Cory Leadbeater had just applied for a position as a personal assistant to famed author Joan Didion. He didn’t know it would turn into an eight-year friendship that would be life-affirming.

Cory hailed from a lower-middle-class family in Jersey City. His relationship with his father can be aptly described as night and day. There were times when Cory accompanied him to his job and enjoyed every second with him. But then there were days when Cory was the target of his abuse. The relationship between them would leave a lasting impact on Cory’s mindset in the coming years.

"Cory Leadbeater’s prose is evocative of a seasoned scribe. His story is touching but also inspiring as the reader follows his emotional journey of self-discovery. This outstanding memoir merits a large audience."

Cory’s life consisted of contrasting highs and lows, coupling the great news with the tragic. When he learned about the job with Joan, his father was facing heavy jail time for committing mortgage fraud. Cory’s family was in grave financial peril due to his father’s legal problems. The personal assistant position gave Cory some monetary relief as Joan provided a room in her Manhattan apartment for Cory to stay in along with a decent salary. Their instantaneous rapport cemented his employment and began their friendship.

As a personal assistant, Cory’s duties included putting order into Joan’s chaotic professional and personal life. He also would organize her social calendar and take care of her shopping and meal ordering. Joan was a renowned author of both fiction and nonfiction works and was still sought after for her wit and charm in her golden years. Cory and Joan often would discuss literature and music over a cocktail. Despite these good times, the frustrations of life niggled at Cory and led him to heavy drinking and depression. An obsession with death while denying the best of life nearly consumed him.

Cory had questioned times in his past and whether he was living a real or pretend reality. A character of his own creation began to stalk his waking moments. His inability to reconcile death with life and repair a broken relationship with his dad further brought him to the brink. Yet the loving relationships he had with his future wife, Liz; his mother; Joan; and his friends provided the impetus to keep going.

THE UPTOWN LOCAL is a story not only of friendship but also about a man learning to break free from his past and his inner demons. The crux of this often poignant account takes place during the nearly decade-long period when Cory worked with and befriended Joan Didion. At the beginning of their relationship, he is a burgeoning writer clamoring to share his words with the world. The exasperation that he experiences as a struggling author is palpable with every rejection. Joan becomes an almost surrogate mother to Cory and provides constant encouragement and constructive criticism.

Cory Leadbeater’s prose is evocative of a seasoned scribe. His story is touching but also inspiring as the reader follows his emotional journey of self-discovery. This outstanding memoir merits a large audience.