Just back from a day at the Harlem Bookfair, a Chinese dinner, an evening of Korean Pansori. Great day for a book fair, sunny and not too hot, 135th St. lined with booths. Authors, bookstores, small presses and some big publishers (Random House, St. Martin's, Putnam) all pushing black-themed books. A stage at each end with readings and poetry slams. Crowds strolling, spending. Beautiful gardens and brick buildings up the side streets, churches everywhere, some from Harlem's beginnings, some new. And yes, burnt-out boarded-up shells, projects, and crack houses, too. And a women's basketball game (NO I didn't even try; I'd have been creamed) and a milliner's shop with the milliner sitting in the window, making hats. The book I'm working on now (to come out in 2005, don't hold your breath) involves Harlem, so I got to spend the day there and call it research. I only write about what interests me, so all my research is just an excuse to do what I wanted to do anyway. After the book fair, to Ollie's for soy sauce chicken, dry-fried string beans and steamed little juicy buns. Then the Pansori. Tune in later in the week for a report on that, including what it is.