Did any of you see Annabelle Gurwitch on Bill Maher last Friday? If her name isn’t ringing a bell, and for my sake I hope it isn’t, she used to host that old show on TBS, Dinner and a Movie, and is now the face of Wa$ted! on Planet Green.
She wasn’t particularly funny on Real Time but that’s not really the point. The point is, that she and her husband signed a six-figure deal with the Crown Publishing Group to write their memoir, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. The book was published in February 2010.
This is so frustrating for me because I have been sitting on a similar themed book now for five years that I’ve been too frightened to send out. I started kvetching about marriage way before these two did and I have a zero-figure deal with no publishing group. Sure, there is very little art that is purely original anymore and bookstore shelves are filled with similar books on the same topic because they are important topics that will always be relevant. But let’s be honest-how many below average looking Jewish girls, with thick black glasses and who are moderately funny does the world really need? From Annabelle’s performance last week, I would say not many.
This personae has been taken off the market by someone who is likely funnier than I am, a stronger writer than I am and given an article of hers in Glamour, is probably better in bed than I am. Of course, we all know whose fault this is- it’s obviously my husband’s for not suggesting that we write my book together.
I never ever give up but, lacking confidence, I am easily discouraged. Lately though, I have done some brave things and I want to use whatever momentum I have to stop myself from feeling low. This time, I refuse to let my spirit be pulled down by the undertow of despair. Who better to look to for inspiration than Annabelle herself who, having been fired by Woody Allen, published a book of essays inspired by that dismissal called Fired! Tales of the Canned, Canceled, Downsized and Dismissed.
She spun that book into an Off-Broadway play, touring show and documentary film that has been screened everywhere from The South West Film Festival to The Department of Labor on Capitol Hill. That’s amazing. If I was ever fired by Woody Allen I don’t think I would ever leave the house again, assuming I could still afford it.
As a new Wendy though, I am going to take a page out of Annabelle’s book and persevere. I am going to turn lemons into lemonade. Or perhaps, in my and Annabelle’s case, pasta into kugel. Whatever the saying, I’m going to keep going. I’m going to keep doing what I love because I love it and I know deep down that with so much passion in my soul I have a lot to offer. If someone tells me they don’t like my prose, they don’t like my style, and they don’t think I will ever make it as a writer, well you know what?
I say Shut Up!
Good for you Wends! If only everyone could be that insightful. You have motivated me!! One of my favorite articles yet.
So happy you liked it Ayelet. Hopefully we can stay motivated together!
The idea that someone did something first doesn’t always make them better or right- Galileo disproved Aristotle’s theory AND it was a great Indigo Girls song- (and BTW, and your book would kick Ms. Gurwich’s book’s ass!)
You are so right Michelle, Galileo is SUCH a good song!
YAAAAAA! You tell ’em Wends!
PS You know that I will be first in line to buy your book.
I will sign your book to “The World’s Greatest, Love Wendy”
She’s older than you with a head start. And she’s not a better writer than you! She has mucho editors; YOU are self-published. And a GREAT writer.
Keep doing what you’re doing, build a following, and the book-deal will definitely follow. And you should be writing about THIS, not marriage – that’s been overdone, this hasn’t.
Thank you so very much for the wonderful encouragement Sam. And such good advice too about book topics. Can I run all my ideas by you!? Thank you for all the support.
Yes!! This is what I have been waiting for Wendy! I will have my Book Club, buy, read and discuss your book WHEN, not if, it happens. I know it will be a great evening.
Thanks so much Francine. I will supply the book club treats for the evening!
i bet you’re way better in bed than she is.
Do you really think so??? That means so much to me!
It’s much easier to undesrtand when you put it that way!
efYou’ve got we wondering about a huge pile of fur Kona and i saw recently on a hike. I thought it was a coyote…but maybe the siberian/hu-dad abuse made it’s way to California.10c
benjust found your website and loved the videos. already so comfortable you can eat a sandwich while planing???? delighted to see you are enjoying the boat. please let me know if you have any questions.know you will have a great summer getting to know the boat.winn
ce1I preferred to are grateful for it wonderful I by all odds really enjoyed each bit of doing it. We have you book marked this web page to find out more about the most popular stuff you article.dd
Veldig fine bilder 🙂 Kanskje litt "nakent" i forhold til hvordan jeg ville hatt det selv, men alltid gøy Ã¥ se hvordan andre velger Ã¥ ha det uansett!
Absolutely wonderful! Love the mini quilts – the hair, the birds, the flowers! – and your baby quilt is devine!! The fabrics look so nice together – great binding too 😉
花姨 stays at a service apartment/hotel in Hunghom. I saw her the other night taking the hotel shuttle bus. She was cursing some guy in broken Cantonese. Seems to me she needs to see a shrink badly as she totally lost control and was yelling to the air for like 5 minutes. And she looked horrible with no make-up. One could tell she had cheap plastic surgery and unlike DoDo, she has no money to fix her face. Sad…