Josh Sundquist has written a sharp, funny memoir without an ounce of self-pity about how the fear of rejection can be far more crippling than any diseJosh Sundquist has written a sharp, funny memoir without an ounce of self-pity about how the fear of rejection can be far more crippling than any disease. This book is a hilarious, heartfelt reminder that worthiness is something we're born with—not bestowed on us by others—and that finding the courage to accept love is an inside job....more
Great, quick read on screenwriting basics. There are certainly pros and cons to this formulaic approach, but as Snyder says (and I paraphrase) if you'Great, quick read on screenwriting basics. There are certainly pros and cons to this formulaic approach, but as Snyder says (and I paraphrase) if you're going to break the rules at least know what the rules are. Also, helpful is understanding that Snyder's career was about getting the most money possible for a screenplay, not necessarily making deep, meaningful movies. He sold lots of scripts on spec that were never produced and made a great deal of money doing it. A good counterpoint to this book is this recent Slate.com piece "Save the Movie!"
This book is a fantastic collection of essays about what it means to create a family in the modern age. Sweeney is a writer of great talent whose poinThis book is a fantastic collection of essays about what it means to create a family in the modern age. Sweeney is a writer of great talent whose pointed observations about Hummer-sized baby strollers, and her neighborhood "Nemesis" will make you laugh almost as hard as you cry when you read the heartbreaking, poetic chapter about the loss of her brother Bill. I read this entire book out loud to my boyfriend, and there were moments when I had to stop because I was laughing too hard (the chapter where her daughter Mulan, learns about sex at age 9), or couldn't breathe (the incredibly emotional interview with her 85-year-old mother-in-law who talks about the nightmare challenge of terminating a pregnancy in the 1950s.) Sweeney is a wordsmith of the finest order whose insights are never sharper than when she turns the sword of her own pen upon herself. What flows out is pure warmth, and a rare grace that truly makes these essays "personal."...more
I kept laughing out loud in public places and having to put this book away to avoid mortal embarrassment. Not since David Sedaris' Naked has a book maI kept laughing out loud in public places and having to put this book away to avoid mortal embarrassment. Not since David Sedaris' Naked has a book made me laugh this hard, this consistently. Everything I love about a girl from the rural South, turned up to eleven. Smart, incisive, vulnerable--Jenny Lawson brings the heart to her zany, scorpion-laden observations. As Truvy said in Steel Magnolias, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."...more