I met Phil Gramm on the Senate subway this summer. Does that count? ;)

Doesn't count.

What, you mean like actually having the chance to sleep with JN or CF?

While waiting to shake President Clinton's hand at a White House brunch I went up to James Taylor, Kevin Spacey and Jimmy Smits and got their autographs. I actually had a nice little chat with James T. I guess it was the great leveller of us all waiting in the same line to shake the President's hand that made me so brave.

... met Phil Gramm... eww, Kali, as someone who has never voted for the man, yet continues to have him as her very own representative, let me say this definitely DOES NOT count! try again :) I like the actually having the chance to sleep with JN or CF? idea better!

BTW, Cindy...he's your SENATOR, NOT your Rep. ;) Okay...I'll be serious ...I met Al Gore when I was thirteen...and I spent much of this summer drooling over Jon Christensen during Ways and Means hearings...

Wow, Maud! James Taylor, Kevin Spacey, Jimmy Smits and Bill Clinton, all in one shot! You must have gotten my share of the luck vibes in addition to your own--I've never met anyone both famous and lustworthy. I keep having this pesky vision of u nexpectedly being introduced to CF or some other to-die-for creature when I'm wearing baggy sweats and a cat hair-ridden sweater, my hair is all over the place and I don't have a jot of makeup on . . .

]I keep having this pesky vision of unexpectedly being introduced to CF or some other to-die-for creature when I'm wearing baggy sweats and a cat hair-ridden sweater, my hair is all over the place and I don't have a jot of makeup on . . . LOL, Anne3 -- that would certainly be my fate!

NO 3: OH MY!!!! A few weeks ago over at the Northam drool topic, I confessed to my long-standing passion for swashbuckling journalist par excellence: the "scud stud" ,or my personal favorite, "desert shiek"-Arthur Kent. I finally met the man, last year at his book signin g. Anyways, the illusion, in many ways, was lost. He treated me like a little girl-I thought he was going to pat me on the head!!!

Okay. My University Chamber Choir sang back up for Barry Manilow in his Las Vegas show during the height of the BarryMania days of the late 70's. On closing night he sent a bunch of food and drink to our dressing room and even came and visited us in per son, where he actually, yes he did, he rested his hand on my shoulder! *scream!*

Her name was Cheryl. She was a showgirl with feathers in her hair And a dress cut down to there. She would meringue and do the cha-cha And while the ohers stared, CF tended bar They were in love They had each other Who could ask for more At the Copa, Copacabana The hottest spot, next to Pemberley At the Copa, Copacabanaaaaaaaaaa Music and passion are always the fashion At the COPA-they fell in loooooooooove

ROTFLOL, Cassandra

What a hoot, Cassandra! You have made Cheryl so lucky---now she and Colin have their own song!!!!;-)

But the original song ends in disater for Lola and Tony...

Cass - great song! Here's one for both Kali and those who like music. I sat on the same sofa and talked to Hubert Humphrey (VP at that time) and Sarah Vaughan after the Inaugural Ball!!

I love it Cass! Thank you dearest! Cass, you can work out a happy ending for me and Colin, can you not? Thank you honey... (hummimg..."Her name was Cheryl, she was a showgirl...")

Re #10--Cassandra, I too had a crush on Arthur Kent back in the Gulf War days. I was so upset when he quit NBC and disappeared from view! He was on CNN for a while but I haven't seen him lately. Do you know what he's doing? I read that he has an autob iography coming out soon and is trying to make it into a film. Not quite the modest fellow I'd had in mind. About the way he treated you--you may not like it now, but believe me, enjoy it while you can! For years I was young, now kids have started call ng me "ma'am." Young is better.

Cheryl -- Barry Manilow? Really? EEWWWWWW! Cass -- love the song. If she gets to have Colin, then it's alright!

Cass-EXCELLENT! What about a version of "Frankie and Johnny"? Cheryl and Colin were lovers...

talked to Hubert Humphrey (VP at that time) and Sarah Vaughan after the Inaugural Ball!! Inko-My husband will be so jealous! He is probably the biggest Hubert Humphry fan alive! Still gripes about how JFK stole the presidency from him.

