This will be a one-course "Lite Luncheon."
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The Luncheon Society ™
welcomes
Annabelle Gurwitch
Actress, Comedienne, Activist,
Best-Selling Author
"I See You Made an Effort"
Compliments, Indignities, and Survival Stories from the edge of 50
Also
Co-Author, "You Say Tomato, I Say Shut up" (with husband Jeff Khan)
Writer, editor of "Fired"
Host "Wa$ted" on Planet Green (2008-2010)
Co-Host, "TBS Dinner and a Movie" (1996-2002)
In her new book of essays, "I See You Made an Effort," comedian Annabelle Gurwitch muses on middle-aged life. NPR Critic Heller McAlpin says that the book, infused throughout with "sharp wit," is hilarious.
"The stories in Annabelle Gurwitch's book are unexpected, imaginative and her observations just plain cracked me up. It's so great it should be required reading for everyone between the ages of 40 and death. Scratch that-even after death it's a must-read."
-Bill Maher
Join us for a hysterical conversation about what it means to turn 50.
Why? Because 50 is the new 50.
Friday March 14, 2014
Bar Americain
152 W. 52nd Street
New York, NY 10019
Tel: 212.265.9700
12 noon lunch
$40
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NY Luncheon Society Event
Our generation was supposed to remain hip and cool forever, damn it.
It was the 80's and we were playfully ironic, quick beyond our years, pined for Nell's, read Spy, hung with musicians, slept with artists, and wore hats. Life was like a Whit Stillman movie.
So what the hell happened?
We got old. The prescribed drugs replaced the recreational ones we hid from our parents. Aches and pains would ease with balms and salves. Life happened.
At least we have Annabelle Gurwitch to laugh about it.
Join us
To RSVP; bob.mcbarton@comcast.net
Best,
Bob McBarton
Chief Conversationalist
The Luncheon Society
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Sneak Preview of Annabelle Gurwitch:
"I See You Made An Effort"
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Every seven and a half seconds, someone in America turns 50. While some people like to say that "50 is the new 40," actress/ comedienne/writer Annabelle Gurwitch believes "50 is still F-ing 50." In her wickedly funny new collection of essays, I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT, Gurwitch explores the hazards of reaching the half century mark, aging out of your wardrobe, outsourcing your endocrine system, and falling in lust at the Genius Bar. From the woman the Washington Post calls "hilarious," this new book is the ultimate coming-of-middle-age story.
The panic set in when Annabelle turned 49. The solicitations from the AARP began flooding her mailbox as she weighed the options of going back to school, getting divorced and raising llamas. She couldn't afford a vacation, so she was taking a lot of naps. A visit to her gynecologist ended not with one of his usual benign send-offs-stay healthy, stay happy, stay hydrated-but instead with the slightly ominous: "Stay funny." And in I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT, Gurwitch has taken that advice to heart. Whether she's planning her future retirement in an elder hostel in Costa Rica, navigating the extensive anti-aging offerings in the department store beauty counter, negotiating the ins and outs of acceptable behavior with her teenage son, aiding in the assisted suicide of her best friend, Gurwitch bravely turns an unflinching eye towards the myriad issues people can look forward to in their middle years.
Top Five Signs You May be Turning 50, i.e. You catch a glimpse of yourself in your living room mirror and wonder what your mother is doing at your house. You've accidentally called it The Facebook or The Twitter even once. You've memorized the entire Fleetwood Mac North American tour schedule.
- Aging Out of Your Wardrobe: Many of my skirts are too short, dresses are just too flouncy, ruffles circling the face are too Humpty Dumpty, flared skirts too flirty, tight clothing looks lumpy and anything blousy seems to emphasize my lack of a waist. Is this the moment I head into the Eileen Fisher years?
- The Sandwich Generation: Do I squeeze out a contribution to my retirement account this year, help pay down some of my parents' debts or keep my son from going full-on Steve Buscemi? Ultimately, I ponied up for my son's braces, because no matter what career path he takes, an exploding mouthful of teeth isn't going to help.
- The Need for Hormone Replacement: Dry vagina. Two words that should never be in the same sentence. On top of that, right after starting hormone replacement therapy, the Wall Street Journal and The New York Times published front-page articles on the very same day about the relationship between cancer risks and hormone therapy but came to diametrically opposing conclusions. Go figure!
- Plastic Surgery: I've had things injected in my face that I wouldn't clean my house with. I've filled, frozen and ultrasounded, all in the name of what is referred to as "maintenance." What no one tells you is that it's a zero-sum game. The results, if noticeable at all, quickly begin to fade, until very shortly afterward, you look exactly the same as you did the day you forked over an amount that an entire family in Turkmenistan could live on for a year.
- Aiding in the Assisted Suicide of her Best Friend: "Robin says she needs help and this is the weekend she wants to do it." It was another member of her inner circle. I didn't think twice. I told my husband and son I didn't know when I'd be back, packed an overnight bag and rushed out of the house. I knew what was being asked of us, even if it wasn't spelled out. We all did.
- Sex Fantasy of the Peri-Menopausal Set: Where would I have an affair? Not at my house, no, at any given moment, a pair of Spanx might be crumpled in a ball at the foot of the bed, a tube of hormone replacement cream on the nightstand, or one of the many pairs of tweezers I hide around the house might have migrated under a pillow. Our bedroom is a minefield of erection killers-just ask my husband.
