| A Moment of Jen | |||
 Click here to read Chapter One (PDF) To watch me read from The Guy Not Taken, click here. posted by Jen at 5/04/2008 04:21:00 PM So there I was in Los Angeles, on a balmy Tuesday night. It was about seven o’clock. We’d gone out for sushi, and were waiting, as you do in L.A., for the valet to bring our car, enjoying the balmy evening, bouncing the baby in my arms, when a man with a video camera wandered over. “Hi, baby,” he said. “What’s her name?” “It’s Phoebe,” I said, bouncing her in my arms. The man flicked on the miniature floodlight attached to the body of the camera and pointed the lense at Phoebe’s face. “Hi, sweet thing,” he crooned. Phoebe gave him her biggest, gummiest grin as he asked questions: how old is she? Where’s she from? I answered, thinking, This is awfully strange. Probably he’s a tourist, but why would a tourist want video of a random baby? Then my assistant spoke up. “Are you from TMZ?” she asked the man with the camera. “This isn’t about you,” the man said with a friendly smile. “This is HER big moment.” Phoebe was enjoying her moment, smiling and giggling, and I was thinking, Is this weird? And exploitative? Is my kid going to wind up in therapy because I let TMZ tape her? Then a car pulled up, a door opened, a long, high-heel shod leg poked out, and the cameraman and about a half-dozen of his brethren took off at a sprint down the street, cameras poised and lights glaring, to catch a glimpse of…Tia Carrerre. At which point my thoughts switched instantly from This may be exploitation to Hey, get back here you fickle bastards! Tia Carrerre! Come on! If you’re going to blow off my baby, at least do for Lindsay or Britney! Hmph. In spite of my paparazzi moment, I had a wonderful time on the West Coast. Hung out with the family. Took a few meetings. Had a wonderful reading in Santa Monica, attended by both of my brothers and fabulous Left Coast novelists Liza Palmer, Megan Crane, Julie Buxbaum and Bill Folman, whose first book is coming out soon (so of course I gave him the “Do not check your Amazon rankings every ten minutes, you will drive yourself mad!” speech). Starting Monday I’m going to be answering questions about CERTAIN GIRLS and anything else on people’s minds over at Goodreads. I hope you’ll log in and join me there. In unhappier news: a few months back I was asked, along with big-name, prize-winning, best-selling writers Susan Choi, Laura Hillenbrand, Sara Gruen, Jane Smiley, to judge an essay contest for Glamour Magazine. All of the finalists were impressive: closely observed and wonderfully written. Some of them were heartbreaking. Our winner, Andrea Coller, turned in a sharp, irreverent, moving, mordantly funny piece about getting a cancer diagnosis in her twenties. It could have been sappy, or saccharine, full of all of the typical life lessons you can find in cancer memoirs by the dozen…but it wasn’t. It was bitter and black and bracing as a double espresso, the no-holds-barred story of a woman who’d gotten hit with something she didn’t deserve and was furious, and furiously funny, in the face of it. Waking up with a hospital with a breathing tube down her throat, Coller was given a board with words so that she can communicate…and she looks at it, thinking, This will never work. Where’s vodka? Where’s Starbucks? Andrea Coller died last week. She was twenty-nine. I was shocked and saddened, as I imagine the other judges were, to get the news. It’s always a tragedy when someone dies so young. In Coller’s case, you can’t help but wonder how she might have honed her voice and used her gifts, and what kind of stories she might have gone on to tell if she’d had more time. You can read an interview with Andrea here...and the June issue of Glamour hits the stands this week. I hope you’ll pick it up and read her essay for yourself. | # Wednesday, April 23, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/23/2008 11:12:00 PM Attention Philadelphians: I'm going to be on The Michael Smerconish Show Thursday morning around 8am. If you're not in the area, it looks like there's a link on the website to listen live. | # Monday, April 21, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/21/2008 08:20:00 PM In case you missed it, click here to see me on the CBS Early Show today. In addition, as promised, here is the podcast of my recent event at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Salty! | # Wednesday, April 16, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/16/2008 12:44:00 PM The Free Library event on Sunday was so much fun...and, if you missed it, or if you don't live in Philadelphia, the library has promised that they'll put it up as a podcast. With an "explicit" label. Because I am salty, bawdy AND earthy, and that's just how I roll. Download, and hear me talk about the Jew thing, balancing work and motherhood, and why you should never try to breast-feed in a sweater dress. In other news, the expurgated, chumetz-free version of me will be on the CBS Early Show this Monday morning in the 8:30 hour. Finally, from today's Hollywood Reporter: Jennifer Weiner inks deal with ABC By Nellie Andreeva April 15, 2008 Best-selling novelist Jennifer Weiner has inked a two-year overall deal with ABC Studios.Under the seven-figure pact, she will create and executive produce series projects for the studio.Several of Weiner's books have made the transition to the big screen. "In Her Shoes" was made into a 2005 feature starring Cameron Diaz. "Little Earthquakes" is in development at Universal, while her short story "The Guy Not Taken" is in the works at DreamWorks. Her next