Re: #21. I'm more upset about how Nixon stole the presidency from HHH in 1968!!

Kali, re:#6 no kidding? BTW, that's lower case r! Get it? you're SUCH a lawyer!!!!!

Cheryl darling-only the happiest of endings for you. How about this: His name was Wickham He wore a red coat He was escorted to his chair He saw Cheryl dancing there And when she finished, he called her over BUt, this time WIckham went too far HE admitted he had eloped with sister Lydia in his red car And SO Colin Darcy sailed across the bar Swords were drawn and chairs were smashed in two But just who struck who? Cheryl thought she'd lost her sister and her loooooove (Copa, Copacabana-like in Havana Music and passion. These kind of things never happen in EN-glannnnd) Her name is Cheryl She was a showgirl. But that was many years ago NOw she's mistress of Pemberley and all aglow For Colin baby proved himself to be the very best of men By picking up his checkbook and pen And paying off Wick-ham Now she sits there so refined and has the best time She's has it all-passion, love and money Who could ask for more At the COPA, Copacabana The hottest spot, next to Pemberley At the COPA, COPACABANNNNA Music and passion are always the fashion at the COPA That's where Colin and Cheryl fell in LOOOOOOOOOVE

I have no shame. BTW, ANNE. ARthur should have reason to be smug-he's a very rich man after settling out of court with NBC. HE can't disclose how much, but his smile said a lot. Apparently, he formed his own production company and is pitching his own weekly news show to C NN. He is CNN's London bureau chief, I believe. Sometimes he's on World View. His autobiography is really interesting and well-written. I recommend it.

Yeah, I really met Al - at a fundraiser thrown for Mike Dukakis by my county central committee. I can't say I regard him with LUST, per se...but he's not a bad looking guy... Sorry, Cindy...I'm just a pedantic little lamer. Please forgive me! ;) BTW, ol' Phillie is a really personable guy (and hey, I can't blame the man for switching parties...bollweevils and blue dogs live a life of deceit...and did you notice that he also got honest about his real hair color about the same time he defected?)...thirty seconds with him was certainly more interesting than fighting over elevators with the congressional pages...

Does this count -- I didn't exactly meet them, but I think that it may be a good story: I was 15 years old when I attended my first rock concert, The Who. They were late starting the show, while we waited, little did I know that my mother was the culprit for holding them up. She was a waitress in the hotel restaurant where they were stayin g. While taking their dinner order, she boldly asked them if they were "The Who's". They laughed and said "yes". She then began harrassing them, saying "What the hell are you doing here? My kids are waiting to see you at the auditorium" They stated t at they were on their way and if she would give them our names, they would dedicate a song to us. She did and they did...I was so shocked when I heard them announce my name! No other concert has ever been as good!

Kali - watch what you say about congressional pages. My oldest son and my daughter were both summer pages -- about 15 to 20 years ago!! Don't know what they are like today, of course. My daughter's claim to fame is that while sitting on the edge of the Senate podium, Ted Kennedy tripped over her!

Well, here's a tenuous grasp at association with a famous person.... Al Gore's father's cousin's wife was my adviser and one of my favorite professors at Austin Peay State University (Let's Go Peay!) when I went back recently to complete my undergraduate degree.

Cass dearest, I knew you would come through for me! What a total hoot! Bless you child!

Candace, what a cool story! I can't imagine what it was like to hear Roger Daltry dedicate a song to you! Too cool.

