conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about Becky, Helen, Fielding with the genre: Humor & Entertainment, Humor?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'Shopaholic Takes Manhattan'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the first four paragraphs for the book? Start with the sentence 'Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
  In fact, if it does really well, I might give lectures'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
  In fact, if it does really well, I might give lectures. God, that would be great, wouldn't it? I could become a kind of lifestyle guru and tour the world, and people would flock to see me, and ask my advice on all sorts of issues—
  For a moment I'm tempted. I've met Venetia a few times, and I know she gives amazing parties at her parents' house in Kensington.
  I watch as Suze gathers up the dress and underwear and rifles through my makeup bag. Then she leaves the room and I stretch my arms out in front of me, flexing my fingers. Right. To work.
  I open a file, type "Chapter One," and stare at it proudly. Chapter One! This is so cool! Now all I have to do is come up with a really memorable, striking opening sentence.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is four more paragraphs?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: How do I say this without offending him? I'm sure being a waiter is actually very fulfilling. Anyway, he's probably an actor in his spare time.
  With a pang of fright I quickly hurry away. OK. What I'll do is I'll just get away from him, and put this platter down somewhere, and find my place.
  Cautiously I walk back into the dining room, and wander about between the tables, looking for a handy surface to leave the platter. But there don't seem to be any side tables or even spare chairs. I can't really leave it on the floor, and it would be a bit too awkward to reach between the guests and dump it on a table.
  This is really annoying, actually. The platter's quite heavy, and my arms are starting to ache. I pass by Mr. Wunsch's chair and give him a little smile, but he doesn't even notice me. It's as though I'm suddenly invisible.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What is the last five paragraphs? Start with the sentence 'I stop dead in my tracks and stare into the bin, wondering if someone's playing a trick on me or I'm hallucinating'.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: I stop dead in my tracks and stare into the bin, wondering if someone's playing a trick on me or I'm hallucinating.
  Magnus says footnotes are for things which aren't your main concern but nevertheless hold some interest for you. So. This is my footnote about footnotes.
  So as I walk around the handbag department, trying out gorgeous bag after gorgeous bag, I'm not taking too much notice of the prices. Because this is America, and everyone knows that prices in America are really low. It's common knowledge. So basically, I'm working on the principle that everything's a bargain.
  Eventually I choose a beautiful Kate Spade bag in tan leather. It costs five hundred dollars, which sounds quite a lot—but then "a million lira" sounds a lot too, doesn't it? And it's only about fifty pence.
  HUGEST THANKS to Susan Kamil and Zoë Rice for their help and encouragement, to Nita Taublib and everyone at The Dial Press, who made me so incredibly welcome in New York, and again to Zoë for a wonderful afternoon of research (shopping and eating chocolate). Special thanks as always to Araminta Whitley, Celia Hayley, Mark Lucas, Kim Witherspoon and David Forrer, and all at Transworld. Also to David Stefanou for the gimlets and Sharyn Soleimani at Barneys who was so kind, and to all the people who have given me ideas, advice, and inspiration along the way, in particular Athena Malpas, Lola Bubbosh, Mark Malley, Ana-Maria Mosley, and all my family. And of course, Henry, who has the best ideas.