Bridget McNulty

Strange Nervous Laughter is “Hot Right Now!”

// June 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Links, Reviews, Strange Nervous Laughter

NEWSFLASH!!!

Strange Nervous Laughter has been chosen by Cosmopolitan.com (yes, that’s the US website!) as one of their Best Beach Books of 2009!

Find the review (1 of only 8 books) under ‘Secrets and Advice’.
The round-up is called ’8 Books We’re Loving Right Now’ and you can check it out here

This is really exciting news for Strange Nervous Laughter. Cosmo is the most read women’s magazine in America… And now it has a dose of Durban gracing its website!

Reflections on the last month…

// June 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Inspiration, Laughter, Life (and the living of it), Strange Nervous Laughter, travelling

A month ago I left home to go to Joburg for a writer’s conference, and then to the USA for 3 weeks… It doesn’t seem possible! It feels like at least 3 months, it’s definitely been one of the busiest months of my life.

What’s interesting, though, is thinking back to how I felt a month ago, and realising how much of what I was worried about didn’t materialise. Isn’t it often that way?

I was hugely excited to go on holiday, but a little apprehensive too, for a number of reasons… It was my first solo trip with diabetes, my first overseas trip with diabetes, my first time crossing time zones with diabetes (are you noticing a trend here??) but also my first time away from my man for 3 weeks, and the first time seeing friends I hadn’t seen in 4 years. Four years! It’s a long time. And I was worried that although I felt like we could pick up where we left off, maybe we couldn’t. Maybe it would be awkward. Maybe I’d get claustrophobic not having any alone time for three weeks straight. Maybe I’d get sick of being sociable.

Maybe maybe maybe.

But none of my worries materialised! How fantastic. My diabetes behaved itself wonderfully – I didn’t have any scary lows, I adjusted to eating (strange) American food with no hassles, and I felt remarkably well the whole time I was there. Seeing my old friends was incredible – honestly, it felt as if I’d just left the room and then come back in and it was 2005 (only we all look better and are less crazy than we were in college!) And I didn’t get claustrophic at all. I took alone time when I needed it, but most of the time I was just happy to be with my friends.

I had forgotten how much I love my US friends… I suppose I’d blocked it out so that I wouldn’t miss them too much. When I think back over the last few weeks, the prevailing word that pops out at me is FUN. It was so much fun! I laughed so much, I really connected with people that I love, I saw new things and had so many adventures. I am ready to travel!

It’s amazing how alive travelling makes you feel. Have you noticed that? Being surrounded by fresh sights and new ideas and different ways of living is so invigorating. One of the greatest gifts this trip has given me is confidence in our round the world trip, later this year. I’m ready: physically, emotionally, and diabetically!

It was also great for Strange Nervous Laughter. I met my editor (and had a lovely lunch with her), I made connections with extremely helpful people, I had two great radio interviews, and I feel like I gave the book a good start in life. Where it goes from here is out of my hands!

So all in all? An extraordinary trip, that far exceeded my expectations!
That said, I’m very happy to be home. And I will be until it’s time to sail off into the sunset again…

(Me in NYC!)

My (fun) disaster:

// June 18th, 2009 // No Comments » // Life (and the living of it), Strange Nervous Laughter, book launch, travelling

The plan seemed simple enough:
While in New York City, organise a relaxed, informal reading somewhere pretty (i.e. in Central Park) and bake cupcakes to give to people so they have a little something to snack on while I read. Then invite all my friends and contacts in New York (check out the lovely invitation here), and get them to invite all their friends and contacts.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, global warming. In a word (or two).
You see, NYC is not usually wet or rainy in June – it’s summer, it should be deliciously sunny. But the weather has been a little crazy of late, and the craziness did not work in my favour… The forecasts said scattered thundershowers would hit at 6pm. They hit at 2.30pm. My reading was at 3pm.

We’d already baked delicious cupcakes, by this stage (chocolate with vanilla icing and mini M&Ms… yummy!)

And we’d figured out how to transport them across town on the subway (by buying a couple of doughnut boxes from the doughnut store across the road)…

When we exited the subway, it was breezy and warm, and we thought we’d missed the morning rain and were going to miss the evening storms. But when we arrived at Central Park…

The heavens opened. It poured. Bucketed. Deluged us with rain. So that anyone in their right mind, looking out the window in the hour before the reading and deciding whether to come to an outdoor event in the park, would have decided against it (I was already there, so I couldn’t change my mind!)

