Interview: Susan Reinhardt

January Magazine contributing editor Mary Ward Menke chats with “Southern-fried Erma Bombeck” Susan Reinhardt, author of Dishing With the Kitchen Virgin, about the where the belle laughs now, the realities of Southern humor and the Pullitzer that nearly was. Says Menke:

Susan Reinhardt has been called “the Southern Belle’s answer to David Sedaris” and “a modern-day, Southern-fried Erma Bombeck or Dave Barry.”

An award-winning syndicated humor columnist and author of three books -- Not Tonight, Honey: Wait ‘til I’m a Size 6 (2005); Don’t Sleep With a Bubba Unless Your Eggs are in Wheelchairs (2007); and Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin (2008) -- Reinhardt says there’s no chance such praise will go to her head because, while she appreciates it, she doesn’t fully believe it.

She really should, though. Born and raised in the South, the author and journalist lives in Asheville, North Carolina. She has a knack for telling stories that make readers laugh out loud, both at her own antics -- and there are plenty from which to choose -- and those of the myriad colorful characters she writes about.

The full interview is here.

Review: My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor

Today in January Magazine’s non-fiction section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke reviews My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. Says Menke:

Imagine being a 37-year-old woman, an accomplished professional, well-respected among your peers. You’re healthy, your future is bright, and then suddenly, your whole world collapses. The very thing you’ve devoted your life to studying -- the brain -- has betrayed you. A blood vessel has burst inside your head and you’ve suffered a massive stroke.

That’s what happened to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist -- brain scientist -- on the morning of December 10, 1996. In My Stroke of Insight, Taylor describes the event and her subsequent lengthy recovery from a clinical and very personal point of view.

The full review is here.

Review: The Art of Column Writing by Suzette Martinez Standring

Today in January Magazine’s non-fiction section, Mary Ward Menke reviews The Art of Column Writing by Suzette Martinez Standring. Says Menke:

The Art of Column Writing by Suzette Martinez Standring sounds as though it were written for newspaper columnists. Don’t let the title fool you: this is a book for all writers of non-fiction, and there are likely a few fiction writers who could benefit, too.

A past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Standring is a syndicated columnist with GateHouse News Services. She has the chops to write a book on column writing based on her experiences alone, but she chose to pick the brains of the masters. Advice from greats like Art Buchwald, Arianna Huffington, Dave Barry and Pete Hamill fill the pages, making The Art of Column Writing a must-read for writers at all stages of their careers.

The full review is here.

Review: ... and His Lovely Wife by Connie Schultz

Today, in January Magazine’s biography section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke reviews ... and His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man. by Pulitzer Prize winner Connie Schultz. Says Ward Menke:

Connie Schultz and Sherrod Brown, middle-aged and divorced with two children each, married in 2004. A year later, the Democratic Congressman from Ohio decided to give up his Congressional seat to run against Mike DeWine, a two-term Republican Senator, in a state where no Democrat had won office for 12 years. In ... and his Lovely Wife, Schultz writes candidly about the challenges facing her as an outspoken journalist, feminist and the wife of a political candidate: her newspaper’s decision not to endorse Brown; friendly co-workers who suddenly became adversaries and the growing consensus that a leave-of-absence from her job was in order; politicians’ wives who “saw themselves ... through the lens of their husbands’ lives” instead of as the talented individuals she knew them to be (“Honey, my husband is my career,” a senator’s wife told her); and the unexpected death of her adored father who had become an important part of the campaign. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

The full review is here.

Review: Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time by Lynne Eldridge and David Borgeson

Today, in January Magazine’s non-fiction section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke reviews Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time by Lynne Eldridge and David Borgeson. Says Menke:

If Avoiding Cancer One Day at a Time simply repeated facts based on research, readers would be overwhelmed and quickly lose interest. Fortunately, that’s not the case; the book includes charts, graphs, recipes (most of them sound surprisingly tasty) and “practical points” (suggestions) to enhance learning and show the reader how simple it is to make adjustments in their lives. At the back of the book, there are worksheets and appendices and an index that makes it easy to search by topic.

The full review is here.

Review: Supermom Saves the World by Melanie Lynn Hauser

Today, in January Magazine’s fiction section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke reviews Supermom Saves the World by Melanie Lynn Hauser. Menke says:

Is there a mother in the world who hasn’t at one time or another wished she had super powers? Author Melanie Lynne Hauser has taken that wishful thinking and run with it. In Confessions of a Super Mom, she created Birdie Lee, the divorced mom of a teenage son and daughter. Birdie survives a “Horrible Swiffer Accident” that turns her into a super hero with palms like sponges and fingers filled with cleaning fluid. Fast forward six months to Super Mom Saves the World, and we find Birdie, now a card-carrying member of the Justice League of America, still adjusting to her new life.

The full review is here.

Review: Wife in the Fast Lane by Karen Quinn

Today, in January’s fiction section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke examines Wife in the Fast Lane by Karen Quinn. Our contributor says:

However beleaguered, Wife in the Fast Lane is still a fun read; in fact, the problems mentioned might even contribute to the fun. Issues, however contrived, aren’t wrapped up quickly and neatly and even the clichéd characters have enough of a grain of truth that readers will often catch a glimpse of someone they know. Christy’s attempts to become the perfect wife and mother using the same leadership skills that failed her at her first career are misguided and hilarious. Best of all, the mere fact that Christy keeps getting up only to fall down farther and harder keeps the reader turning the pages, alternately laughing and sympathizing. The ending, completely contrived and happy, will satisfy chick lit fans everywhere.

The full review is here.

Review: The Mandala of Being by Richard Moss

Today, in January Magazine’s non-fiction section, contributing editor Mary Ward Menke is swept away by The Mandala of Being: Discovering the Power of Awareness by Richard Moss.

I have to admit that’s what I was thinking when I started reading Richard Moss’ The Mandala of Being: Discovering the Power of Awareness. Pardon my facetious cynicism; in truth, I’m fascinated by books about spirituality and self-empowerment. This book was not a disappointment.

The full review is here.

Review: Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald

Today in January’s biography section, Mary Ward Menke considers Too Soon to Say Goodbye by Art Buchwald, published not long before the Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist passed away early this year.

Buchwald was well aware of the challenge of writing a book about dying: death may be inevitable, but nobody wants to talk about it. He starts by explaining that the purpose of hospice is to make death easier for the dying person and their family and allow the individual to die with dignity. And then his sardonic self takes over: “The average stay (at the Washington hospice) before you go to heaven is a few days to two weeks. If you are going downhill, Medicare pays for it. If your condition stays the same as when you arrived, Medicare will not pick up the tab,” Buchwald said, summing up the situation thusly: “Dying isn’t hard. Getting paid by Medicare is.”

You can read the review here.