Last night was the opening reception for my A.D. exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library. It was a nice event, with drinks and food, and all the artists in attendance, including David Rees. I enjoyed talking to him about our alma mater Oberlin, and meeting his wife Sarah, who also went there. Sari went to Oberlin too (even though we didn’t know each other there) and we all chuckled over the fact that us Obies tend to marry each other. There was a nice turnout: my dad and step-mom, Sari’s parents and brother Warren, moviethinker and his girlfriend Michael, wjcohen and his brood, mikedawsoncomic and his wife and baby, man_size and sazzabee, PopFeminist, and a gaggle of other cartoonists and pals.

The most surreal part of the event was right after I said some words about A.D. to the assembled folks and had wandered back to the sidelines. An old high school pal approached me, a lady I hadn’t seen in over twenty years. She came over with an older gentleman who I confess I first took to be her dad. Then she introduced me: "This is James Ellroy." Huh? The James Ellroy? The novelist? The one who wrote L.A. Confidential? I was confused. Mr. Ellroy said some nice things to me about my little talk. I mumbled something gracious. Then he said, "We’re engaged." Again: huh? My high school friend is engaged to James Ellroy? And they just happened to come to my opening? Fortunately, I recovered quickly enough to congratulate them on their engagement. They both looked pleased as punch; they left to go look at my show; I stood there in surprise and confusion.

Here are some shots of the show: