Friday, October 11, 2002 posted by Jen at 10/11/2002 10:52:00 AM
Home again, home again -- for three whopping days. I'm doing laundry. Lots and lots of laundry. And trying to convince Wendell that I really do love him, even though I keep leaving for weeks at a time.
Lots to report. The People piece is out -- in the brand-new issue with SEXY AT ANY SIZE on the cover (yahoo!). And the review is just wonderful, and the picture is just huge and, as I predicted, Wendell (identified in the caption as my "pal" -- and boy is he pissed about that) looks adorable and fetching, and I look a little tired and somewhat dubious about the whole enterprise. But no complaints. It's a wonderful, beautifully written review that I think really captures the heart of what IN HER SHOES is all about. (Here's another really sharp review -- hooray for Buffalo!)
My mother unveiled a slim and elegant gold-plated pillbox at breakfast after my New York City book party. "That's really beautiful," I said. My Nanna sniffed. "I got it for her," she announced, "after I read your email about the tinfoil."
"Busted!" I said to my mother.
"Jenny, cut that out!" she said to me.
Then it was off to Boston, where I had two really great readings -- one in Cambridge, one in Framingham. Then Chicago, where Amy Lester, who writes a very cool online journal, and Leslie Stella, who wrote the very funny FAT BALD JEFF, came to my Winnetka reading. And Cincinnati, where I sort of lost it.
What do I hate most in the world? Prejudice and unkind people, plus the fact that CBS is running The Amazing Race at the exact same time as ABC is airing The Bachelor. But the thing I hate most at readings -- or during interviews -- is when the person doing the interviewing or the introducing doesn't take the time to figure out that My Stupid Last Name is Not Pronounced Exactly the Way it is Spelled. It's especially irksome since the name is spelled out phonetically, in nice big letters, on all of the press materials that interviewers and bookstores get way ahead of time -- or when I've introduced myself as Jennifer Wyner.
It's not a big deal in my normal life, and I've certainly been called worse things that Jennifer Weener, but when you've been on the road for close to two weeks, when you're exhausted and disoriented and feeling like you can't even get the bookstore personnel to pay attention to you long enough to show you where the reading's supposed to be, the words "Please join us in welcoming Jennifer Weener" are not exactly going to bring joy to your heart.
"It's Wyner," I growled at the hapless book lady.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," she gasped.
I felt badly about it later -- in fact, I felt badly about it about five minutes after the reading started -- but at the time I just felt like laying my head down on the reading table and banging it softly for a few minutes.
So that's what's up, and now I'm off to catch up on a week and a half's missed viewing. We got Sopranos, we got Amazing Race, we got the Victoria's Secret video I'm writing about for TV Guide.
Monday, October 07, 2002 posted by Jen at 10/07/2002 10:03:00 AM
Greetings from Chicago!
The tour's going great so far....fabulous readings, wonderful crowds, one slightly addled public-access TV host who called me "Deborah" (hey -- it's a nice name!), and a book party that was an absolute blast, featuring shoe-shaped cookies, a small blue dog (seriously!) and Vogue and Kenneth Cole staffers in tee shirts that read "Shoe Whore" (I spent large portions of the evening hoping my Nanna wouldn't get close enough to see them).
I love meeting you guys at the readings. I'm thrilled at how many of you really liked GOOD IN BED, and are eager to read IN HER SHOES. And, really, I'm astonished when people come up to tell me that they like the weblog. There's still a part of me that believes that nobody reads this but my family members -- and some days, not even them. So thanks to everyone who come, who read, who asked good questions, who said nice things.
So I'm trying to work on -- or at least think about -- my next book. And I picked up two freelance writing assignments along the way. I'm writing a tour diary for Philadelphia magazine, which will run in the January issue. And I'm doing a 300-word piece on the Victoria's Secret fashion show for TV Guide, which will run in early November.
The only trouble -- I miss Wendell. And then there's all of the fine, fine reality TV I'm missing, too. No Amazing Race (Adam joined me Friday, tape in hand, but we haven't been in a hotel with a VCR in the room yet). No Bachelor. I haven't seen Survivor once, and am depending on the Television Without Pity recaps to get me through. Oh, and this article about Sorority Life. The sisters of SAEPi are pissed!
So I'm in Winnetka tonight, at the Borders on State Street tomorrow, at the Joseph-Beth in Cincinnati on Wednesday and -- this is exciting -- doing a spoken word performance in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 20 at Spoken Interludes. The event's at the Tempest Supper Club (7323 Santa Monica Boulevard at 6:30 p.m..). It's dinner and a reading -- from me, plus Ann Packer, Whitley Strieber and more -- will run you a mere $25 bucks. Should be fun. See you soon!
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Welcome to A Moment of Jen, author Jennifer Weiner's constantly-updated take on books, baby, and news of the world. Email me at jen (a) jenniferweiner.com.
