Rachel J. Lithgow draws full house at Port Washington book signing

Author and historian Rachel J. Lithgow held a public signing for My Year of Really Bad Dates at Book Report in Port Washington, New York, on Aug. 11, 2026. The event paired a meet-and-greet and Q&A with a growing local bookstore’s push to champion women authors and community events.

Why it matters: - Rachel J. Lithgow’s book tour is helping turn a personal memoir into a broader conversation about dating, midlife reinvention and women’s self-worth. - Book Report is using author events like this one to build a community-focused independent bookstore in Port Washington after a prior bookstore in the area closed during COVID. - The signing reflects continued demand for in-person literary events that mix book sales, discussion and local gathering spaces.

What happened: - Rachel J. Lithgow hosted a public book signing on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at Book Report in Port Washington, New York. - The event featured My Year of Really Bad Dates, with copies available for purchase and signing. - The evening included a meet-and-greet and an interactive Q&A session. - Guests gathered in a full house for the event. - Attendees also had refreshments, including red, white and rosé wine, soda, snacks and a charcuterie spread.

The details: - Lithgow discussed the highs and lows of re-entering the dating world after a high-profile Hollywood marriage. - The memoir draws on a major personal transition tied to her long marriage into the Lithgow family. - Lithgow is a New York–born mother of two now based on Long Island. - She has led prominent cultural institutions for more than three decades. - Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Time, The Huffington Post and The Jerusalem Post. - Book Report opened in June 2026 with a mission to create a welcoming, community-minded space for readers and local creatives. - Book Report owners Mara Silverstein and Kathleen Schechter started the store after a previous bookstore in the community closed because of COVID. - The store has focused on supporting women authors and diverse voices.

Between the lines: - Lithgow’s public message centers on turning personal disruption into guidance for other women, especially those navigating midlife change. - Her growing schedule of book events and television appearances suggests the memoir is being positioned as both a literary release and a platform for media commentary. - The bookstore event also shows how independent shops are leaning on author programming to stand out and deepen local loyalty.

What's next: - Lithgow is continuing to host book events across the country. - She is also appearing on local and national television with dating advice based on her own experience. - Lithgow is developing two completed, market-ready books, two screenplays, scripts for television and streaming, and a historical fiction novel, King David, set in Queens between 1957 and 1977. - She is also working on fiction projects being adapted into a serialized television concept.

The bottom line: - The Port Washington signing gave Lithgow a live stage for her memoir and reinforced Book Report’s role as a new local hub for authors and readers.