04/13/04 00:00 | 293 W Day 1: Cooper Union Great Hall, New York City
The bouncing baby book has arrived!We marked the official publication date, April 13 — which also happens to be Amy's birthday — with a kick-off event in New York City at Cooper Union that was a fundraiser for Pacifica station WBAI. We had no idea what to expect — and we were blown away by the response. 1,100 people showed up for a hall that holds 800. We persuaded nervous Cooper Union staff to let the overflow crowd trickle in, but our sincere apologies to folks who couldn't get past the blockade of latecomers.
Highlights of the launch include:
- Co-emcee and WBAI program director Bernard White: “I wasn't surprised that Amy Goodman did a book. I was surprised that she finished it.” At which point he held up a sheaf of crumpled paper and announced, “I have here the last chapter of the book that Amy was unable to submit on deadline. We'll be happy to staple it into your copies of the book on the way out!”
- Oscar award winning Actor Tim Robbins (who despite a busted ankle, came from his play Embedded which is running around the corner at the Public Theater): “This is the first event I've been to where I'm the least progressive person in the room.”
- A heartwarming welcome for Palestinian activist Farouk Abdel-Muhti, just released from jail following a judge's orders, after almost two years of imprisonment — with no charges ever filed against him
- Our mother, Dorrie Goodman (to whom we dedicated the book, along with our late father George), and brother Steve joined us and the entire Democracy Now! crew on the stage, to lead the audience in singing Happy Birthday to Amy