Georgia Gianakos Buchanan, daughter of Greek immigrants, has written a memoir of her rich and varied experiences, both in her hometown of Indianapolis and in the many other places where she lived and traveled over the past 85 years.
On August 18, Buchanan will sign copies of that memoir at Black Dog Books, 115 S. Main St., from 1 to 3 p.m. The author also will give a brief lecture at 2 p.m.
Included in 428 ½ : My Journey Beyond the Railroad Tracks are such tales as the day Cary Grant came unannounced to her desk at the Indianapolis News where she covered movies, and another interview in which she and Jack Benny shared a laugh when she said he really was a “skinflint” as he helped himself to half of her lunch.
Buchanan’s six-year career at the News sent her on press junkets to New York and Hollywood, and earned her interviews with dozens of the leading celebrities. Interested in writing all of her life, she honed her skills at Manual and Shortridge High Schools and at Butler University, before striking out on a decades-long career.
Woven throughout the very readable book are the challenges and high points of being the mother of a special-needs son who benefited from his mother’s encouragement for him to excel as much as he could.
Additionally, she has throughout the book listed local, national, and international events happening at that point in her life, giving readers a perspective that many memoirs do not offer. Whether the reader is very familiar with the content of her book or approaches it with little knowledge of the events of those years, her memoir provides a warm reminiscence of a life well-lived.
To order the book, contact [email protected].