If you love humorous writing, check out Gina Barreca’s Facebook page to get a daily dose of her wit. She has links to all of her latest columns—with smatterings of her always funny quips. After stumbling on her Facebook page, I checked out her website and then started following her on Twitter. I couldn’t so easily follow my favorite authors back in the day, so finding all of these social websites has reignited my love of books and writers.
I took a sabbatical from all things literary when I sold my book shop eight years ago. It’s not that I no longer wanted to read, but I just had to leave the book world behind for a while. (I couldn’t even go into a little book store without getting weepy.)
Bookstores still make me nostalgic, so I stick to libraries, and to my delight, I stumbled across Barreca’s latest book, “It’s Not That I’m Bitter…:Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Visible Panty Lines and Conquered the World.”
(published in 2009) at my library several weeks ago. Most people don’t write a book review years after it has been published, but I’m special; being three years late to the party is nothing new for me.
As with her other books, it did not disappoint. These essays are laugh out loud funny, and although aimed at the over 50 female, her words ring true for every woman over the age of 40. Barreca has the knack of hitting the nail on the head with deft aplomb.
“If women had tufts growing from our noses and ears, men would bring exorcists to the house. . .”
Barreca has long been one of my favorite authors. She’s often billed as an academic and humorist, but PhD aside, I’ve always thought of her as a humorist who happens to be an academic.
My reawakened interest in one of my all-time favorite authors sent me in search of a website—and yes, she has a terrific website. (http://www.ginabarreca.com/)
Her website is a wonderful reflection of her humor, wit and writing talent. For those who don’t know: Gina Barreca is the author of eight books, a regular columnist for magazines and newspapers, including the Huffington Post, Psychology Today and the Hartford Courant and a Professor of English and Feminist Theory at the University of Connecticut. And, oh yes, she holds a doctorate from the City University of New York. I should be jealous since I can’t manage to write a blog post and cook on the same day. Pffft.
The best thing about dropping out of the book world for a few years is the discovery that one’s favorite authors have not dropped out, and there is some catching up to do. Next on my reading list, “Make Mine a Double: Why women Like Us Like to Drink*(*Or Not).” This will surely be the perfect book companion to a glass of red wine (or two.)
inktoyou 