In my library: B. Smith

You hear about actresses being discovered at a lunch counter or restaurant — but rare is the restaurateur who lands a part that way. Nevertheless, that’s how B. Smith joined the cast of “Love, Loss, and What I Wore.” At one of the off-Broadway show’s cast parties at her eponymous 46th Street restaurant, the bubbly owner, cookbook author and lifestyle guru (TV’s long-running “B. Smith with Style”) gave producer Daryl Roth a thank-you bottle of wine. Roth, in turn, invited her to join the show.

So what’s with the initial? Smith says it harkens back to her modeling days, when she called bookers for work: “I started with, ‘Hi, it’s Barbara Smith. Do you have anything for me?’ and finally went to, ‘B. Smith. What have you got?’ B. was perfect — easy, no drama.” Here’s what’s in her library.

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B. Smith

— by Barbara Hoffman

Love, Loss, and What I Wore

by Ilene Beckerman

This book really is about clothing that makes you happy, clothing that makes you sad. It reminded me how, growing up, we never wore blue jeans to school. I told my friends, “Let’s wear blue jeans to school on Wednesday.” That day, I did — and I was the only one who wore them and got sent home. I knew then I’d be wearing blue jeans all my life.

A Life in Motion: A Memoir

by Florence Howe

Florence was a founder of the Feminist Press and an incredible woman, a Caucasian who fought for civil rights. When I opened my first restaurant in 1986, she came in and asked to hold a fundraiser there. I gave her a price, but she said she couldn’t afford it. Then she gave me a stack of books. I read some, then called her and said I could do an after-theater pastry party for her. She’s one of my heroes.

Maya Angelou: Poems

I’ve met Maya Angelou — she was on my TV show twice and sometimes comes to our restaurant in DC. She’s a national treasure! I can open this book up to any page, and there’s always something that makes me think, feel good or cry. I love her poem, “Phenomenal Woman”: It’s so strong and forceful and empowering.

Think and Grow Rich

by Napoleon Hill

I came to New York in the early ’70s. I was taking classes, trying to be a model, and I wanted to be great, not good, at what I did. Then I found this. It’s not just about money, but personal development and understanding the world you’re in. The thoughts I came to New York with were a young woman’s thoughts. I had to realize how to manage myself and my life.