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Buzz Book Club: The End of Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume

BuzzSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:30:27 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! We've reached the end of Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume. This section contained some of my favorite essays of the entire book, and I'm excited to chat about them with you after the jump.

But more about that in a second. First, for those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, have gone up every Friday in July). In these weekly posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump, you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

Now, to discuss the end of the book, in which we read from "The Wienie Girl's Guide to Making Friends" to the end, just read more.

The Sally J. Freedman lover in me was thrilled to read "Brave New Kid." I love the way author Diana Peterfreund tapped into exactly the thing that made me love Sally: she wanted to be an adventurous, questioning kid, and that was also my main goal at that age. Thinking about the book characters (not necessarily Blume's) that you've loved over the years, can you identify why you loved your favorites?
I'm not an oldest kid, but "Superfudged" still cracked me up. Are any of you oldest siblings, and did you see yourself (or your siblings) in the Fudge books?
The details in "Are You There, Margaret?" were great - like the E-S-P on the front of the author's t-shirt and the R-I-T on the back. If you were writing one of these stories about your own childhood/teenagehood, what details would you use about your attire, music choices, etc.?
Now that the book is over, did you have a favorite essay? A least favorite? One that surprised you?
Can you think of other influential authors who deserve this kind of anthology tribute?

Buzz Book Club: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, Section Three

BuzzSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 08:30:06 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! This week's section of Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume really brought back memories as the authors reflected on a wide range of Judy Blume novels, from It's Not the End of the World to Tiger Eyes.

But more about that in a second. First, for those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these weekly posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

The next assignment: Finish the book! We'll discuss this section next Friday, July 31.

Now, to discuss the third section, in which we read from "It Wasn't the End of the World" through "The Mother of All Balancing Acts," just read more.

Reading "It Wasn't The End of the World" got me thinking about characters we latch onto at different stages of our lives. When you pick up a book, do you look for characters with whom you can identify? Or do you look for an escape to a different world? And has that changed since you were younger?
After all the Deenie love earlier in the book, "Freaks, Geeks, and Adolescent Revenge Fantasies" sure put a different spin on things. Have you ever read a book where terrible things happen to the main character and you thought, "Ha! That's what you deserve!" If you read Deenie, did you identify more with Deenie herself or with the characters like "the Creeping Crud"?
I think my favorite part of "Guilty's House" was actually the line in Jennifer Coburn's bio about what her mom told her when someone called her "weird": "Weird was simply a word used by boring people to describe interesting ones." That's a piece of wisdom that would be right at home in one of Judy Blume's books! Have you noticed any other lines like that?
Man, I wish I had the Judy Blume diary as described in "A Different Kind of Diary." That story also touched on one of my worst fears as a kid: having my diary found and read aloud! Diaries were actually a big theme in this section, as Beth Kendrick's hilarious entry about her mom shows up in "The Mother of All Balancing Acts." If you kept a diary as a kid, can you still remember what it looked like? Have you ever reread it?
Have any of the essays encouraged you to seek out other writing from these authors? Do you think any of them have Judy Blume potential?

Buzz Book Club: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, Section Two

BuzzSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:30:17 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! This month, we're focusing on how one of the iconic authors of my youth affected tons of women writers by reading the essay collection Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume. This week, we read another group of essays by writers who had some very different thoughts on how Blume's writing affected their lives.

But I'll get to that in a second. First, for those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these weekly posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

The next assignment: Read from "It Wasn't the End of the World" through "The Mother of All Balancing Acts." (Stop before "The Weenie Girl's Guide to Making Friends.") We'll discuss this section a week from today, July 24.

Now, to discuss the second section, in which we read through "Vitamin K, Judy Blume, and the Great Big Bruise," just read more.