LOL, Inko...I never saw him trip over any pages, but he sure stumbled over his words at some of the hearings I went to...

well... as for me: as an undergrad, my friends and i were housesitting for our boss (we worked at a univ. dept.), who had gone off for a sabbatical to france for a couple of months. it was a GREAT house: pool (where my friends TRIED to teach me how to swim), lots of space, beautiful garden. etc... i think we spent about 5 months there; some stayed all the way through, while others like me kind of went between living on campus and staying there in the hollywood area. ANYWAY... to make a long story short, last fall, my boss decided to sell her house, as the kids were grown, she was travelling, etc... she then mentioned that she had sold it to .."some guy on ER (the tv show)". well, i just about freaked and insisted on knowing who it was. turns out, it's noah wyle! the lunatic that i can sometimes be (as you may know by now) did a quick "drive by" a couple of weeks after finding out... and sure, enough... It's Noah Wyle's house!!!!

I met Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandan at a James Taylor concert. It was while they were filming BULL DURHAM. Also this summer saw a scene from a TV movie of the week being filmed at Wrightsville Beach. Charles Shaunessy (SP) (the Nanny guy) and Michell e Pheiffer's (sp) sister. I'm not sure it made it to TV! I'm not really star struck, but it was wild to see all the effort put into one small scene. My oldest son wants to be a movie star now!

Here's a thriller: about 10 years ago I saw Al Franken standing in line at a movie theater in South Portland, Maine. -We don't get a lot of celebrities up here. Do professional wrestlers count?

I met Emma Thompson whilst she was here at Cal filming Junior...she played frisbee with one of my friends...

]now kids have started calling me "ma'am." Yeah, isn't it a shock, still sometimes look around to see at whom their talking to, when I then realize it's to me... Cass great song!

But Cheryl doesn't LIKE Disco!!(big whine like I want to go to Brighton!!)

When I was in highschool I worked as a costume seamstress for a summer theater in Sacramento. Some of the people I helped make costumes for were Joel Grey and Leslie Neilson. Both of them are really nice people.

Didn't meet but at close range: 1) Mayor Joe Alioto of San Francisco having his shoes shined at SF airport as we walked/gawked right by him on way to our flight; 2) my parents' offer on a house in ritzy Hillsborough, California beat out SF Giants' pitche r Willy Mays' bid on same; 3) Beatle George Harrison arriving and looking into buying a house down a block from us in same locale; 4) Robin Williams driving by in Calistoga, California, where he had a place; 5) Charles Aznavour, French singer, dropped lin n handerkerchief onstage by our front row seats and my brother snitched it away before Charles could retrieve it...[yeah, tiny items but they seemed important at the time of youth ;-) ]

Linda -- you from Sacramento? That's where I am. Tell me more. OK here's another close encounter -- One of my friends is a sound engineer (currently for Marty Stewart) through him I have received back stage passes for and have met...Emmy Lou Harris, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Crosby Stills and Nash. While back stage during a Mary Chapin Carpenter conce rt, she introduced me to a friend of her's. I smiled quite nicely, and shook hands oh so calmly, but inside was screaming "Oh my god, it's Joan Baez! I'm not worthy!". (You must remember that I am a child from the sixties)

While working at Muchmusic, our MTV channel here in Canada, I got to meet some famous stars--some were disappointing, others great! I met the lead singer of my fave band, Depeche Mode, who was so shy and sweet, but looked like he was on drugs (which he was at the time.) I kept looking at him in awe and big smile on my face, and they even used this face for a clip on their news show. I met the guys from Aerosmith, who kept referring to me as "Babe." When I was really young, I loved "Three's Company", and had a crush on John Ritter, so I discovered he was filming at a restaurant, hung out, and talked to him for a while, he was great. I used to also have a HUGE crush on Canadian figure skater Kurt Browning, and I was 13 or something, I went to see one of his shows in Toronto. Being the naughty girl I am, I took off on my Mom, snuck backstage, and waited outside a sidedoor for his autog raph for two hours. Least to say my Mom was worried sick, but somehow knew I was chasing him..... I served Tim Allen and those annoying "Full House" twins at my work, Allen tips really well The latest run-in was with child star Ricky Shrouder (?), the kid from "Silver Spoons." I was waiting in line at a club, and he was ahead of me, I recognized him right away, looks the same, but my friends were not convinced. They dared me to go up to him, so I did, and said as a joke, "Can I ride your train?" (remember the train he rode around the house) to which he replied, "You are too cruel!!" I was a little puzzled at the response, but a friend later informed me that he saw him on a talk show, and sai that he had to go through therapy to get through his childhood acting days. He was really tramatized, he almost had to black it out. So now it makes sense, and I may have sent him back to therapy......

