BOOK EVENT
Andy Cohen book signing with Mara Davis moderating a Q&A. 8 p.m. Nov. 15. $18 for members, $24 general public. Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. www.atlantajcc.org.
Andy Cohen’s life is packed with celebrity schmoozing, dog smooching and alcohol boozing.
The host of “Watch What Happens Live” on Bravo and the overseer of the network’s popular “Real Housewives” franchise thought fans might enjoy a day-to-day travelogue of his life. “The Andy Cohen Diaries,” which came out Nov. 11, covers his life from September 2013 until early September of this year.
He will be dishing about his book at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta the night of Nov. 15 as part of the organization’s book festival.
We discussed his last visit to Atlanta, the enduring popularity of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and Joan Rivers:
Q: You said you were inspired by Andy Warhol’s diaries to write this one. Do you feel you paid proper homage to the other Andy?
A: I think I did. I loved 'The Andy Warhol Diaries." It's very name droppy. It's very global. He traveled a lot. He had his own factory of superstars. So I think the housewives are analogous in a weird kind of parallel universe.
Q: The star of the book seems to be as much your dog Wacha as it is you.
A: Wacha and my mom are neck and neck. He is Hugh Grant-ish. He's a bit of a cad. He's both affectionate and withholding.
Q: In a March 24 diary entry, you wrote that being a talk-show host could turn you into a self-obsessed monster. Do you feel all this self-promotion has truly taken you to the dark side? Are you at the point of no return?
A: Thankfully, I don't think so. Sure, there's still time, but I'm OK. I don't feel I've changed much the past 10 years. I'm not defined by this existence. I'm having a blast. My life is great. I love this book by the way. I think it's funny. I think it really delivers. It's everything I wanted it to be.
Q: If you had an index in the book, which famous names would pop up the most? Sarah Jessica Parker? John Mayer? Madonna?
A: That's a really good question. Sarah Jessica for sure. Anderson Cooper comes up a bunch. Some of the housewives pop up.
Q: According to the book, earlier this year before the Atlanta reunion show, you made it to both the Optimist and Swinging Richards. Thoughts?
A: I love them both. My buddy Lindsay Denman lives in Atlanta, and he takes me places whenever I come to town. I loved the Optimist (a Midtown restaurant). And everything is great about (gay strip club) Swinging Richards.
Q: On April 16, you did a show with Joan Rivers. How do you feel now that you know what happened? (Rivers died in September.)
A: It's weird. Joan Rivers plays a big part in the last part of my book. I was developing a show with her, taking her to networks, having pitch meetings. I'm with her at a wedding. She was such a vibrant force of nature. Just out of nowhere, she passes. It really rocked my summer. It is further proof life is short and so precarious.
Q: Why do you think ‘The Real Housewives of Atlanta” show continues to do so well?
A: It's just the bull's-eye. Everything about it is funny. It's real. And it's kind of raw drama that's happening in these women's lives. The women are fun to watch. So I think all of that combined makes it kind of combustible.
