madame bovary's masquerade ball

Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. (Thanks, Shauna Reid)


So, I’m still participating in Reverb 10, a writing project in which authors reflect on the past year, and consider how to mindfully enter 2011.

And this prompt has left me sadly mindful of this fact: I attended NO rockin’ party in 2010, and I can’t think of one I attended in 2009, either.

It did not take a writing prompt for me to come to this conclusion. This past October, as the kids were deciding on costumes, I thought, “Why doesn’t anyone around here throw grown-up Halloween parties? Why don’t I?” Hell, most of my memorable Halloweens took place after I turned 18. It’s a holiday I still associate with merry Bacchanalian revelry (if only in my memory), and yet, for the past six or so years, it has really been all about the kids. About the candy. About Star Wars and Disney princesses.

On November 1, I opened up Facebook and was greeted with a photo of pointy-boob-era Madonna, decked out in gold and holding a drink. She was striking a pose amidst three or four other Madonnas (a sampling from the Immaculate Collection): Material Girl, Holiday, Papa Don’t Preach, and Truth or Dare. When I enlarged the picture, I saw that Pointy Boob was my sister, Kaytie. I hit “slideshow,” and watched the Madonnas get into the groove. Damn, I thought. And started making plans for the fabulous costume party I’m going to throw next year.

Not that I don’t get out and tear it up. My beer drinking buddies, with whom I occasionally run, can be pretty raucous when we get together for our monthly “meetings” at the Half Moon café, or at our ruthless holiday Yankee Swaps, where we battle for the most powerful headlamp, the tastiest homebrew, or the coolest running log (I know, pretty wild, right?).

But I can’t say that any party has really “rocked my socks off” since my brother’s wedding in 2006.

So, here is the party I will throw next October (hope you can make it):

You are cordially invited to Madame Bovary’s Masquerade Ball! Please come dressed as your favorite sexy, scandalous, or salacious literary figure (no Jane Austens, please). See what happens when Anais Nin seduces Heathcliff, or Lady Chatterly hooks up with Humbert Humbert. Come for the Prologue, stay for the Denouement!

Music provided by Shakespear’s Sister.

Open bar will include Uncle Fezziwig’s Ale.

Parlor games will include Hunt the Slipper, Charades, and Squeak, Piggy, Squeak.

Mark your calendars, everyone, because this wild woman is gearing up for one Titillating Toussaint! See you there.