Brogan: We Gather Together

The last time I spoke at Gibson's, Concord's beloved book emporium, was in May of 2019. Any notion of a pandemic upsetting our lives, would have been dismissed. However, it did happen, about 10 months later and for more than two years, we all had to make adjustments in our daily routines.

Returning to Gibson's on Thursday evening, June 30, felt almost like coming home. It was almost easy to forget what we had all, bravely, lived through. The familiar faces of the staff were comforting as was the surroundings. My typical case of nerves and the jitters had provided me with a day that was unforgettable. It never gets easier, speaking in public, but I will not allow myself to cave into the alternative.

The evening celebrated the publication of my third book, A Sprinkling of Stardust Over the Outhouse. It's a mix of memories of growing-up in Concord, cavorting in California, and frolicking with a lot of household names. One California critic in praising the work stated, "Paul seems to have lived a life that went from the streets of Concord, New Hampshire to the bedrooms of Beverly Hills..." That may have been all it took to have a producer come sniffing around at the prospect of turning it into a filmed version.

If it were to happen, something I would not bend on would be with respect to filming it in Concord. There is no location in the world that even remotely comes close to capturing the heart and soul as well as the spirit of our city, on the shore of the Merrimack. To not film it here would be an instant dealbreaker.

As for Thursday evening, a great many people descended on Gibson's to hear me talk about my reason for writing this book and to read an excerpt. I even gave the attendees the chance to choose what part they most wanted to hear: the imitation of Katharine Hepburn, that I did for her in her New York City home in 1984, or how I came to play the title role in Peter Pan, following in the footsteps of Mary Martin, Sandy Duncan and Cathy Rigby.

They enthusiastically chose the Hepburn story, thereby denying themselves the spectacle of hearing me crow.

Our city supports "our own" and that is an unwavering quality for which we can all consider ourselves fortunate. There is a loyalty to those who live here or have lived here. It is deeply gratifying, and I see it over and over again.

Among those who came last night were friends stretching all the way back to my days in elementary school, at St. Peter's School. There were also fellow workers from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, my amazing probation officer from years back, neighbors and people who have attended my film classes, my eternally supportive and patient spouse, as well as my favorite local author, Margaret Porter. Even a writer has a favorite!!

While covid is still out there hovering, for 90 minutes we all seemed to be able to forget and lose ourselves in the pure joy of being together. It reminded me why I had spent 1,214 hours writing this latest book and sharing a lot of things that will, hopefully, entertain, enlighten or maybe maker someone pull out a Kleenex for a good cry.

As we mark this Independence Day, let's all remember that we are a part of a great community and that our similarities far outweigh our differences. God bless America.