After graduating college, Laurie Fabiano moved to her family's hometown of Hoboken, New Jersey, established the Hoboken Cultural Council, and created an innovative three-month arts and cultural festival. She went on to coordinate New York City's July 4th celebration.

After involvement in local political campaigns, she became Deputy Mayor of Hoboken during the administration of Thomas Vezzetti, a reform candidate dubbed "The Wackiest Mayor in America." When she left the Mayor's office, she continued a project she initiated - taking the first American Baseball team to the Soviet Union for a "Goodwill Tour." Motivated by the death of a family member, Fabiano became an AIDS activist and produced the AIDS Walks and AIDS Dance-a-thons around the country for seven years. As the Robin Hood Foundation's Senior Vice President, she helped grow the Foundation into the largest private organization fighting poverty in New York City. She is now the President of Fab Tool, a marketing and events company.
    Egidio Coccimiglio is a film director and screenwriter. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie, the son of an immigrant steelworker. A Film Arts graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto, his independent films have won critical awards in Chicago, Houston, Montreal and Lisbon. Among his optioned screenplays currently in development are Imaginary Grace, a psychological drama, Black Madonna, an Italian immigrant saga with Prospero Pictures (Hotel Rwanda) and Silent City, a futuristic thriller. A Pleasant Vertigo is his first effort at writing prose; and it was named as the co-winner of the 2009 Ken Klonsky novella contest.
    Of A Pleasant Vertigo, Quincy Jones writes: "Since the age of 14, my mentor was Dizzy Gillespie and through him I became addicted to the music of Cuba way back in the '40's. This book is an inventive and witty voice that cuts through like a slide trumpet.”
    The reading takes place Saturday, November 13, 2010, 5:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., at the Cornelia St. Café, 29 Cornelia Street, NYC, (212-989-9319); www.corneliastreetcafe.com). The evening starts with Open Mic readings of five minutes each. IAWA is a 501(3)©not-for-profit corporation. Since 1991, the organization has given voice to writers through its Open Reading series at Cornelia St. Café every month. For membership information, visit www.iawa.net