I'm giving away books again and this is one you're gonna wanna get. Written by the hilarious Gina Barreca, author of Babes in Boyland, They Used to Call Me Snow White, but I Drifted and I'm With Stupid, It's Not That I'm Bitter or How I Learned to Stpp Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World (St. Martin's Press) is a collection of "deliciously quotable essays" that relate to women, especially those who've reached the ripe old age of 40 and above.
So what's it about?
Well, this professor of English and Feminist Theory writes sharply, wittily and intelligently about chin hair and tweezers; the reason every woman believes she's crazy; the possibility that the glass ceiling may just be a thick layer of men; why there's no King Charming; how bras don't ever fit and why are ther no tutus in XL.
And don't you love the reference to Dr. Strangelove in the title.
Above all: Barreca's book will make you laugh at yourself and the world. The book is getting raves from places that matter like Publisher's Weekly:
on Being a Woman' will find humor along with serious insights about
women and aging in Barreca's latest challenge to women to 'stop
obsessing over hymens, husbands, and hangnails and once again direct
our attention outward to the larger issues of… the creation of
genuinely significant opportunities for women in all workplaces.'
And Booklist Review:
"While some may debate whether Barecca's collection of short essays
are painfully funny or humorously painful, many will agree these
eminently readable pieces will have people laughing out loud, then
sighing thoughtfully. Her observations as a 50-ish woman focus on
life's sexual inequities: 'If women had tufts growing from our noses
and ears, men would bring exorcists to the house…Professionals to
drive the evil spirits from our bodies.' And on the subject of age:
'Once we hit forty, women have only about four taste buds left: one for
vodka, one for wine, one for cheese, and one for chocolate."
Send an email to me: louise_crawford AT yahoo DOT com with your name and address if you want a book.
I read the book the day it came out–a must read for women of all ages, and especially for teenage girls who want to avoid the perils Barreca so wittily describes. A great graduation gift!