Why 50 is the New 50: I am on a campaign to encourage women to embrace our age because 50 is still 50. I've had to make friends with my new constant companion osteoarthritis and bid farewell to my fertility. Raised in a youth obsessed culture, I've needed to develop a bigger imagination for myself, which is why my business card now reads: "Annabelle Gurwitch since 1961." Fifty is an opportunity to decide how you want to continue in your life, a chance to reflect, assess and make changes. This book isn't about aging out of anything (except maybe your wardrobe). It's about aging into a better version of yourself.
With I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT, Annabelle Gurwitch proves she's a wickedly funny writer in her prime (in so many ways).
More...
Only one question-are you in?
Your host:
Haviland Morris
Haviland is delighted to have been asked by Bob McBarton to host this Luncheon Society gathering. Having performed with Annabelle in the theater before either of them had yet had the pleasure of discovering that "40 is the new 30," she is thrilled to catch up with her now that "50 is still f___ing 50."
Best known (sigh) for her role in the John Hughes classic "Sixteen Candles," Haviland has also appeared in the films "Reckless," "Who's That Girl," "A Shock to the System," "Love or Money," "Gremlins 2: The New Batch," "The Last Supper," "Dear Diary," "Home Alone 3," "Rick," "The Baxter," "Joshua," "Cherry Crush," "Adam," "Fighting Fish," "Oka," "Nor'easter" and "Burning Blue," as well as on and off Broadway and in numerous television episodes which now tend to air at about 3am.
While continuing to keep a fingernail-hold in the entertainment industry, in recent decades she has also occupied herself selling residential real estate and fighting the good parent fight in the public and private educational arenas in New York City.
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Lite Luncheon
The Luncheon Society gathering with Annabelle Gurwitch will take place in Manhattan on Friday March 14, 2014. The lunch will begin at noon and will run for a little longer than an hour.
Restaurant.
The luncheon will take place at Bar Americain in Manhattan. We will be meeting in their private room. The restaurant is located at 152 W 52nd Street. The phone number is 212.265.9700. The website is http://www.baramericain.com/new-york-city-restaurant/
The Price.
Like in all TLS events, we basically split the check. Based on conversations with their staff, the cost for the gathering will be $40.00 per person.
Where to Park.
Its Manhattan and you will know what to do.
Books?
Yes, Dear Reader, books will be available for purchase and Annabelle will graciously sign them.
Cancellations
Sometimes, as they say in the movies, life intercedes. If you wish to attend but have a change in plans, please let me know 72 hours prior so that I can inform the restaurant.
Our Very Modest Annual Dues.
If you need to handle this, thanks for taking care of matters.
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Dining Choices.
We are building out the menu. It will be a one-course lite luncheon. Beverages included
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Biography
Annabelle Gurwitch is an Actress, activist, and author of three books. Publishers Weekly calls her forthcoming memoir, I SEE YOU MADE AN EFFORT: compliments, indignities and survival stories from the edge of 50, "a rollicking collection of essays with witty and heartfelt writing; the essays contain a devilish good dose of fun and more than a dash of agita." It will be published by Blue Rider Press, Penguin, March 6, 2014. Annabelle gained a loyal comedic following during her numerous years co-hosting the cult favorite, Dinner & a Movie on TBS and in her years as a regular commentator on NPR. Her work has been called, "hilarious" by The Washington Post, "laugh out loud" by People, and "slyly subversive" by O Magazine. Her book, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up, a self-hurt marital memoir, co-written with her Emmy Award winning husband, Jeff Kahn, is now a theatrical play in its third national tour. Annabelle turned being fired by Woody Allen into her first book Fired! which includes stories by Andy Borowitz, Jeff Garlin, Judd Apatow, Robert Reich and Sarah Silverman. Her acclaimed documentary has played everywhere from Showtime to The Labor Department on Capitol Hill. Time Magazine featured Annabelle and Fired! in their cover story, "Ten Ideas that are Changing the World." Annabelle's essays and satire have appeared in More, Marie Claire, Men's Health, The Los Angeles Times, L.A. Magazine, The Nation.com, Huffington Post, and in three humor anthologies. As an actress, she's guest starred in over fifty TV series, including: Dexter, Boston Legal, Medium and Seinfeld. Gurwitch's work in theatre has been recognized in, "The Top Ten Performances of the Year" by critics in both The New York Times and Los Angeles Times. Most recently, she starred in the world premiere of Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Donald Margulies' A Coney Island Christmas at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. Most recently, she spent three seasons hosting the sustainability series WA$TED on Discovery Channel's Planet Green Network. Besides her years co-hosting Dinner and a Movie, she has headlined programs on Sci-Fi, ABC, The Style Channel, and was the news anchor of the award winning, satirical, Not Necessarily the News on HBO. Annabelle's many television appearances include: Real Time with Bill Maher, Anderson Cooper, The Today Show, The CBS Early Show, Joy Behar Show, Fox and Friends, Show Biz Tonight, Entertainment tonight, CNN, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her live appearances include: The Moth Mainstage, The New York Comedy Festival, The Carter Center, & the 92nd St Y. She is a passionate environmentalist, a reluctant atheist and lives with her husband and son and a large collection of reusable water bottles in Los Angeles.
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The Luncheon Society
 is a series of private luncheons and dinners that take place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Manhattan, and now Boston. We essentially split the costs of gathering and we meet in groups of 20-25 people. Discussions center on politics, art, science, film, culture, and whatever else is on our mind. Think of us as "Adult Drop in Daycare." We've been around since 1997 and we're purposely understated. These gatherings takes place around a large table, where you interact with the main guest and conversation becomes end result. There are no rules, very little structure, and the gatherings happen when they happen. Join us when you can.
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