Jesus Christ, Cooper Star

By Scotty C. the Intern

The Barnes & Noble on Union Square in Manhattan was the hot place to be last night. And by hot we mean sticky, cramped and uncomfortable.
As the standing-room-only crowd of over 400 waited for Anderson Cooper, author of Dispatches From the Edge, to appear, no one seemed to complain about the heat or the tight gathering. While most chatter seemed to center around Cooper’s looks, the anchor/author set out to show he’s more than just a pretty face.
Once the crowd quieted down, Cooper—suffering from the flu—stated, “This is totally surreal and it has nothing to do with Ann Coulter staring at me with her arms crossed,” referring to the cover of Coulter’s new book, Godless.
He then went on to explain why he does the assignments for which he’s known, such as his ground-breaking reporting in New Orleans post-Katrina. (Living through hurricanes myself in South Florida the past couple of years, Cooper’s testimony was particularly resonant). “I feel a responsibility to carry these people’s stories and to tell them,” said Cooper, and you realized it’s about more than just camera time for the CNN star.
The Q&A session had to be cut out of the program due to Cooper’s illness, and he needed extra time to sign the stack of books laid before him by adoring fans of both sexes.