Mary Bisbee-Beek

Julie and I corresponded in the 90's, I was always trying to persuade her to invite one of my author clients to come to speak for Arts & Lectures. One day she said, "Mary, I'll always take your calls because I like to talk to you but I'll never invite any of your authors." I was puzzled my authors were and are always great but yes they are published almost exclusively by smaller presses. She told me I had to work harder and make them more famous and then she'd bring them on.

In 2010 I moved to Portland and I called Julie and said "hey, should we meet?" She agreed and when she walked up to me at the restaurant she said, "How the fuck are you?" It was love at first sight!

Julie was my greatest cheerleader, an early Portland friend, who never left me after a lunch or dinner or a phone call without saying, "we have to do this more often, I love you!" And did I ever love Julie Fucking Mancini. I love every memory of her and she was so right...we really had to get together more often!