these are NOT encounter with people is lust after, but they were celebrities: -sonny bono at the grocery store -julia roberts & lyle lovett (when they were still married) at the mall (looking at some puppies at the pet store) -one of my really good friends was the voice of linus in any peanuts cartoons done in the 80's -lived in the same dorm hall as the "2 dollar" newspaper boy from the john cusack movie "better off dead" -one of my friends goes out with nancy sinatra's daughter. we hung out at her house once-- nancy would not leave her bedroom. lived a lifestyle a la norma desmond.

Becks-Kurt is Canada's Prince Charming, is he not? Didn't you love his Gene Kelly/Bogie special? He skates like Gene Kelly. I never met Kurt, but ran into Elvis, last year at Worlds. My sister and I just stared-it was like seeing God-a much shorter one!

Jeff Cohen, "Chunk" of The Goonies fame, was in classes with me until he graduated last May. Not a lust object, but marginally-famous. I met Conan O'Brien at Rockefeller Center in the summer of 1993, before he began his run on Late Night. While in utero, I was in a Jack Lemmon movie...my parents were the Greek band at the picnic in Alex and the Gypsy...the Song the band plays was written by my father for me, though I was not yet born at the time of filming...

Kali I think you are the only one of us who is famous and wasn't even born yet!!! Okay I must tell you but I have had a huge crush on Michael Ondaatje and when I met him back in November he was so handsome I could not keep my eyes off of him, but then he probably thought I was some geeky girl who read the book because I knew that Colin was in the movie. Which wasn't so. I read it for a discussion group. I grew up with Joey McIntyre and his family (NKOTB). I met Nick Rhodes and John Taylor in Disney World, during my fanatic years when I LOVED Duran Duran!! Well that all folks

Laura-Michael Ondaajte has the silkiest voice, doesn't he? I agree-he is handsome. My sister and I ran into Jon Secada at a hotel once-at the breakfast buffet table. I didn't even know who he was, but my sister did and got his autograph. He was really nice-gentleman-like manners. Since then, I'm a fan.

danced with shannon lee (bruce lee's daughter) at a wedding

My grandmother was Katherine Hepburn's nurse maid, when KH was a little girl (@1916). Other than that I did see Shaun Cassidy during the height of his popularity (1978?). He was spokesperson for some sort march, so a bunch friends went walking and his limo stopped and a bunch of screaming girls surrounded it and he opened the window a cra ck. And I thought, I am walking 20 miles for this? End of major celebrity worshipping. Now I just drool, not worship.

Met and talked to Robert Redford at his Sundance ski resort - he was having lunch with his kids and we were having lunch with ours (kids are about the same age!) That was the Christmas that "Out of Africa" opened in Park City, and we had already met him at the premiere. Then saw him in tight, stretch ski pants! Definitely drool material. Out daughter's mouth fell open and she just gawked; she was a teenager at the time! He's a really nice guy and very intelligent.

carolyn! i thought I was the only one with a crush on Shaun Cassidy! nice to see another one who bought into that late 70's teeny-bop hype...:) umm.. here's another one: my uncle was the chef for william randolph hearst at hearst castle (here in calif.)

LOL, Laura... --- Joe MacIntyre? Wow...I know so many girls from junior high who would have KILLED to be in your shoes!

Oh yes, Joel Grey and his wife Jo Wilder used to bring their daughter to the theater in Sacramento. They used to push her around in a stroller because she was too young to walk! He played Tom Sawyer and the lead in Stop the World... While he was playin g in STW he got the call to take the part in the stage version of Cabaret. Candace--I lived in Fair Oaks until I graduated from high school (San Juan--a long time ago). I worked at Music Circus 7 summers when they were still doing a musical a week. It was a lot of hard work, but great fun and we got to meet lots of famous peop le.

