Sophie Tucker, the Magic Cat

My cat's a magician. She made her bed disappear.

Random Observations from Lynn Crawford

Chivalry isn't dead, says my friend Lynn. That's nice to know, isn't it? Check out Lynn's blog post and be sure to look around while you're there - the tagline to her blog is Random thoughts on life through the eyes of a cynical observer.
She's very clever, though not nearly as cynical as I am.
Also, her posts are People Magazine-length, which I love!

Here's one to get you started:

After leaving a breathtaking and mostly perfect Aida at the Lyric, we jumped on the #20 bus to Michigan Avenue. The crowd at the bus stop was bigger than usual. The bus, which is usually empty, was packed. The crowd on the curb waiting for the bus were geezers with Aida programs. The packed masses on the bus were 20 somethings from all races, ethnic groups and fashion groups. Some were coming from the Hawks game, some probably from work or other activities.

Read the rest of the article

Women's Fiction - Top Shelf or Bottom?

If someone asks what I write I tell them contemporary fiction. If you ask my publisher I'm pretty sure they classify it as women's fiction. Is there a difference and what does that mean? Does the term women's fiction mean it's less serious? Or does it simply mean that men are not the targeted audience?
I know my book What More Could You Wish For is not one a man would pick up off the shelf - the cover's all pastel-y and light, kind of fluffy, and certainly doesn't denote any car chases or intrigue or high body counts.
I've heard from a few men who read it in its self-published version which had a more 'serious' cover (but an even less man-attracting title, Mr. Right-Enough) and they've all said that although it's not the kind of book they'd ordinarily read they couldn't put it down. Nice reviews, all, but how do I get men to read my book if they're not related to me? Maybe I could provide them with a fake cover wrap with an AK-47 on it so they wouldn't be embarrassed to read it on the CTA.

Interesting article in the New York Times about women's fiction.

The Second Shelf
On the Rules of Literary Fiction for Men and Women 

By MEG WOLITZER
Published: March 30, 2012

If “The Marriage Plot,” by Jeffrey Eugenides, had been written by a woman yet still had the same title and wedding ring on its cover, would it have received a great deal of serious literary attention? Or would this novel (which I loved) have been relegated to “Women’s Fiction,” that close-quartered lower shelf where books emphasizing relationships and the interior lives of women are often relegated? Certainly “The Marriage Plot,” Eugenides’s first novel since his Pulitzer Prize-winning “Middlesex,” was poised to receive tremendous literary interest regardless of subject matter, but the presence of a female protagonist, the gracefulness, the sometimes nostalgic tone and the relationship-heavy nature of the book only highlight the fact that many first-rate books by women and about women’s lives never find a way to escape “Women’s Fiction” and make the leap onto the upper shelf where certain books, most of them written by men (and, yes, some women — more about them later), are prominently displayed and admired. 

Read the rest of the article.

Dear 30-somethings...

Dear 30-somethings (and 20-somethings and even 40-somethings), revel in it now because it's not going to last forever; the thick, lustrous hair, the firm butt, the dewy skin (free of age spots), the jaw line you can bounce a quarter off of, the flat stomach...ah, the list goes on. Appreciate it, even if you hate the way you look because you're never going to look better than you do right now. Oh, you might lose weight, you might build muscle, you might learn how to dress better, but the bottom line is when you're my age you're going to look at pictures from now and say, "Wow, I was cute. Why didn't I know that?"
So my question is, why didn't my mother tell me this? And if she had would it have helped or hurt? Once she told me she never felt old inside her head, but she never talked about the physicality of getting old. Maybe it didn't bother her. Can that possibly be? Did her generation simply accept it? I never heard her and my aunts commiserating about their sagging jowls and thinning hair, or feeling bad that men didn't pay attention to them any more. But I have to say, ALL my girlfriends talk about it. We obsess over it, fixate on it, get depressed about it, and we look waaaaaaaaaaay better than our moms did at our age. What's up with that? Did we think we were going to look young forever?
(Yes.)
What will GenX, GenY and the millennials expect? Do they think they're going to find the fountain of youth before they get here? Thing is, they probably will. Well, all I can say is, get on it - I'm not getting any younger here.

Cascabel at Lookingglass Theatre - Theatre Review

Cascabel is a fantastic show at Lookingglass, a theatre group that does amazing, creative, out of the ordinary work. This production gives new meaning to the term 'dinner theater.' This is not your grandma's dinner theater with an iceberg lettuce salad and mostacciolli or fried chicken. This is food from Rick Bayless. He's cooking (right) as you're seated at long communal tables set up in front of the stage. The food is part of the story, almost a character in the play, as Bayless plays the cook who tries to win the heart of the boarding house owner.
This show is Cirque du Soleil crossed with Top Chef and Dancing With the Stars. We knew Bayless could cook but who knew he could act? And dance. He's a very elegant man (and looks much younger in person than he does on TV) with some graceful moves on the dance floor. He doesn't do any of the amazing acrobatics and high-wire stuff, but he does a beautiful Salsa (below). 
The tickets are pricey but it's an event you don't want to miss if you're into theater and food. And what a great combo when it's done right.

Never Argue With a Woman Who Reads

One morning, the husband returns the boat to their lakeside cottage after several hours of fishing and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, puts her feet up, and begins to read her book. The peace and solitude are magnificent. 

Along comes a fish and game warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, "Good morning, ma'am. What are you doing?" 

"Reading a book," she replies, thinking, isn't that obvious? 

"You're in a restricted fishing area," he informs her. 

"I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading." 

"Yes, but I see you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment. I'll have to take you in and write you up." 

"If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault," says the woman. 

"But I haven't even touched you," says the game warden. 

"That's true," says the woman, "but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment." 

"Have a nice day ma'am," he says and leaves. 

MORAL:  Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think. 

Robocalling/Telemarketing - What's the Difference?

Thank god the primary is tomorrow. I'm fed up with the robocalls and political crap-mail. I've never received so much. Ever. Probably not even if you tallied up every political call/political mail I've ever received in my lifetime.
Why, do you think? Why this year?
And why don't political calls count as telemarketing? I suppose because they're not asking for money but really, legislators need to rethink this. ADD THEM TO THE DO NOT CALL REGISTRY.
I've only voted in one primary in my whole life. The reason? I don't like having to declare a party. I virtuously consider myself an independent. And with pride I would tell you that I actually voted for a Republican for president. Once. I won't tell you who because it's so embarrassing.
That aside, I'm open to being impressed by a Republican. Really. I am. Thing is, the chances of that are so slim. Particularly this year because, truly, is there a candidate who turns you people on? 
Rick Santorum? Please. With all his talk of Satan...can you take him seriously?
Mitt Romney?  He's cute. And I'm all for cute but is he cute enough to be president? I'm thinking not.
Newt? Well, there's no cuteness factor there. He's smart and that's a good thing, but does he have a shot in hell?
I may or may not vote tomorrow. I actually did download the ballot so there's  a possibility. And I'm an independent, of course, so it may be a last minute decision which ballot to ask for. Oh, oops...did I forget to download the Republican ballot?