I'm amazed how many of these writers have specific memories of the way Blume talked about sexuality and even masturbation. I don't remember Judy Blume's books being that dirty, but at least one of you said you remember being kind of uncomfortable with her sexual themes. Do you remember noticing that at the time you read Blume? Or were you oblivious?
On a related note, do you think Judy Blume fans fall into "Sunday Cartoon Camp" and "After-School Special Camp," as Stacey Ballis suggests? And which were you?
Another thing that's surprised me is how many of the writers mention Deenie! That book has come up in nearly every essay. I can't say it was ever my favorite, but looking back, it probably makes sense that it had such a deep effect on people: it deals a lot with themes of appearance, self-confidence, and identity that are often significant to teen and preteen girls. Were you a Deenie fan?
I really enjoyed "Forever . . . Again" and the way the author discussed her rediscovery of Forever. . . as an adult. Would you ever turn to a favorite old book - especially a young adult book - for help with an adult problem? Do you ever reread books you loved as a teenager or preteen?
At this point, I think I prefer the essays that don't talk about the author's own writing to the ones that do. Do you think it's odd when the writers talk about their own work? Or, since Blume inspired many of them to write in the first place, do you think it's perfectly appropriate?

Buzz Book Club: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, Section One

BuzzSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:30:23 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! This month, we're focusing on how one of the iconic authors of my youth affected tons of women writers by reading the essay collection Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume. So far, I've been impressed with just how many of the writers had similar experiences reading and learning from Blume's books - but I'll get to that in a second.

First, for those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these weekly posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

The next assignment: Read from "Cry, Linda, Cry" through "Vitamin K, Judy Blume, and the Great Big Bruise." (Stop before "It Wasn't the End of the World.") We'll discuss this section a week from today, July 17.

Now, to discuss the first section, in which we read through "A Long Time Ago, We Used to Be Friends," just read more.

Did Forever. . . have the kind of mystique for you that Megan McCafferty describes in the book's opening essay? Or was there another Judy Blume book that did? I remember thinking the period scenes of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret held some kind of secret, revelatory knowledge - but Forever was deemed "the one about sex" and I don't think I ever actually got my hands on a copy!
What do you think of Jennifer O'Connell's definition of a "Judy Blume moment"? Do you have any "Judy Blume moments" of your own? I know I'm still terrified of Man o' Wars because of Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself.
Do you think the characters in the Judy Blume books you read were "regular girls," as Stephanie Lessing suggests? Or did they strike you as unrealistic?
What do you think of the characterization of female friendships in "A Long Time Ago, We Used to Be Friends"? I thought the author captured well the feeling of growing apart from a formerly close friend without even noticing until the break is permanent. At the same time, I think female friends can be a lot more than companions who "travel down the road with [us] as [we] either seek out or wait for The One."
Is there a particular favorite Judy Blume book of yours that's already come up in an essay? Is there one you hope comes up later?

Buzz Book Club: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:30:43 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! We're deep into Summer reading season, and that makes me even more excited about my selection for July: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume.

See, Judy Blume is the epitome of Summer reading for me. In my pre-teen years, I spent long Summer afternoons by the pool poring over Deenie or Superfudge or whichever Blume classic I'd grabbed from the library most recently. I still have my well-loved paperback copies of Just as Long as We're Together and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, the ones I read the most - often finishing one and immediately starting the other.

So I was delighted to stumble upon this essay collection, which features women writers including Meg Cabot and Megan McCafferty reminiscing about their own experiences reading Blume and the (sometimes shocking) lessons learned from her books. (One essay is titled "Do Adults Really Do That? Does Judy Blume Really Do That?")

For those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these weekly posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

To read more about this month's book and get your first assignment, just read more.

