Book Talk
At Sea with Patrick Dennis: My Madcap Mexican Adventure with the Author of Auntie Mame written by Robert Karr
Presented by Publisher Ian Henzel and the man who saved the book from the trash, Bernie Ardia
Who has not fallen in love with Auntie Mame? Many of us can remember a favorite aunt (or perhaps uncle) who was always compared to Mame, swooping in on our lives to bring delight and adventure.
This presentation will focus on the story behind the book and how it came to be published. You'll also learn more about Patrick Dennis and his life and adventures. A life with more twists, turns and surprises, worthy of Mame herself.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the best-selling author Patrick Dennis, whose real name was Edward Everett Tanner III was a household name. He wrote a slew of best-sellers, of which three were on the New York Times bestseller list at the same time. To this date, he is still the only author to have achieved this feat.
Patrick Dennis was much like his character Mame. When Dennis talked about his life, it was often a work of fiction. In the 1960s he disappeared into Mexico. Little was known about his time there until now with the posthumous publication of Rancho Mirage resident Robert Karr's memoir At Sea with Patrick Dennis: My Madcap Mexican Adventure with the Author of Auntie Mame. The manuscript almost disappeared but was saved by another Rancho Mirage resident, theatrical hair and wig designer, Bernie Ardia. This story has so many twists and turns you’ll apt to get seasick!
The presenters for this program are Bernie Ardia, the man who rescued the memoir about Patrick Dennis, and the publisher, Ian Henzel, from Rattling Good Yarns Press, an LGBTQ+ publisher located here in the Palm Springs area.
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