by steph8373

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to attend and photograph the book signing for The L Word: Welcome To Our Planet at Book Soup in West Hollywood. I should have known when I attempted to park my car an hour before the event that I was going to be in for a very interesting evening. As I drove past the store the first time, I was amazed to see the line of 180 ticket-holders wrapping around the block in one direction, and awed to see hundreds more hopeful fans snaking around the block in the other direction. About fifteen minutes later, after hiking a half mile from my parking space to the store, I smiled as I realized that the lines had continued to grow, and were filled with an electricity that I hadn't experienced since attending the filming of Ellen's "The Puppy Episode" almost nine years earlier.

Once inside Book Soup's "Addendum", where the event was being held, I found that Ilene Chaiken, Leisha Hailey, and Mia Kirschner were in attendance as promised. While Laurel Holloman, Kate Moennig, and Pam Grier were all unable to be there as originally announced, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Rachel Shelley had agreed to step in. Shortly after the 5:00 p.m. scheduled start, the doors opened and expectant fans waited more or less patiently for their chance to meet the ladies. About fifteen minutes after the event started, the entire room was stunned when Alexandra Hedison walked in through the back entrance of the store looking for a copy of the book. Although she was not on the list or scheduled to appear, she didn't give a second thought to joining the autograph extravaganza when someone pulled up a chair for her.

As expected, all of the women were tight-lipped about what the future holds for the characters and relationships through the end of Season 3 and into Season 4. Ilene Chaiken was asked several times whether Bette and Tina would get back together, and repeatedly stated that she couldn't make any promises that they would reunite, but also didn't rule out the possibility. When asked if Dana's death had really been a dream, as has been rumored recently, Leisha Hailey simply responded that "I can't answer that!" with a shrug and one of her trademark grins.

Not surprisingly, these women were just as beautiful in person as on television. I was very happy to see that their beauty extended inward, as they displayed remarkable patience, compassion and humanity as hundreds of star-struck fans showered them with praise and gratitude, expressed, how the show had changed their lives, presented them with gifts, and snapped away pictures on their cell phones. Although the event was scheduled for only ninety minutes, all five ladies graciously agreed to stay until everyone's book had been signed. When I finally left at 8:00 p.m., almost three hours after the doors opened, they were still signing away, with the end of the line just creeping into view.

The book signing was a truly amazing glimpse at the impact The L Word has had on the lives of hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds, including the cast members present for the event. I feel very privileged to have witnessed the interactions of fans, cast, and executive producer even for such a brief time, and look forward to many more seasons of The L Word bringing our community closer together.

Click Here for LA Book Signing Pictures