On Becoming a Writer

FADED PHOTOGRAPHS

January 15, 2012 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

In going through another purge/organization of my home, I found this photo. I have no idea who this woman is. I do know the photo was taken in Kansas City, Missouri, around 1900. I’ve seen her face in a few other pictures but there’s nothing written on the back to identify her. Look at that hat! She would have fit right in at the Royal Wedding.

I’m lamenting the limitations of the digital age. How much of a description can you put in a file name? What happens when technology changes and you can’t access old photos anymore? They’re gone.

Filed Under: Essay, Personal Essay, Uncategorized

MY FUR CHILD

January 8, 2012 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

I’m in the midst of working on a new book that I can’t say much about right now. I won’t be blogging much for awhile. Here’s what I see every time I turn on my computer: my beloved, darling Tucker. We found each other in December 2006 at the Guilford County (NC) Animal Shelter. Sometimes when he meows he sounds like a pigeon and when he snores it’s like an elf wheezing. He rarely conks out on my keyboard but when he does I know it’s time to take a break.

Filed Under: Pets, Uncategorized

HOLIDAY REMINISCENCES AND REGRETS

December 6, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

Mama Jo-1940s

An adapted excerpt from the chapter “Watching a Photograph Slowly Fade” from When I Married My Mother

“Are we putting up a Christmas tree this year?” Mama Jo asked when our third Thanksgiving as roommates rolled around.

I groaned and was sorry I did.

Filed Under: Personal Essay, Uncategorized Tagged With: Christmas, Festival of Lights, Mama Jo, When I Married My Mother

I GOT A $EXY BACK (Yea-uh)

October 7, 2011 By Jo Maeder 1 Comment

After viewing an MRI of my lower back, I prayed New York neurosurgeon Dr. Ezriel Kornel wouldn’t utter the dreaded word “surgery.” He said, “You have a cyst in the ligaments around your L4 that has to come out.” I visualized a laparoscopic number with a tiny scar and I’d be back home the same day. Then he said, “I recommend fusing the L4 with spondylolosthesis (slipped vertebra) with the L5 to stabilize the area, remove the disc, replace it with OptiMesh that turns into bone and insert permanent titanium hardware of two screws, a rod and a clamp.”

Filed Under: Advice, Personal Essay Tagged With: Dr. Ezriel Kornel, spinal fusion, spinal fusion recovery

BETWEEN THE COVERS WITH JOHN WATERS

August 27, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

I’ve just finished John Water’s latest funhouse of memories and musings, Role Models. There’s a spray of pink slips of paper sprouting from the top of it now – markers of captivating passages. I know, I know. With an e-reader you can highlight, search for keywords and deodorize a room at the same time. I’d rather run my hand over the nicely textured cover and use pieces of paper, thank you. That is, until someone gives me an e-reader (the one that shows colors, please).

Filed Under: Book Review Tagged With: Baltimore, Cy Twombly, filth, John Waters, Johnny Mathis, Lee Lozano, Little Richard, non-coupling, Rei Kawakubo, Role Models, Tennessee Williams, therapy

QUICKIE Q&A: SONYA SONES

August 25, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

@SonyaSones California

writer, photographer, bicycler, dancer, author of THE HUNCHBACK OF NEIMAN MARCUS and WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN’T KNOW, a Top Ten Most Banned Book of The Decade!

http://www.sonyasones.com

There’s so much to say about Sonya, do check out her site. One of my all time favorite book titles belongs to her: ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES. That was before I actually wrote such a book! And I still love it.

Filed Under: Author interview, Book Review Tagged With: empty nest, Hunchback of Neiman Marcus, marital fights, Oreos, Sonya Sones, YA

QUICKIE Q&A: SHARYN WOLF

August 10, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

Sharyn Wolf is the author of Love Shrinks: a memoir of a marriage counselor’s divorce - a fearless look at her own dysfunctional former marriage. A New York licensed psychotherapist and relationship expert, she’s been on over 400 radio and TV shows (including 8 appearances on Oprah). Her books include This Old Spouse, How to Stay Lovers for Life and Guerrilla Dating Tactics.

1. For the most part you were in a sex-less marriage for 8 years. How common is this and what advice do you have to others in a similar situation?

Filed Under: Author interview, Book Review Tagged With: change, Huffington Post, Love Stinks, Oprah, origami cranes, sex-less marriage, Sharyn Wolf

ON WRITING

August 10, 2011 By Jo Maeder 1 Comment

I took the long, scenic route to getting published. Fifteen years, seven other books, and four literary agents preceded the publication of When I Married My Mother. Whatever success my writing brings me is the result of never giving up, working with great editors and agents, taking criticism extremely well, having from-the-heart stories to tell, and being crazy. I’m now convinced that “writer” and “addict” are interchangeable.

My efforts were nothing compared to what the author of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly went through. He wrote his entire extraordinary memoir by blinking his left eye—the only part of his body that moved.

Filed Under: Advice, Essay Tagged With: how to be a writer, Jo Maeder, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

MY FANTASY FINAL ROSE

June 1, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

Summer 2011

As the Bachelorette nears its “most dramatic final rose ceremony ever” I find myself thinking back to the Bachelor debut in 2002. Twenty-five beautiful young women vied for the heart of one alpha male. Many weeks later, he whittled it down to one. Kind of like a harem in reverse. I was horrified. I couldn’t stop watching.

If I had teenagers, I’d encourage them to watch this show. It teaches how to behave (and not behave) with your dream mate. When your love is unrequited, you’ll know how to read the signs and graciously bow out. Wait, I know a few people way past their teens who need this primer.

Filed Under: Essay Tagged With: Bachelorette, Final Rose, harem, Lord of the Flies, Stockholm Syndrome, The Bachelorette

THE BOOKUP

April 13, 2011 By Jo Maeder Leave a Comment

Promoting “long-form reading in a short-form world” the Triad was abuzz about its first BookUP (thanks to TV, radio, newspaper, twitter and facebook). Anyone was invited to show up at Bin 33 restaurant in downtown Greensboro with a book (or e-reader) and read to themselves in the company of others. Social Media Queen Danielle Hatfield was there and posted this blog I cannot improve upon. www.gsotweetup.com/2011/04/meet-who-you-tweet-jomaeder-and-thebookup/

The array of books read was most impressive. Kurt Vonnegut, Khaleo Hosseini, Setve Martin, Alex Prud’Homme, Charlotte Bronte, Dr. Seuss, Patti Smith, David Sedaris, Max Lucado, Lawrence Durrell, Noam Chomsky, Elia Kazan, Man Ray, and more.

Filed Under: Event, Guest Blogger Tagged With: Bill Moore, Bin 33, BookUP, Brandon Pierce, Brian Clarey, Danielle Hatfield, GSOTweetup, Parke Puterbaugh, Stewart Pittman

Jo Maeder

FADED PHOTOGRAPHS

MY FUR CHILD

HOLIDAY REMINISCENCES AND REGRETS

I GOT A $EXY BACK (Yea-uh)

BETWEEN THE COVERS WITH JOHN WATERS

QUICKIE Q&A: SONYA SONES

QUICKIE Q&A: SHARYN WOLF

ON WRITING

MY FANTASY FINAL ROSE

THE BOOKUP

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