A synopsis of this book reads:

"I remember how painful it was to be invisible to those other kids. And I think of Judy Blume, whose . . . name will always mean friendship to me," writes Berta Platas. "She allowed me to save myself," says Meg Cabot. In stories contributed by many well-known female writers, this anthology pays homage to the "guru" of adolescent experience. Many nostalgic selections speak about the crucial comfort that a Blume novel brought during an author's teens, soothing worries about body image, parental divorce, friendship scuffles, sex, and masturbation. Also striking are the many essays about "Judy Blume moments" in adult life. For one author, rereading Forever helped her reenter the dating world as a single thirtysomething. Another contributor remembers the teenage reassurance she'd found in Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, when, after childbirth and breast-feeding, she once again suffered from "boob drama." Funny, poignant, honest, and reverential, these stories will resonate strongly with the legions of readers who, like the authors, are grateful and lifelong Blume devotees.

The first assignment: Read the first five essays. (Stop before "Cry, Linda, Cry.") We'll discuss this section next Friday, July 10.

Buzz Book Club: The Conclusion of I Was Told There'd Be Cake

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 07:30:56 -0700

Welcome back, Buzz Book Club readers! I can't believe this is the end of Sloane Crosley's I Was Told There'd Be Cake! I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on the last essays and your impressions of the book overall. Stay tuned next week for my announcement of the August selection.

Here's a recap of how the Book Club goes if you're new: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, has been every Friday in July). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few questions to prompt discussion in the comments section.

To discuss the last section of I Was Told There'd Be Cake, in which we read the stories "The Height of Luxury," "Smell This," "Lay Like Broccoli," and "Fever Faker," read more.

I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but the appearance of the turd in "Smell This" was responsible for my biggest laughing-out-loud moment of the entire book. Are you fairly certain it was Justine's boyfriend, or do you think everyone at her party was suspect? I personally would have had no problem asking every single person who was there if they were responsible, but she was slightly more tactful - and I loved the description of her turd investigation.
Speaking of the "Smell This" story - she talked about being a lackluster friend, someone who means to respond to emails but then doesn't remember if she did or not. I really enjoy when she writes these small confessions, and I think it gives her writing a lot of strength. Are you guilty of something similar? Do you get mad at friends like that?
In "Lay Like Broccoli," Crosley states, "Because it's so common and often even hip to be a vegetarian, it's become socially acceptable to poke fun at us." Do you agree? Do you feel that the vegetarians among us are easy targets for mocking, or do you find most people respect their choices?
"Fever Faker" seemed to sum up a lot of my issues and questions about Crosley as a narrator and a person: She seems to be torn between wanting some way to stand out (even if they have to manufacture the attention) and wanting to be the strong, silent type who just trucks along through life without whining about her struggles. While the story kind of bugged me (you really want to have an unfortunate disease?), I also felt like it made me understand her a little more. What was your reaction?
We know that HBO has bought the rights to make this book into a TV series. So, what quirky actress could play the young, New York writer at the heart of these stories?

Buzz Book Club: I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Section Three

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:33:10 -0700

Welcome back Buzz Book Club readers! This week, we hit a section in Sloane Crosely's I Was Told There'd Be Cake that I think included one of her best stories of the whole book. But more on that in a moment.

Here's a recap of how the Book Club goes if you're new: Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these weekly Book Club posts, I'll posit a few questions to prompt discussion in the comments section.

Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

The next assignment: Read to the end that includes the stories "The Height of Luxury," "Smell This," "Lay Like Broccoli," and "Fever Faker." We'll chat about this final section next Friday, July 25.

To discuss the third section of I Was Told There'd Be Cake, in which we read the stories: "Sign Language for Infidels" and "You on a Stick," read more!

