BuzzSugar

Buzz Interview: Curtis Sittenfeld, Author of American Wife

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:30:44 PDT

This week, author Curtis Sittenfeld's new book American Wife hits book stores near you. The book is inspired by the life of Laura Bush, and a few weeks ago, when I was about halfway through American Wife, I chatted with Sittenfeld about the controversial aspects of the book, how this epic American tale is a departure from her previous two books, and what's going on with the movie version of Prep!

Buzz: This character, Alice Blackwell, is intriguing and sexy, and generally those terms are considered mutually exclusive from the first lady. How did you work around people's ideas of what it means to be the first lady?
Curtis Sittenfeld: I think that all people are complicated and all people have inner lives. I think that a lot of times our view of first ladies is that they’re very stiff or proper or formal but I think they’re people like anyone else. When they’re not in public they probably can relax a lot more.

I know that these characters are based on the lives of George and Laura Bush, and when I read some of the sex scenes, I wondered if you had a hard time going there?
Laura Bush was a starting point for this novel, but there’s so much that we don’t know about her even though she’s a very public figure. And so what I did was invent a character who’s loosely inspired by her but isn’t her. I do not see Alice Blackwell as just, you know, Laura Bush is her name change. I see Alice Blackwell as a distinct person. I know that some readers might feel differently but I don't feel like I wrote sex scenes between George and Laura Bush [laughs].

To learn more about her new book and why she might still write about weird, neurotic girls,

read more! My experience reading the book so far has been to forget it’s Laura, and Alice is her own person to me except when I bump into events that I recognize from Laura’s life. It’s a unique reading experience to say the least. Is that the experience you think people will have? Hope they’ll have? Well, the way that I conceived of the book, there are four major events in in Laura Bush’s life that I included - you know, one in each of the four sections of the book that are real - and then pretty much everything else is made up. So I would say 85 percent of the book is made up. The characters, the situations, the conversations - and I trust the sophistication and intelligence of my readers and I like when I read a book that assumes my intelligence. So I know that it's a kind of weird hybrid book, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. When it comes to women married to men who do things that we don’t agree with, there’s this tendency to implicate them by association. Did you find yourself more sympathetic to a woman like that? This book has made me rethink my ideas of those women’s responsibilities, etc. Yeah, that is definitely a question that’s really interesting to me, which is: How much is one spouse responsible for another spouse? Or how much does one spouse represent another spouse? And I think it’s an incredibly complicated question and the answer varies a lot from marriage to marriage. But I actually just got married, like, three months ago. So I do think the subject of marriage is probably interesting to me during the time I was writing this. You know, I’m about to turn 33 and you know there are marriages . . . like of course the ideal is to marry for a long time but then sometimes you look at, you know, marriages that have lasted, you know, 30 or 40 years and you think, "Well it lasted long, but I don’t know if I’d want to be in it." But I think it’s a worthy goal for people to try to stay together, but I also think that you have to make compromises. Yeah, it's such an intriguing question and so far I find myself feeling very sympathetic toward this character who I know will become the first lady and judged by people for her husband. I keep thinking, "Aw, but she's young and falling in love." Right, well, it’s so hard to guess how anyone’s life will turn out I mean even with, you know people I knew in high school or people I knew in graduate school. Their lives . . . some have taken much different turns than I would have guessed, but you know, that’s what makes life interesting. Unlike Lee in Prep, or Hannah in The Man of My Dreams, Alice is a grown woman and more mature than either of those young women. Are your characters going to grow up as you continue to grow? Well, by the end of the book Alice is 61, so she obviously gets to be much older than I am in real life. I think that I don’t feel like I’ll never write about teenage girls or young women again. I mean, I still think that there’s so much material there, so I don’t think my characters will only get older as I get older, although to some extent that will probably happen. I do feel like one of my core readers is probably like the 22- or 23-year-old young woman, and I do hope she does not feel abandoned by this book. You know, like, "What happened?!" Right! You hit on my initial reaction when the book was in my hands. Which was, "Oh my. This is a big epic book . . . It’s so different from the others." This is a story and a personality that really captured my imagination, but I’m not determined to only write epics from here on out, you know? I still have room in my heart for neurotic, you know, weirdo girls [laughs]. Oh good - I feel like I can speak for many when I say that’s somewhat of a relief! Yeah - I promise, I promise! Finally, are there plans for any of your books to become movies? Do you want that? Prep was optioned by Paramount, and the option has been renewed, and actually a screenplay exists, which was written by Noah Baumbach - he did Squid and the Whale. I think, you know, it seems like with movies all the stars have to align - every thing has to correspond perfectly for a movie to be made. But I think things are a little bit murky, but I would be delighted if it got made. He is attached as a writer/director. I would be delighted if he were the one who made it. I don’t know, Man of My Dreams was not optioned and this one I think they just started sort of sending it out in Hollywood. I don’t know. It’s not an area where I feel like I have any control, which is kind of liberating. Source and Source

