NOTE: If you want to post images from the event, feel free to do so, however, please don't identify anyone unless you are certain that they don't mind. I think it's safe to say that Markos and Jerome won't mind be identified.
As promised yesterday, I present you the follow-up to the NYC Kossak meetup. First off, good lord were there a TON of people. When I was emailing with Kossak JBilger, trying to figure out how many people we should tell Yaffa would come, we estimated about 30. We ended up with more like 75. Nothing like the power of Markos to pull the crowd.
More copy and the images you have all been waiting for below
And Markos didn't disappoint. He and his writing partner Jerome got there at about 7:00 and hung out for the next three hours. They were mobbed pretty much the whole time with people just wanting chat time or requests to get their books signed, and they happily obliged. Markos's real life persona is a lot more mellow than his on-line one, and I got the feeling that, as a fairly humble person at heart, he still struggles with the rockstar mantle. (And I imagine the 24/7 total immersion in politics that comes with this tour aint easy either--at one point when we were chatting, the topic of Tivo came up and he got this faraway look in his eyes talking about all the episdoes of 24 he was missing.)
Besides the authors, there were a ton of interesting folks at this meetup. I got a chance to chat with all kinds of neat folks, including John Hall, who is running for a house race in upstate New York.
There were two evening highlights for me--the happy surprise of meeting one of my fave on line comentators, Lower Manhattan, a true wordsmith and treasure whose comments can mostly be found on Steve Gillard's blog, and fabulous blogger Liz's wonderful toast to Markos and Jerome. I should add that it was also great to again see all of the Kossak regulars, who I've come to know from previous meetups.
And btw folks, there is life after a Markos meetup. I haven't contacted him yet, but I've heard that AdvisorJim is going to be doing a reading in our fair city in April, and I think it'd be great if we could rally around that. And then on May 16, Markos is back for his official book appearance and I think the plan for that one is for Kossaks to combine forces with the Drinking Liberally folks.
^^Power to the people
^^Markos + Jerome: "We did it!"
^^That's Liza on the far left
^^Kossak + Markos
^^Two meetup regulars
^^John Hall + Markos
^^Sunqueen
^^Markos: Would you ask this man for I.D.?
^^Larry + Jeffrey: Pie Fight!!!
^^Markos: "Oh shit--tell me I don't have to step in and moderate those two."
^^Markos: "Must sign book."
^^Lucid + Vancookie
^^JaneKnowles
^^Candidate John Hall + Markos
^^Jeffrey
JaneKnowles + Vancookie
^^Kossak
^^Drinking Kossak
^^Three Kossaks
^^David
^^Happy Kossak
^^Cous-cous!!
^^Vancookie
^^Kossaks eating cous-cous