novel, "Certain Girls," the sequel to her breakout debut "Good in Bed," was released this month." "Jennifer's work is loved by legions of fans," ABC Studios president Mark Pedowitz said. "Millions have read her books, seen the film and will soon have another source to enjoy her humor and heart on television." Weiner, who has no TV experience, is an interesting choice for an overall deal in the post-strike environment where such pacts are scarce. During the work stoppage, ABC Studios shed about 30 overall pacts with writer-producers. However, the deal with Weiner comes on the heels of ABC Studios' successful collaboration with another popular "chick lit" author, Cecelia Ahern. In fall 2006, Ahern sold her show idea to the studio, which paired her with veteran TV producer Don Todd for what became ABC's breakout freshman comedy "Smanatha Who?" Weiner is similarly expected to team with experienced TV writer-producers. "I'm excited about having a new canvas for my storytelling," Weiner said. Weiner's deal, which was finalized before the strike, was handled by Benderspink and attorney Don Walerstein. The only tiny issue I'd take with the story is the whole "no TV experience" thing. I mean, does anybody watch more TV than I do? Can anybody spend as much time parsing the ins, the outs, the implants and the eyeliner of "Rock of Love?" Did anybody else watch four entire cycles of "America's Next Top Model," all of "Ugly Betty" AND three seasons of "Lost" during one week of bed rest? Didn't think so. Basically, what the deal means is that I'll come up with ideas, and help steer the ship should any of the ideas turn into a TV show. I hope that the shows will have some of the same voice and sensibility and non-size-zero characters as my books...and yes, I'll still be writing books. | # Wednesday, April 09, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/09/2008 09:46:00 PM You ask, you get! I’ve added a reading at the Santa Monica Barnes & Noble on Thursday, May 1. Details to come, but I hope to see lots of you Left Coasters there. I’ve had two wonderful readings, in NYC and Philadelphia, with lots of friends and friendly faces. My friend Kim came with her kids, along with regulars at my husband’s blog Matt and Jon and Gretchen Former Philly homegirl/author Karen Abbott stopped by, and so did Tiffany Green, who was in “Hairspray,” and a book club from Hamden, Connecticut, and my mother’s friend Doey’s daughter Sara. There were Facebook friends and MySpace friends and tonight, I think almost everyone I know in Philadelphia came to St. Peter’s School tonight. Last night, after the New York event, I went to the now-traditional publication-day dinner at a super-fancy restaurant, which was the subject of much griping. “I don’t like this place,” my publicist confided. “You order the scallop appetizer, and it’s a scallop. I’m going to order FIVE appetizers so I can get FIVE scallops,” she said, as my lovely editor (the one with the credit card) blanched. We got there and studied the menu, which offered were two choices: a three-course prix fixe or a five-course prix fixe. We asked if we could order dishes for the table to share. The waiter gave a five-minute soliloquy that basically amounted to, “No, you cannot.” “Do you have any specials?” my publicist asked. “Everything on the menu is special,” said the waiter. My publicist gave him a look of, “Dude, I spin for a living and even I am not buying that.” “We do have some lobster,” the waiter admitted. “And some caviar.” My publicist closed her menu. “I’ll have lobster coated in caviar,” she said. My editor gulped. My publicist relented and ordered the Kobe beef instead. Wine was ordered. There were toasts. The single scallops arrived and were promptly devoured. Then the publishing people spent the rest of the meal engaged in high-level publishing gossip about which editor inherited which high-profile project, and my publicist and I talking about our mutual obsession with “Rock of Love.” “Would you do Bret Michaels?” she asked. I told her that I would not, because it would be, at this point, akin to licking a Petri dish, and that also his hair frightens me. “I’d do him,” she said dreamily. “I think he’s hot.” I told her that I watch the show mostly because I’m fascinated by the contestants, who I described to my friend Joyce, and the audience last night, thusly: Imagine the skankiest skank in the world. Then marinate her in puke, soak her in vodka, roll her in hair extensions and fake eyelashes, and you have the “Rock of Love” ladies. We agreed that Daisy would win, because Bret likes the crazy. We agreed that we can’t figure out exactly what 37-year-old Ambre is doing on the show, because she seems mostly normal and employed. Then we started singing “Every Rose Has Its Thorns,” much to the amusement of the table full of businessmen behind us. Thanks so much to everyone who’s come out so far, and to everyone who's bought the book. I hope to see more Philly folk at the Free Library at 4 p.m. this Sunday, and in California on May 1. And for those who can’t make it to a reading and have Sirius Radio, tomorrow night I’ll be on Candace Bushnell’s radio show live at 6 p.m.. Enjoy! | # Sunday, April 06, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/06/2008 10:57:00 PM 7 p.m., Thursday: My assistant Meghan, sister Molly and I load our luggage, car snacks, baby gear and baby Phoebe into a very large, publisher-provided SUV for the trip to Manhattan. 