The Sittenfeld Book Debate: Should Laura Bush Be Off-Limits?

BuzzSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 16:32:32 PDT

My friend Citizen sparked a lively conversation yesterday around an upcoming book by Prep author Curtis Sittenfeld titled American Wife. The novel follows a character named Alice Blackwell who is based on Laura Bush, and many of the first lady's real-life experiences are included.

I was intrigued by the strong reactions that spread across the Web yesterday, especially after Radar posted several sex scenes from the book that earned the unpublished novel descriptors like "steamy" and "tawdry."

Some folks feel strongly that this was disrespectful to Laura Bush, and that Sittenfeld should have left her alone. The assumption there is that the main character will be trashed in the book, but actually, there is reason to suspect the opposite. In 2004, Sittenfeld wrote an article ("Why I Love Laura Bush") explaining how much she admires Laura, calling her "such an easy heroine to root for - smart and nice but just flawed enough (she still sneaks cigarettes!) to remain likable." There doesn't appear to be malice in Sittenfeld's intentions.

Many fictional characters are based on real people - some famous, some not - but do you think Laura Bush should be off-limits? Or is any public figure fair game for novelists?

Source and Source

What's Buzzworthy? Smart Chick Lit

BuzzSugar — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 06:59:20 PDT

After I reviewed The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, user jadenirvana put in a request for more books that fall into the elusive "thinking girl's chick lit" category. I thought that sounded like a great Buzzworthy Challenge - after all, that's one of my favorite book genres, too.

I usually bristle at the phrase "chick lit" (much like "chick flick") because I think it's come to refer to lighthearted beach reads that lack any real depth or substance. But Girls' Guide writer Melissa Bank and others prove that books about and for women can still be intelligent, well-written literature. I'd love to know which books on your shelf fit into this category. To get you started, I've bookmarked Girls' Guide along with Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, a smart novel about a small-town girl at a prestigious East Coast boarding school.

Using BuzzSugar's cool Buzzworthy bookmarking tool, just find the books you love on the Web, bookmark them as Buzzworthy, and tag or title your choices with the phrase smart chick lit. Then, I'll post some readers' favorites next week.

To find out how to create a Buzzworthy bookmark,

read more Don't worry: TeamSugar makes it easy to bookmark and capture anything on the Web that you consider "Buzzworthy." If you already have a "That's Fab" button on your browser's tool bar, you can use that to bookmark your Buzzworthy items. If you don't have the TeamSugar bookmarking button on your toolbar, you can learn how to get it by watching this video. Source

Fat-Proof Your Life

Health — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:06:06 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

By Maridel Reyes

It's true that there are certain times in your life when extra poundage seems to appear out of nowhere . . . and settle on you. In fact, experts have honed in on the exact moments when you're most vulnerable to weight gain.

"Life transitions, having a baby, and going through menopause cause many women to pile on pounds," says Susan Albers, PsyD, author of But I Deserve This Chocolate!: The 50 Most Common Diet-Derailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them. "But with planning and prep, you can stay thin."

