Booksellers from chains and indies came together on Valentine's Day at the Ivy at the Shore, Santa Monica, Calif., to celebrate The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade by Sally Wade, which Gallery Books is publishing March 8. Wade and Carlin met at the old Dutton's Bookstore in Santa Monica and shared 10 years together before he died in 2009. During their romance, they wrote notes to each other every day, many of which are collected in the book and show, as Wade put it, that Carlin's heart was even bigger than his humor and intellect. Here (from l. to r.): Matt Astrella, UCI Bookstore; Cheryl Ryan, DIESEL Brentwood; Sandy Willardson, Flintridge Bookstore; Alison Reid, DIESEL; Jan Lindstrom Valerio, Barnes & Noble; John Linville, Borders Century City; Jeanne Wolf, Parade magazine; Alison Keyes, Vroman's; author Sally Wade; Doug Dutton; John Shatzel, B&N Long Beach; Jen Ramos, Vroman's and Book Soup; Shane Pangburn, B&N Santa Monica; and Lita Weissman, Borders.
Photo: Steve Wilson, Kim-from-L.A.