I met the country singing group Richocet at the Opryland Hotel last Christmas. I have met several professional wrestlers through a friend of mine. My aunt worked for one of Elvis's shrinks. Does that count?

I got to chat with the very sensuous and lovely Joanna Going at the world premiere of Still Breathing last night. She looked so much smaller than she did on the big screen (I hear Heather Locklear is extremely tiny). It was really fun to get to talk wit h her. � Joanna Going (Roz Willoughby) Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, Joanna Going is the oldest of six children. She entered Emerson College in Boston, then left after two years to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. A year later, she made her television debut on "Search for Tomorrow" when she was cast, out of 400 contenders, as ingenue Evie Stone. Going went on to join "Another World", where she remained for two years in the part of Lisa Grady. She then starred as a prime-time series regular opposite Ben Cross in "Dark Shadows", playing the dual role of Victoria Winters/Josette Dupres. Most recently, she was featured in "Children of the Dust", a mini-series for CBS starring Sidney Poitier. Going's feature film credits include WYATT EARP, HOW TO MAKE AN AMERICAN QUILT, and Oliver Stone's NIXON. Later this year, she will be seen in the independent feature KEYS TO TULSA with Mary Tyler Moore, Eric Stoltz, and James Spader, and writer/director Howard Goldberg's EDEN, which was in the dramatic competition at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival.

she's in this month's 'details' (in the same issue as the JN Saks spread). there's a one page q&A about her. she's in 'inventing the abbotts' with joaquin phoenix and liv tyler. she seemed a bit...annoyed, almost by being interviewed. i guess she just might have been shy, which she DID admit to being.

i don't know what just happened, but i lost the message i had just posted. anyway, THE ACTOR WHO PLAYS J.PETERMAN ON SEINFELD HAS JUST ENT ME AN EMAIL TONIGHT!!!! I'm on the seinfeld newsgroup occasionally, and this past weekend, i noticed a post by a guy named j. O'hurley. well, the name sounded familiar because there was a short blurb on him in this weekend's mr. showbiz page. so i sent the guy an email asking if this was indeed THE j. o'hurley who plays j. peterman. i gushed like i normally do, and just a few minutes ago, i get this email: "Yes that would be me. Thank you for the kind words." (winter doing cartwheels in her 9 X 13 bedroom)

Winter -- be careful, watch out for the lamp . . . ohh no! What a fun email that must have been to read. I guess you never know who you're going to meet.

The only real celebrities I have met are Darth Vader, up close and personal, and Princess Anne.Neither really count as lusts, though!

I am so psyched that I finally remembered that even I could come up with a second-hand encounter, tho' not particularly lustworthy. Mid-'80s, my mom was working in a clothing store. A lady was paying with a credit card which wasn't approved, or the system went down, or something. Anyhow, as she waited for the phone confirmation which never came, Ma noticed a youngish boy hanging around behind the customer. Dear Ma asked the lady if anybody ever told her that her son looked like the kid who had played in ET. With a funny smile on her face, the lady said "Why yes, people often said that" Since the card thing was taking so long, the lady eventually wound up just paying by check. As the lady and her son left, my mom noticed the name on the check...[someone] Thomas. Obviously, Henry Thomas' mother. I guess people did often tell her that!

For a long time I was chatting with Joanna out on Congress Av while she waited for her youngish companion to whisk her away (lucky guy). She was shy.