We asked top experts for their strategies to help you ward off weight creep - and even shed pounds - at these tricky stages. Solutions ahead.

Getting married

Heavier ever after? It can be the flip side of wedded bliss: "Six out of 10 of my clients come back heavier after the honeymoon," says celebrity fitness and wellness guru David Kirsch.

Health.com: 25 Diet-Busting Foods You Should Never Eat

Young newlyweds pack on an extra six to nine pounds in the five years after getting hitched compared to singletons, according to research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. And most of that gain happens in the first year of marriage.

"Couples start to mirror each other's eating habits," explains Albers. "You might be matching him calorie for calorie without realizing it."

Learn how to keep the pounds down postmarriage and in the mommy years, after the break.

See What It Takes to Create the BCBG Look

Annie Tomlin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:26:48 PST

Looking for an easy-to-wear runway trend? Look no further than BCBG Max Azria, whose sleek ponytails and modern eyeliner are as chic as they are simple. Earlier this week, we witnessed the hair and makeup test - that's when the beauty look comes together - and saw the models get prepped before their walk down the runway. Follow along for a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to create next season's BCBG look.

Source: Getty

Jennifer Garner Shares Smiles and Hugs With Her Little Love

Katie Henry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:56:59 PST

Jennifer Garner was out and about in LA yesterday with her youngest daughter, Seraphina. The girls ran errands, picked up Violet from school, and even stopped for some frozen yogurt at their favorite spot, Menchie's. Last year Jen and Ben partied with Hollywood's in crowd during award season, but this year the cute celebrity couple chose to kick back with their little ones close to home. Ben and Jen have been together for nearly a decade, but before the pair sparked a connection she dated her Alias costar Michael Vartan. Michael and Jen made our list of shocking Hollywood hookups, but now they're both prepping to celebrate Valentine's Day this year with their respective loves.

Fun, Fashionable Twitter Pictures of the Week!

Brittney Stephens — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:30:45 PST

This week, we caught up with some of our fashionable favorites on Twitter. Rachel Zoe was busy prepping for her Fashion Week presentation, but other celebs took on the town (and the big game!). Nicky Hilton and some model pals attended Jay-Z's Carnegie Hall concert, Jessica Simpson sat on the sidelines at the Super Bowl, and Brooklyn Decker had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction. Click through now to see all of the week's stylish snaps!

Vanessa Hudgens Talks Journey 2 Adventures and Her Exciting Coachella Plans

Katie Henry — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:12:00 PST

Josh Hutcherson returns in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island and this time he's joined by a new leading lady, Vanessa Hudgens. The pair team up with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for an adventure searching for Josh's onscreen grandfather, played by Michael Caine. We chatted with Vanessa in Honolulu recently, and she shared about what she did to physically prep for the role, and what she's looking forward to this Spring - mainly, Coachella. Check out our interview and catch Journey 2: The Mysterious Island in theaters on February 10.

Cool Idea: Sweet Paul's DIY Sweater Vase

Angela Swinderman Elias — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:20:24 PST

I always look forward to Sweet Paul's Crafty Friday posts, but I flipped when I saw his cozy little knit vase. As Paul points out, practically everyone has an old sweater with some sort of defect and a vase laying around the house. Instead of wasting money and time hunting for all of the necessary bits, just take a look through your sweater bins and cabinets to prep for this ridiculously easy DIY. Place the vase in the arm of the sweater, and leave a couple of extra inches of sweater material from the bottom of the vase. Fold the two inches of fabric, and you end up with the cutest Winter vase. Thanks Sweet Paul!

Photos by Alexandra Grablewski

Know Your Techniques: Large Dice

Camilla Salem — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:13:58 PST

A large dice is a relatively straightforward knife cut. Measuring at about 3/4-inch on each side, this cut may not seem as complicated as a julienne or a chiffonade, but with the right technique, you can really speed up your prepping process.

This cut's ideal for large vegetables, like tubers. A peeled potato is an easy example.

Cut the potato into 3/4-inch planks.

Keep reading to find out how to finish this simple cut.