corner, now fully restored, which in the 1970s was the falling down decrepit home of Big Edie and Little Edie Beale and their 23 cats.  The Beales were the aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, who also lived in this town.  An award winning documentary was made with the two Edies at this house – with Little Edie hoping to be a movie star, and later this documentary became a movie, a Broadway Show (a musical), several books and memoirs, and is now a chapter in "Still in the Hamptons."

Sunday, July 29, 1 PM, The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Main St., Westhampton Beach

The author will read "Driving Out," a vivid description of what it was like, town by town, to drive along narrow roads from the dirty, fabulous city of Manhattan to the motel fishing resort of Montauk in 1959, a trip that would take about four hours.   There were no superhighways back then in the era of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy.   There was, however, the Pilgrim State Mental Hospital, the "Smithtown Bypass," lots of Duck Farms by the sides of the road and the sleepy undiscovered villages of the Hamptons.      

FUTURE READINGS

Saturday, August 4th 11:00 AM. Southwest Corner of Werewolf Path and Little Noyac Path, Water Mill.

Join the author for a discussion and reading of the chapter "Werewolf Path," about the one road the author named on his original map of the Hamptons, published in the newspaper and elsewhere, that actually came to bear the name he decided upon.  Other names for other roads he put on this map, such as Uncle Ed's Romp, Lois Lane and Jeep's Folly never made it to officialdom. 

Saturday,  August 11 11:00 AM.  East Hampton Town Hall on Pantigo Road alongside the TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON sign.

The author reads the chapter "Manny Quinn," about the hardest working police officer in the Hamptons, a store mannequin dressed up as a policeman who was on the job 24 hours a day for years, never taking a day off and, on several occasions kidnapped.  He'd sit at the wheel of a parked police car, his presence slowing drivers down.  Eventually, the rest of the Town's police officers asked the chief to take Manny off the job, and, ultimately, he did.

Saturday, August 18th 11:00 AM.  Reutershan Parking behind Waldbaums in East Hampton along the third baseline of the sandlot baseball field.

Join the author as he reads the chapter "Mort Zuckerman," about the real estate and media billionaire, who with the help of the author joined the Artist-Writer's softball game to become the star pitcher for the Writers for many years to raise money for charity – and how it all went wrong when Zuckerman saw what he believed was a bad call at home plate by the author.  (Batting practice for the game is at noon on this day with the game starting at 2.)  

Saturday, August 25th 11:00 AM. On the front steps of the Bridgehampton Community House at the corner of School Street and the Montauk Highway.

Join the author in a reading of the chapter "Potatohampton," about the trials and tribulations of organizing and holding the famous 10k running race by that name during each of the past 30 thirty years.  Among the obstacles overcome were floods, heatstroke, psychiatrists guarding a rickety bridge and a LIRR railroad train that came through, splitting the runners into "before" and "after."  The race continues to this day (now as a 5k).  

Saturday, September 1st 11:00 AM. Perry Duryea Lobster Deck. 65 Tuthill Road, Montauk.

The author reads the chapter "Chris Johnson," about a traveling troubadour who went off with Montauk's Perry Duryea on the campaign trail when that Montauker ran for governor, wrote the famous song "Acres of Clams," and, as Francis Hopkinson (in full colonial dress) held a back to back gun duel with the author after being offended by something he wrote.

Saturday, September 1,  4 pm at Canio's Bookstore, Main Street, Sag Harbor

The author reads the chapter "Leon Uris," and the several adventures he had with him.  In a town next door to Sag Harbor, which featured such literary giants as John Steinbeck, E. L. Doctorow and Betty Friedan, Leon Uris (Exodus, Battle Cry, Trinity) lived quietly and alone with a constantly changing companion of his choosing in a small rustic house on the shores of Chase Creek, Shelter Island.  There he worked every day finishing his final novel.

Saturday, September 8, 11:00 am at the Jackson Pollock House, Springs Fireplace Road and Fort Pond Boulevard, in East Hampton. 

Meet the author for a reading of the chapter "Charlie Vanderveer."  Vanderveer was a Bridgehampton farmer and auctioneer who stripped naked to wash up in a jerry rig of a shower he built in his potato field, considered buying a fifteenth century barn being offered for sale in England so he could ship it over to America, reassemble it and claim he had the oldest house in the Hamptons and once purchased a toilet seat from a Bridgehampton outhouse which had been painted by Willem deKooning that he hoped would sell at auction in New York City.

FOR THE READING SCHEDULE IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER, GO TO DANSHAMPTONS.COM.

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