Still, I had a couple of extremely loyal friends who decided to brave the weather, most notably my Number One Fan, Jess (in her handmade t-shirt)…

Once we realised that the rain was not going to let up any time soon, we traipsed off through the park handing out free cupcakes. It was so much fun! I started off on the baseball field, and people came flocking towards me when they heard the magical word ‘cupcake’ (combined with the equally magical word ‘free’)… and then we walked through the park and I approached people and asked if they wanted a cupcake. They were either totally delighted, or looked a little scared. It was very amusing!

We ended up in a Starbucks (because it was warm, cosy, and quintessentially American)…

Where I gave a short reading, after all…

It was, to all intents and purposes, a complete disaster. But it was a really fun disaster! As I led my merry band of wet friends through the park, handing out cupcakes, I was loving it! It was great fun.

Now, this could have been because I’d had an amazing hour-long interview on Cosmo Radio the day before, and I felt as if I’d already done my bit for book marketing; or because it was the end of a really wonderful three week friend tour all over the East Coast of the USA; or even because I have recently realised that I don’t like organising publicity stuff for myself any more (give me online stuff to do and I’m happy, organise something for me to do and I’m even happier, but don’t put me in charge please!)

It might even be that I am slowly, ever so slowly, learning to let go and see where life takes me. That I am finally learning to be a bit more easy-going and not trying to control everything. Whatever the reason, I had myself an extremely fun disaster of A Reading in Central Park.

Just a tad jetlagged…

// June 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Strange Nervous Laughter, book launch, travelling

… After more than 40 hours of travelling, which is my excuse for not having blogged yet!

But tomorrow (I promise!) I will write about my fun disaster of a reading, and soon soon I will give you a photographic tour of my amazing trip.

It was amazing!

But being home is really lovely too…

How have the last three weeks been for you?

A Reading in the Park…

// June 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Strange Nervous Laughter, Tea Parties

… invitation. Are you free tomorrow? Why not pop over to Central Park?

Cupcakes, music, reading, book giveaways… how can you resist?

See you there! (in body or in spirit)

Off to Canada!

// June 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Life (and the living of it), travelling

Uh huh. I’m going to Canada! First time ever. To the supposedly amazingly beautiful Prince Edward Island. I’ll keep you posted.

In fact, I’ll keep you very posted. For the first time on this trip (which has been amazing, but busy busy busy) I’m going to have a holiday! A real holiday. Sleeping in, taking long walks by the sea, reading, catching up with my best friend Jess, and soaking up some beauty.

Jealous?

Don’t worry! I’ll update a lot. Every day, in fact! And post many photos. It’ll be like you’re right here with me.

For now, though, how about some…

BOSTON HIGHLIGHTS:

* Seeing Jess again (after 4 years) and talking nonstop for 3 hours over amazing Indian food.

* Catching up with her delightful sister, who has three amazing kids and a great husband (seriously, they make having a big family look like fun).

* Staying in my Boston home, and knowing exactly where to find everything!

* Eating the most delicious homemade chocolate ice-cream.

* Meeting up with an old college friend and immediately laughing together (in fact, falling into giggling fits).

* Having a giant Ethiopian dinner with five old friends (and two new ones). Yup, Ethiopian food. Aren’t I adventurous?

* Tasting Junior Mints for the first time (YUM!)

Returning to old places.

// June 6th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Laughter, Life (and the living of it), Love, travelling

So I spent most of this week in Lancaster, the small city where my lovely college, Franklin and Marshall (check it out at www.fandm.edu) is. I was a little worried that it would feel haunted… that I’d wander around feeling like I’d stepped back in time, and not in a good way.

I was wrong. It was so so wonderful to be back, like visiting an old home that is still very familiar and dear. Here are the best moments from this week…

LANCASTER HIGHLIGHTS:

* Catching up with old professors and friends (often the same person) and realizing that although 4 years is a long time, it condenses really quickly when you’re real friends.

* Seeing my college campus (which looks incredible! I’m jealous), and walking around it again… I felt like I was back in school, and on my way to class, quite uncanny!

* Fabulous conversations about life, love, relationships, books, and other scintillating topics.

* Waking to a 2am thunderstorm.

* Waking to a 6am thunderstorm.

* Going to Harrisburg (45 minutes from Lancaster) for my first ever American radio interview, and having a lot of fun doing it! Also figuring out the whole train / taxi thing in a foreign town – I’m actually pretty savvy. Who knew??