I've had a few encounters; none too terribly exciting: 1. Sat beside Roger Ebert at a theatre in London. Can't remember the name of the play but it starred Judy Dench. It was great but he fell asleep! Someone came over and asked him if he was Gene Siskel which pissed him off! Also got to meet Judy Dench. 2. Grew up in same home town as Meggan Gallagher (Millenium) & acted with same local theatre company with her in the late '70's. 3. Met Neil Schon (sp?), guitarist for "JOURNEY" back in the '80's at a concert. 4. My husband talked briefly with Huey Lewis in Philadelphia - I just missed him. 5. Was friends during high school with one of the "Schick" shaving commercial studs. 6. Met Robert Kline & got his autograph in NYC in the '70's. As I said, nothing too exciting. I'm sure there are more......my memory escapes me now. Oh yeah, one more: 7. Am friends with one of the trumpet players for Billy Joel & Liza Minelli. He also played with John Lennon & others. Haven't met Colin Firth - YET! -

I hear Siskel and Ebert have their own website now. Ebert was editor of the Daily Illini, my school newspaper.

yeah-- i ran into it about a year and half ago. you know, they have an archive for most all the movies they've reviewed in their columns? went to the same high school as kirk hammet (sp?) from metallica, and grew up in the same suburbs as the members of "green day". what a metal/grunge/ska/punk childhood i had...

THAT'S ME!!!!

Hypocrites, all...

hee hee... Who, me?

Hey, cool topic. Just visited for the first time. LOL HC!!! You all have rubbed shoulders with some pretty cool folks. When I was young, 17, won a pageant sponsored by the USO overseas in Germany. (No, no, it wasn't a cheesecake deal, I swear. It was more an academic-poise--expression-appearance-talent sort of deal. There was an hour long exam just to qualify for the first round.) IAC, won the title Miss Teenage Germany, representing all military dependent teenagers over in Europe. Got to attend the Miss Teenage USA pageant in Tulsa, Oklahoma that year, and the host was Mac Davis, pageant to be aired on prime time live Saturday night. So naive was I, I had to ask, "Who the heck is Mac Davis?" The response was horror at my ignorance. (shrug) How was I to know he was as big as Glenn Campbell? Little did I know! In this big dance number, I got snagged for the job all the girls wanted. I had to look over at blue-eyed Mac at a certain point in his song, and he was supposed to wink at me! Big whup, thought I! Could never understand the jealous looks shot my way because I had no true appreciation for the honour bestowed upon me! Still, as I recall, he really did have a very fine pair of gorgeous blue eyes. ;-) Other Notables I Know/Have Met: Nora Roberts Judith McNaught Diana Gabaldon Linda Lael Miller Heather Graham Bertrice Small All the above are New York Times Bestselling Authors, and have met and conversed with them at writers' conferences and the Romance Writers Of America National Conference held every year in July. Pretty thrilling, to say the least, to hobnob with some of the greats in the genre, chatting up plot lines, character development, editors, publishing houses, etc! For a few brief moments, I wallowed in the aura of their celebrity!

Okay - Let's see... I have one celebrity connection that I've known since I was born. My dad used to be a disk jockey, and his best friend was Casey Kasem. My dad still talks to him, but I only see him about once a decade. Last time was when my hubby and I vacationed in LaLa land. We ran into him in Beverly Hills, and he took us into Fred Hayman and introduced us to everyone he could find as his best friend's daughter and son in law. It was kind of a heady experience - normally the folks at Fred Hayman wouldn't even giv us the time of day - but they were fawning all over us! In the early 80's I dated a stand-up comic here in Detroit. Spent many an evening after the show hanging out with him and Tim Allen. We used to tell anyone who would listen that Tim was going to be famous some day - although we could never have imagined that he would be THAT famous! I had a friend in high school who had a summer job as a lifeguard at the Troy Hilton. Most of the bands that played at Pine Knob stayed there, so we met a bunch of people (I, of course, had to visit her at work quite a bit!). The most memorable was REO Speedwagon. They invited us down to their show in Toledo and we partied with them after the show. Actually, they partied, and we, in our innocence were shocked when they pulled out cocaine. Kevin Cronin got wasted and started destroying things in the otel lobby. The police were called - and that was the point at which Gary Richrath managed to remember to ask us if we were over 18 (we weren't). Oh - the same friend had a brother who was dating a woman who used to date Glenn Frye from the Eagles. She got us backstage passes to a concert in Ann Arbor. After the show, we went back to the hotel with them. It was only about Midnight, but the bar was closed - so the band asked if we would go out and get some booze. We didn't want to admit that we were only 17, so we said "sure!". After getting carded a few places, we noticed a couple that had gotten locked out of their car. We made a deal with the that if they would buy us the booze, we would give them a ride to pick up the spare keys!

