A NIGHT TO REMEMBER (Saturday, July 17, 2004)
Chicago, "the Windy City," defied all odds as everyone gathered Saturday evening under clear skies, balmy 70-degree weather, and no bugs in celebration of AAA's first summer gala. Glorious atmospheric conditions following months of rain and unseasonably cold temperature.

Getting to Chicago was another story! Friday afternoon, as the marquee was going up in the garden and tables were being set for 85 guests, stranded travelers began phoning. Chicago's airports had shut down due to a severe thunderstorm watch. For AAA's hostess Nancy Rosenfeld, it was instant panic since most guests were arriving by air. Nevertheless, everyone safely made it despite flight delays up to seven hours and one case of lost luggage.

Early arrivers Jane and Neil Levy (author, The Last Rebbe of Bialystok), who came in Thursday, avoided the hassle. They even attended Friday's opening night of Millennium Park, making headline news Saturday morning :
     Chicago Tribune (front page article): "I love being able to have kids and adults enjoy different aspects of the same environment," said Jane Levy, from Berkeley, California, who sat on a bench with her husband just outside the Lurie Garden.

Most creative traveler: Glenn Campbell, author, NAKED VEGAS: A Totally Cynical Guide to Sin City), who drove to Los Angeles to connect with a flight to Chicago after finding nothing available that originated from Vegas. He also was first to arrive at the party, and with panache. As the Keystone Chamber Ensemble was tuning their instruments and the caterers were setting up food trays, along came Glenn:

     "Are you Nancy? I'm from the catering service, and my name is Glenn Campbell."

Heartwarming reunion: Chuck and Bobby Carroll. With the help of a private investigator, Chuck Carroll (author, Hard Candy: Nobody Flies Over the Cuckoo's Nest) located his brother in New Jersey, where he flew from his home in California in time to escort Bobby to Chicago for the party.

Honored: Anita and Jordan Miller (Academy Chicago Publishers) and Sigalit Zetouni (A to Z Offset Printing and Pub)--three people who took seriously the Talmudic precept that those who save a single person are as if they saved the entire world. Had it not been for their combined effort, one dying man's dream of publication would have gone up in smoke. Jack LaZebnik's Golden Medina had been scheduled to go to press in December with the now defunct Creative Arts Book Company. Academy Chicago released the book January 2004.

First-Place publisher award: Brook Noel, President / CEO, Champion Press, Ltd, who purchased the most books from AAA ("10") during the first six and one-half months of 2004.

Congratulations: Nancy King (author, Dancing With Wonder: Self-Discovery Through Stories), on her new Champion Press contract--signed at the party!

Roasting the Host:
     - Brook Noel, President / CEO; Champion Press, Ltd.
     - Jan Fawcett, MD, Author
     - Bernard Golden, PhD, Author
     - Michael Steinberg, Literary Agent
     - Bob LaZebnik, brother of Jack

Readings:
     - Shyam Amladi: "Why Me?" And further observations of the
          confused American male;
     - Glenn Campbell: NAKED VEGAS: A Totally Cynical Guide
          to Sin City;
     - Joe Gumm: Due Dads: a comical guide to assisting your
          spouse with a natural birth;
     - Bill Melms: How to Stay Afloat Wearing Army Boots

Photo Gallery - click here to view photographs.