Newsday from New York, New York • 209

I' -Wy--- the isle G3 divergent paths to publication sixth grade Later entries take her through Hampshire College and heavy drug use up to age 25 She wrote similar entry-update segments as a columnist for Vice a Brooklyn-based magazine that also published her book (Sevigny became a friend after becoming a fan of the column Arfin says) What is Vice? hipster says Rotter not cool enough to read But when he was mentioned in Arfin's column a few times a friend alerted him he says He enjoyed her column he says I took a completely different A film buff from childhood he graduated from the University of Southern California's film school in 2000 and became a writer's assistant on X-Files" When that show ended he became a personal assistant to the show's creator Chris Carter a Job he still has Though been writing scripts in the action-mystery-thriller genres he yet gotten his big break he says But he did have an idea for gag gift books for kids he says and acquired a book agent That idea pan out but then Rotter a music too was inspired by a Sean Combs lyric he says: worry if I write rhymes I write from the 2001 Boy for Life" thought what if this short little Jewish guy from Long Island was writing the says Rotter who is short (5-5) but seems not at all as hapless as his hero Wally maybe a little crazier than me but not 1 MINTZ BY AILEEN JACOBSON aileenjacobsonnewsdaycoin When they were youngsters Gabe Rotter and Lesley Arfin were best friends running around the neighborhood with a pack of other kids in The Woodlands a condominium complex in Woodbury where they both lived "We were really really dose We lived about 100 yards from each Rotter now 29 says at a Manhattan coffee shop during a recent visit from Los Angeles where he now lives 1 can just remember from the time I was able to walk and talk I thought he was the coolest ldd ever He was my best says Arfin 28 during a break from her job aHng reservations at Maritime HotcL Was the only girl in the crew and he took me under his whig He was the leader of the neighborhood By the time they got to Syosset High School they'd drifted into separate cliques both say and eventually lost touch But then soon after they found each other again on the Internet about a year ago they discovered they were both working on their first book each quirky in its own way And that their books were to be published within months of each other Duck a satirical novel published on Aug 14 by Simon Schuster is the more mainstream of the two but only by comparison Its hero Wally Moscowitz describes himself as a who incongruously makes his living ghostwriting music for the hottest gangsta rapper of the moment Following a mishap in a public urinal (sorry cant go into details here) Wally finds himself in grave danger the first sign of which is the kidnapping of his English bulldog named Doctor Barry Schwartzman Inter- that he says a fairly high-anxicty kind of guy" who obsesses about things like germs and as docs Wally His book is being considered for a film he adds Rotter remembers sending an e-mail to Arfin first and Arfin recalls finding Rotter's MySpace page about a year ago and sending him a message but however it started they reconnected fast and were soon instant-messaging each other daily (Their relationship was never romantic both say and still Rotter is married and Arfin has a boyfriend) he said he was writing a book I couldn't believe Arfin says was a crazy When Rotter returned to New York several weeks ago they met for dinner and saw each other for the first time since high school so Arfin says "We instantly were just friends again I just adore had a great time We sat there for Rotter says Arfin later attended his Manhattan book signing and book party where both saw lots of other old friends was always a very creative motivated she says knew he would do something great something cnoL He also helped her with advice as she wrote her book she uys Not surprisingly each is a fan of the other's book And each is a fan of Long Island or at least of having grown up on Long Island would never move back there but it holds a special place in my Arfin uys I write fiction it always takes place on Long Island no place like it as far as Rotter rule moving back sometime in the future: love Long he uys Island did so much for me It informed my personality a badge I wear proudly in Los 1 i NtWSOAV PHOTO Ml Lesley Arfin and Gabe Rotter who grew up together in the Woodbury condo complex have both had their first books first books same published a lock cm it to prefect a top-secret look a collection of entries from real diary starting at age 1L The entries are followed by such as discussions of the significance of French kissing or recent interviews with former girlfriends asking why they had turned mean to her in spersed are selections from writing project an X-rated children's Diary" came out in June: a small hardcover with an introduction by actress ChloE Sevigny titled I Love Dear The book has a flap with a photo of CHAPIN TRIBUTE Nearly three dozen LI singer-songwriters will salute Hairy Chapin at the third annual tribute to the late musidan-ectivist at 7 JO pun Monday at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow Attendees at the free show are asked to bring food for Long Island Cares and to contribute to World Hunger Year both founded by Chapin who died in a 1981 auto accident on ms way perform at the park Call 516-572-0200 or 51 572-0223 if weather threatens call 5I6-S7T after 7 pm Or view it live at helloworidLr i RODE ASIAN PHOTOS Award-winning photo journalist Audrey Running Topping has recorded rare glimpses of Bhutan and Vietnam and her work 'willbeondisplsy Tuesday through Sept 26 at Adelphi University's Rnth Harley University Center Gallery 1 South Ave Garden City Topping says she enhances some photos using own darkroom wnienfs my and leaves others In 2002 she was invited by the high lama ofa monastery in Bhutan to photogrurh a sacred dance festival and areas of the Kixdomoftne Thunder Dragoa In 2005 she revisited Vietnam She will speak at a free reception at 530 pun Sept 1L The exhibit open daily 9 ajn-9 pun is free call 516-877-4462 One of the photos in the Adelphi: a Bhutan lama in his costume.