"You on a Stick" is my favorite story by far in the entire book. There is so much to relate to in this story, and she presents it all in a hilarious way. Have you ever had trouble letting go of a friendship (or has a friendship had trouble letting go of you), and did Crosley adequately capture those emotions? Have you ever witnessed any serious bridezilla behavior firsthand?
Another thing I appreciated about "You on a Stick" is that the "character" of her friend Francine is so much more fleshed out than most of the other people in her stories, and I found that to be a way more enriching reading experience. That is exactly what I wish Crosley would do with many of the other "characters" in her essays, like her parents or her sister. Did you like getting to know a person (other than Crosley herself) a little more fully in this story?
Throughout the book there are sometimes these little stories within her essays and I wonder why they're included, and/or I wish she'd expand on them. For example, why was the big bedroom/small bedroom story in "You on a Stick"? That seemed like it could have been a story in itself, and in general, it didn't really fit.
While I thought there was just something off about "Sign Language for Infidels", I did like one aspect of it: the idea that we're all supposed to do good, even if we don't really want to. Is it our duty to give back, or should we only donate our time and money if we feel truly moved?
Also, just out of curiosity, what would you have done with the butterfly if you were in Crosley's shoes? There's a strong possibility that I would have just opened a window and been done with it.

Buzz Book Club: I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Section Two

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:30:43 -0700

Welcome back Buzz Book Club readers! We're plugging along through Sloane Crosely's I Was Told There'd Be Cake, and there were many more moments in this week's stories that I laughed at and related to. At this point, I do think Crosley's got the goods - but perhaps with more life experience under her belt, her stories will be even more poignant.

Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

The next assignment: Read the stories "Sign Language for Infidels" and "You on a Stick." We'll chat about this second section next Friday, July 18.

To discuss the second section of I Was Told There'd Be Cake, in which we read the stories: "The Good People of This Dimension," "Bastard out of Westchester," "The Beauty of Strangers," "F**k You, Columbus," and "One-Night Bounce," read more!

"F**k You, Columbus" was the story that launched Crosley's career as a writer: She sent a version of it as an e-mail to several friends, one of whom happened to be an editor at the Village Voice who told her he would publish it if she just added an intro. Looking at it now, do you think it deserved that kind of treatment? Personally, I thought it was one of Crosley's weaker stories - but since so many other essays are substantially funnier, I wonder if that alone justifies the attention she got for the first one.
"Bastard out of Westchester" touches on a feeling that my friends and I have felt from time to time: that growing up in suburban America leaves you without anything real to hold onto in terms of identity. I think Crosley could have taken that aspect further in the essay, though her personal story on its own was pretty poignant. Do you think there's something to the notion of having to work harder to construct your own identity in the world of "little boxes on the hillside," McJobs, and Wal-Mart?
Crosley has kept the essays mostly focused on herself so far, with brief digressions to meet her parents or her roommates. But they're not fully fleshed-out characters, and sometimes I wish they would be, just to have a better sense of the people who shape Crosley's worldview. Do you wish you knew more about the other people in her life? Or, since the book is made up of personal essays, are you satisfied with them being purely personal?
In a similar vein, I'm finding that while her essays are mostly about her and her alone, I don't have a super strong sense for who she is and what she's about, as a person. Do you feel like she shines strongly through these essays? And if so, do you like her as a "character," and as our narrator?
One of the most relatable moments comes in "One Night Bounce" where Crosley recounts some things she misconstrued as a child - the nature of sex, "intensive purposes," etc. I'm not above admitting that it took me a while to know that the expression was "hold the phone," not "hold the foam," and that the sign on the road saying there was a "littering fine" didn't mean it was OK to litter. What were your best childhood misunderstandings?

Buzz Book Club: I Was Told There'd Be Cake, Section One

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:47 -0700

Welcome back Buzz Book Club readers! How are you enjoying Sloane Crosely's I Was Told There'd Be Cake so far? I find her voice to be highly relatable, and I'm definitely guilty of snorting with laughter while reading her book in public. She's already given us a lot to talk about in this first section, that's for sure.

Of course, you are always welcome to read beyond the weekly chapters, but please don't spoil anything in the comments! After the jump you'll find some questions that struck me as I read this section.

The next assignment: Read the stories "The Good People of This Dimension," "Bastard out of Westchester," "The Beauty of Strangers," "F**k You, Columbus," and "One-Night Bounce." We'll chat about this second section next Friday, July 11.