* Hanging out with Eva – the coolest 9 year old I know – and her American Girl dolls. I want one! (We did a photo shoot – see below).

* Freshly baked pound cake with whipped cream and fresh farm strawberries… on a warm, muggy evening, outdoors.

* Visiting the new Ice Cream Parlour (heaven in a room!) not once but twice.

* Breakfast at the new Creperie – yum!

* Going to the famous Shiny Diner for lunch.

* Wandering around the city and having it feel like a second home.

* Visiting all my old haunts and having them smell exactly the same.

* Eating superb food at a girl’s night out and realizing that age and distance don’t matter when you really love people.

* Laughing. So much.

The trip so far…

// May 31st, 2009 // No Comments » // Laughter, Time, travelling

I know, I know! I’ve been terrible at keeping you updated… But I’ve been having so much fun!

Even now I’m reluctant to sit down in front of a computer when I could be hanging out with my friends. So I’ll do a Highlights Tour:

NEW YORK CITY HIGHLIGHTS:

* My first afternoon in the city happened to be a public holiday – Memorial Day – so my friend Dan took me to a double barbecue, one at Prospect Park (where I saw hundreds of New Yorkers barbecuing, lying in the sun, playing volleyball and throwing frisbees), and one on a rooftop, where I ate a hotdog and my first ever S’More (melted marshmallow, biscuit and chocolate combined – delicious!)

* Met old friends and new for tea, soup, drinks and catch-ups. You’d think after four years it would be awkward to bridge the gap, but so far it isn’t. It’s just fun to see people again.

* Met my publisher for a delightful (swanky!) lunch.

*Ate the famous Magnolia and Sugar Sweet Sunshine cupcakes (Red Velvet flavour, because I’d never had them before). The verdict? Delicious, but I think I can make just as delicious cupcakes (gasp!)

* Walked allll over thc city with my friend Dan, taking ridiculous photos (which you’ll see once I upload them) and talking nonsense for hours on end.

* Ate great Mexican food.

* Went to the People’s Improv Theatre for some really funny improv (starring a friend from college).

I feel like I had a truly New York experience – I saw so much, and so many parts of the city, had a bit of nature time, and LOTS of city time, and walked my feet to the bone. Surely that’s what being a New Yorker is all about??

I then took a magically-internet-enabled bus to Washington DC.

WASHINGTON DC HIGHLIGHTS:

* Spending every available minute with Jen and Julia and laughing till we cry.

* Having a great welcome dinner with them and their significant others – a loud Mediterranean dinner filled with laughter.

* Going on a staff-led tour of the Capitol because Jen has connections in high places. What a cool building!

* Lying on the couch watching TV on her giant television.

* Hanging out, catching up.

* Going shopping in Georgetown ($5 Urban Outfitters sale, be still my beating heart!) and having a girl’s dinner out (more giggling).

* Walking around the very cool Eastern Market on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

* Checking out the monuments from afar, and deciding to go home and make Rice Krispies treats instead.

* Watching rom coms together.

* Late night jacuzzi dip… Turns out there’s one in the building!

* And today – a baseball game! Can’t wait…

I’ll update again soon (well, in less than a week, anyway!) I’ve been totally disconnected from the blogosphere and online communities, and I have to say it feels quite nice… Not so many voices in my head!

So how are YOU doing? Any highlights from the last week?

Getting all my ducks in a row…

// May 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Cape Town, Time, travelling

So I’m off to the USA! On Sunday night, but leaving Cape Town tomorrow morning for Joburg, where I’ll do a writer’s workshop at a high school, and spend some time with my man’s brother, sister-in-law and nephew. He’s coming with me, tomorrow, but I’m saying goodbye on Sunday… for over three weeks!

I’ll miss him.

My trip is jampacked full of people I’m dying to see, though – all my friends from college that I haven’t seen since I graduated four years ago, and a few new friends that I’ve picked up along the way. I’m having lunch with my publisher (ladida!) and various tea / lunch / dinner dates with other friends… I am so excited!

I’ve reserved today to get all my ducks in a row. I want to pack slowly and calmly so I don’t forget anything, and I want to leave home in a peaceful way. It’ll be the first time I left for the States peacefully if I manage to pull it off!

So what do you think? What’s the one essential thing I can’t forget? I’ll add it to my list.

You are most cordially invited…

// May 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Strange Nervous Laughter, book launch

… to A Reading in Central Park, should you happen to be in New York City on the 13th of June 2009 (one month today).