9 a.m., Friday: Hair, makeup, then back into the SUV which whisks me off to the New York One studios in Chelsea. “How do you like to be chironed?” asks my publicist. “Oh, you know, the regular way people like to be chironed. Gently at first, and then with longer, firm…” Publicist cuts me off, explains that she was asking what I want the words that appear underneath me on-screen to read. I tell her I’ve never heard ‘chiron’ used as a verb before; we settle on “bestselling author Jennifer Weiner.” 10:30: Fox interview. To get into the Fox building, you present your ID to the security guard, then punch the floor you want to go to, then take the buttonless elevator to that floor. Then, if you’re me and my publicist, you get off the elevator, proceed down the hallway, and stand in front of a blank, locked door with no way in, feeling like a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses, minus the Watchtowers. 1:30: Podcast interview with the always-provocative Ed Champion. The problem with interviews in lit-land is that I don't want to talk about me; I just want to ask about Charles Bock and whether he actually had lines from his book tattooed on his body, and whether he got the tattoos before the book was sold, because how awkward would it have been if he got the tattoos and then the book didn't get published? Anyhow. Interview begins. Ed's asking way too many probing questions about my secret geek background and why there’s so much science fiction in CERTAIN GIRLS. “Ixnay on the eek-gay!” I mutter. “I’ve got a pink reputation to uphold here!” Ed obligingly changes the subject and asks whether ‘pumpkin,’ a word that’s used as a code between Cannie and Sam in the story, has any special meaning to me. “It’s my safe word,” I tell him. Ed blushes delightfully. Molly laughs. Baby just looks confused. 3 p.m.: Over to the Wall Street Journal for video interview with Jeffrey Trachtenberg, who wants to know if, given that I went to Princeton, I am miffed that my works are considered chick lit, not social satire. I tell him that I’m just happy anyone’s reading them at all, then repeat standard joke about Princeton: that when GOOD IN BED was published, I had vivid daydreams of all of my esteemed professors passing the book back and forth, shaking their heads and saying Good in Bed?...No, I don’t remember her at all. 4 p.m.: In the car and back on the turnpike, heading home to Philadelphia. Saturday After six books, I’ve found that it’s good to have a big, fun distraction right around publication time. Accordingly, I’ve scheduled Phoebe’s Hebrew naming ceremony for the Saturday before publication. My mother’s come in for the festivities, along with one of my LA-based brothers. Ceremony lovely; baby sleeps throughout, and by one o’clock, we’re back at the house with seventy of our nearest and dearest. There’s deli, designer cupcakes and Bloody Marys for the grownups, a blowup bouncy castle in the backyard for the five-and-under set (and, later, for my husband and his brother). 7 p.m.: Local ABC affiliate runs feature piece on me. 7:02: Feature piece begins with the phrase “Dumped by her boyfriend.” Hee. 7:03: Old, old footage of me and Molly on old ABC show! Unfortunate. 7:04: I really don’t think my readers should be chironed as “Weiner fans.” It just doesn’t look right. For that matter, neither does the phrase “talented Weiner” in a headline. I mean, it’s better than “awkward Weiner,” or “clumsy Weiner,” or whatever, but still. And that’s all for now. I’ll be on the 10! show here in Philadelphia on Tuesday morning, then the baby and I are going back to NYC for the reading Tuesday night, then back home for the St. Peter’s School event on Wednesday, then back to New York on Thursday night to tape Candace Bushnell’s radio show, then home again. I hope to see lots of you in New York and Philly. | # Wednesday, April 02, 2008 posted by Jen at 4/02/2008 02:05:00 PM We have now entered the point of pre-publication (six days and counting!) where there's nothing to do but sit around worrying. To pass the time, I like to torture myself by coming up with phrases I hope will never appear in reviews of my new book. Today's phrase? "Inexplicably popular." My daughter Lucy is obsessed with stories where bad things happen. Other kids might love tales of beautiful princesses, fire-breathing dragons, battles and castles and happily-ever-after. Lucy just wants stories where someone throws up or breaks a leg. Or throws up on a broken leg. Her absolute favorite? The Tale of the Broken Parking Meter. "Tell me about the time you got a parking ticket," she'll beg. "Oh please," I'll say. "Not that again." "Tell it! Tell it! Tellittellittellit!" "Okay. It was a Monday afternoon. We were driving to yoga. I saw a parking spot on the street, and I said..." "What a perfect parking spot!" "Right. So I parked the car, but when I got out to feed the meter, I saw that the meter was broken." "So then what did you do?" "I made a sign that said METER BROKEN, PLEASE DON'T TICKET and I put it underneath the windshield." Lucy starts chortling. "That was a big mistake!" "Right you are. So you went to yoga, and I went to the coffee shop, and when we got back to the car..." "There was a PARKING TICKET!" "Too true." "You should have put the sign on the METER, not on the CAR!" I don't know why she thinks this is so funny. I'm hoping it's some sort of developmental phase that she'll pass through quickly. I'm also amused that she's such a city kid that she A., takes yoga; B., is completely fluent in the language of parking meters and parking tickets, and C., can hail a taxi without thinking twice. When I was her age, I think I'd only ever seen taxis and parking meter on "Sesame Street." | # |
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