To discuss the first section of I Was Told There'd Be Cake in which we read the first four stories in the book ("The Pony Problem," "Christmas in July," "The Ursula Cookie," and "Bring-Your-Machete-to-Work Day.") read more!

For readers of a certain age, Crosley's stories are undoubtedly relatable. I had several moments where I actually cried out "I did that!" One of mine was in "Bring-Your-Machete-to-Work Day," when Crosley admitted to putting people she disliked on her Oregon Trail wagon and then overloading it on purpose so they'd struggle (I know, for shame). What were some of yours?
On a similar note, I found Crosley's experience with her first boss to be funny, sad - and familiar. Was your experience in your first job after college anything like hers?
And again on the topic of relating to the material: Do you think her work is funnier because you can relate (or if you can't relate, do you not find her writing very funny/enjoyable)? David Sedaris does memoir/humor writing well in that many of his experiences are worlds away from my own, but I still find myself howling with laughter. I wonder if this is the same thing for readers who don't relate to Crosley's experiences.
Some of Crosley's stories ("Christmas in July") are sprawling, taking on lots of different topics - fire, religion, neighborhood playdates, lice. Others ("The Ursula Cookie") have a tighter focus on a single person or experience. Do you have a preference so far?
I liked the line in "The Pony Problem" where Crosley admitted that her pony obsession was a manufactured quirk: "What am I asking when I ask for a pony but to be taken for more unique than I probably am?" As a reader, it made me wonder what other things Crosley must have done to construct a persona that gets her into all the wacky situations she writes about. At a time when James Frey and even David Sedaris have been taken to task for making things up in their memoirs, how honest do you expect Crosley to be?
Just for fun: What's your equivalent of Crosley's pony collection, the thing you'd be embarrassed to have someone discover in your apartment? Mine would probably be a framed picture of me with my face Photoshopped near Harrison Ford's shoulder so it looks like we’re gazing out at the sunset together.

Buzz Book Club: I Was Told There'd Be Cake

BuzzSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:30:55 -0700

Hi there, Buzz Book Club readers! I know it's still June, but since we've wrapped up our discussion of Then We Came to the End and Fourth of July travel plans are looming, I wanted to give you a heads-up about the July book pick: Sloane Crosley's I Was Told There'd Be Cake.

The book, which is Crosley's debut collection of true-life essays, has been getting a lot of buzz in the literary world - and it's only building, as we learned this week that the book had been bought by HBO and could be turned into a TV series. Even friends of mine who I thought would be snarky about the book have loved it, so I'm curious to check it out for myself.

Crosley is a literary publicist in New York City, and she got her big break as a writer when she sent a funny e-mail about getting locked out of her apartment while moving to some friends - one of whom just happened to work for the Village Voice. She's since written for Salon and The New York Times, and this book collects 15 of her essays.

For those of you new to my book club format, here's how it works: I'll announce a new book each month. Every week I'll suggest chapters to complete by the next post (which, in this case, will go up every Friday in July). In these Book Club posts, I'll posit a few discussion-provoking questions for you to respond to in the comments section.

To read a little more about Crosley's book and get your first assignment, just read more.

Here's the summary from the book's offcial site: "From accidentally despoiling an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History to siccing the cops on the wrong neighbor, Sloane Crosley can do no right, despite the best of intentions-or perhaps because of them. In a sharp, original storytelling style that confounds expectations at every turn, Crosley recounts her victories and catastrophes in an irresistible voice that is all her own, finding genuine insights in the most unpredictable places."

The first assignment: Read the first four stories in the book: "The Pony Problem," "Christmas in July," "The Ursula Cookie," and "Bring-Your-Machete-to-Work Day." I'll post some questions about that section next Friday, July 4. (The Buzz Book Club rests for no holidays - and besides, what better time to do some reading?)

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