God, what a boring life I've led. The biggest claim to fame I can come up with is that I once was friends with Ernest Tubbs's niece.

Great connections, Kaf... Susan, welcome to life like the rest of us...

Valen, I'm not a romance reader, but I have read Diana Gabaldon's books and loved them. What an imagination that woman has! Was she nice?

Ditto Susan...I can claim that I sat a seat away from Tim Reid on a plane back to the States from Central America. I complimented him on his work on "WKRP" and asked about his new projects. He told me that he and his wife would be working together on a sitcom which I later enjoyed (set in New Orleans, as I recall). Nice person...

Yes, Kate! Diana is wonderful, though some others I know think she's a bit aloof. My personal opinion is that they live with the green-eyed monster. Diana's story is quite amazing, as most writers don't have such a Cinderella story to tell. Based on just a few excerpts from her first novel OUTLANDER, one of the biggest literary agents, Perry Knowlton with Curtis Brown Ltd., picked her up even before the book was completed! You Nevah hear of such things happening in the business. He just knew "talent" when he sa it. When it came time to sell that book, OUTLANDER, it went to "bid," which means several houses were extremely interested and began jostling to buy it by offering different combinations of attractive packages. (This is a writer's dream, let me tell you!) Perry was able to negotiate a 3 book contract (because Diana knew even then there were at least 2 more to follow), and each book got a $150,000 advance! You rarely ever hear of a first time author getting a 3-book deal, much less =that= kind of mone for each book! IAE, you know there are 6 now, don't you? DRUMS OF AUTUMN is her most recent, but then you know that if you keep up. You can also check out her website which will keep you updated on where she's appearing for booksignings, etc., and she sometimes posts excerpts from her current project. Exciting indeed! Also, Bantam Doubleday Dell's site gives current info too. I think highly of Diana because she took me under her wing when I was just beginning in my writing endeavors. She'd already hit the NYT list, and still took the time to sit with me, a tongue-tied fan, and talk about anything I wanted, she in fact kept the whole crew of her publishing house waiting just ot talk to me. She was lovely. She also offered--something rarely done any more by big names--to critique my work, give pointers, and gave me the names of several agents I might query. That story she cr tiqued went on to win several contests. We keep in touch by email, though lately her schedule has been incredible with all the booksignings for her DOA. It hit the #2 spot, btw, on the NYT list! Go Diana! She is an incredible writer, able to weave a tale with so many story elements you have to read between the lines to make sure you don't miss a vital detail! She is my favorite author of all time, I like her earthiness, she never shrinks from =any= subject in her stories, and I like the knack she has of creating a story so believable, you're drawn in before you ever know what hit you. So glad to find a fellow fan, Kate! As I said, this mere mortal is grateful just to be able to have stood in the shadows of such celebrity!

Valen, yes I've got DOA. and seen her website. She sounds great. I like the fact that her characters sound like real people (gritty, smelly, down to earth). And the women are strong and independent, not just sitting around waiting to be saved.

does this count?: i live behind the shrine auditorium, and on my way home today, i had to move past a long line of limos on their way to the oscars. well, knowing SOMEONE nominated was going to be in at least one of the limos, i drove past each one, and gave a "thumbs up" to the limos, not knowing who was in any of 'em. :)

You Go Winter! It counts! It counts! LOL! Ditto, Kate! Great characters, indeed. Don't you love her grand sense of humour, especially in those first love scenes with Jamie? I have literally shed tears, laughing so hard!

Valen: yes. I like how she breaks all the "rules". Claire is older, more experienced, not very excited about marrying him. And I LOL a lot when I read her books.

