Stephenie Meyer Twilight Signing in NYC

On 44th Street in New York City today, right down the street from where Daniel Radcliffe is shedding Harry Potter’s robes (literally) in Equus, Stephenie Meyer is preparing to take over the mantle with her Twilight series, speaking and signing tonight at the Nokia Theater to a sold-out crowd of 2100 screaming fans that are already waiting on line as I type this, all in preparation for the midnight launch of book four in the series, Breaking Dawn.

I was on the subway this morning, and I saw a group of young women wearing "Team Cullen" shirts, and asked what they were doing for the launch of the book, and they told me about the event tonight. Of course, it was long sold out– four minutes to sell them all, according to the ticket guy there– and people were alreadly lining up in the early afternoon, in 90 degree heat and wearing all sorts of homemade fan apparel, to get the best seats. It reminded me of the lines for the fourth Harry Potter book, before the first movie came out, before it really got big.

More photos after the jump.