Love Diana Gabaldon, earthy and real women and men! How lucky you are, Valen! Winter, I looked and looked for a woman waving a muff from the roof of her house last night, but I did not see you. You were probably in the kitchen getting out the Cheez Whiz and crackers as they panned by.....

Sure winter, 5 thumbs up!

BRUSHES WITH GREATNESS: I have a long list of famous people I've seen up close and personal but it will definitely make me seem old. I saw Bob Dylan peek out of his dressing room back in 1963. I sat near Cary Grant in a theater. My husband got high with Spalding Grey (who?). I went to a Rolling Stones Press Conference in 1967. I sat with Timothy Leary in a Love-In, and met Allen Ginsberg at a poetry reading. I got onstage with the Stones at Altamont. Hey anyone want to ghostwrite my biography? As for lusts, I never got a chance to get it on with my main lust objects: Jimai Hendrix, Robert Plant, Jim Morrison, Roger Daltrey or Jimmy Page -- so I am very disappointed with my celebrity encounters. Right now, I'd settle for a weekend with Colin Firth. Oops, he's married....

I sat near Timothy Leary at Altamont.

My younger sister has had a much more active celebrity chasing career than I have. Particularly in her last year in high school ('78), she spent alot of time with her best friend, roaming the hinterlands of Philadelphia searching for Bruce (springsteen of course), Cheap Trick, and the mighty Elvis (costello). They actually managed to talk their way into Elvis and the Attractions hotel room, but once they got there (being the naive, relatively sheltered girls that they were), freaked out realizing how clos they were to living out the adage, sex, drugs and rock 'n roll. I believe they ran out of the room once one of the Attractions became more amourous than they expected. I myself met John Lithgow when I was fifteen (very cool guy), but other than that, the closest I've come to a collision with celebrity lust was having a misdirected dalliance with a british music video director. I saw Sam Shephard's first wife at a party a million years ago, but thats a fairly lame claim to fame.

How's this for lame? I saw George Will in National airport (DC political columnist) and met Jim Fowler (the younger guy who was always wrestling alligators on Wild Kingdom) at an amusement park grand opening. Cal Ripken's brother (NOT Billy) lives in my neighborhood, and his daughter attends kindergarten & Sunday School with mine.

This doesn't qualify as a lustful encounter, but what the hey. I met Carly Simon at a book signing in New York (I was visiting). She was one of the skinniest human beings I have ever seen--truly alarmingly emaciated. I have also "met" (if you can call it that) several famous or semi-famous (but not sexy) men at the annual pro-celebrity golf tournament in my home town. But I have NEVER met any really sexy famous person. Sad, huh?

If I met Carly Simon I would *definitely* count that! Way to go! She's definitely on my hot list.

Well now we know why she was so skinny. Poor Carly;( I hope she gets better.

Having lived in New York in the 80s I used to see quite a few celebs walking around town, but I only have spoken to one. I always felt the need to respect celebs' privacy, plus I tend to get shy about such things....Anyway, I was walking down a quiet street in the Village (Jones Street, I think), and a tall man was walking toward me. We looked each other in the eye, he smiled, and said: "hello, how are you?" I babbled something and continued walking. The man was Jeremy Irons.

That's awesome Lisa, I saw an epic movie with Irons but the title escapes me.

Lisa, did you realize right away who he was?

An epic movie, Terry? Do you think The Mission would qualify? Takes place in 18th (I believe) century South America, co-star Robert DiNiro.

I used to see JI quite often when he was living in London. He used to drive a cult car; a Morris Minor (the British version of the VW Beetle)convertable with split windscreen. He was almost invariably wearing jodpurs and riding boots! He was unmistakable.

It was the Mission.

HeidiLisa, did you realize right away who he was? Sorry I didn't respond sooner; I was out of town on business and thereafter had a series of really bad migraines..... Yes, Heidi, I did recognize JI right away, and about floated down the street after he smiled and said hello. I probably have watched my videos of Brideshead Revisted as often as I have watched P&P. :-) JI was wearing a long loden coat the day I saw him...