“Let me get this straight. You’ve spent your entire career studying things like belonging, shame, and vulnerability, and you’ve NEVER read anything by Jennifer Weiner?”

Before I could even respond, she threw her head back in dismay and said, “C’mon. She writes stories about the stuff you study. It’s all there – connection, vulnerability, joy – gimme a break! How could you not know her work?”

For a solid hour, the 30-something woman sitting next to me on the plane ride from Houston to San Francisco talked nonstop about Jennifer Weiner’s books.

I was convinced. I picked up Good in Bed at a bookstore in San Francisco - it only took one chapter for me to realize that I probably deserved the stern “talking to” on the plane.

Her books are that good.

The Inspiration Interview Series

I launched my Inspiration Interview series back in April with the lovely Katherine Center (who still inspires me on a regular basis). I started the series because I've always wanted to know more about the people who share their work with the world and inspire me to practice courage, be free, and dream big. Jennifer Weiner is one of those people!

Meet Jennifer Weiner!

Jennifer is an incredible storyteller – honest, fearless, and funny as hell. Did I mention brave? I literally couldn’t put down Best Friends Forever. In fact, the night that I finished it I felt really weepy – like Addie and Val and I were BFFs and they had both moved a way.

There are a couple of lines on the back jacket of my book that capture the heart of my work: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we’re all in this together.

I think these words also capture the heart of Jennifer Weiner’s work.

Best Friends Forever launches today! Here's a quick overview:

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That's what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they're both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school's scapegoat.

Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents' house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She's just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. "Something horrible has happened," Val tells Addie, "and you're the only one who can help."

Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It's about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together.

Jennifer blogs here and her website is here.

I strongly suggest you pick up a copy for you and your BFF and dig in! I also think it's the perfect bookclub book. You can watch Jennifer disuss the new book here!

Inspiration Interview

Here is my interview with the talented Jennifer Weiner. I came up with this standard format for the Inspiration Series after thinking, "What do I want to know about people?"

I want to know about their humanity, their ordinary-ness, their pjs.

Enjoy!

1. Truth-telling is a vulnerable and sacred process for most of us. How do you stay honest in your writing?
I think I’m lucky in that when I write I’ve always been able to keep the conversation between me and the blank page. I don’t worry about what my family will think, or my friends, or my agent or my editor or, these days, my readers. For at least the duration of that first draft, it’s just me and the blank page; me and the story, which lets me be as brave or as honest as I need to be.

2. How do you manage your life (family, partners, children, friends, etc.) when you are writing?
I have a LOT of help – a babysitter, an assistant, a housekeeper. And I neglect the housework. If it’s a choice between folding the laundry or reading a book, the book wins, every time.

3. What are your greatest creative inspirations?
My life, my family, my friends, my daughters.

4. What are your greatest creative barriers?
I think, like any working mother, the biggest barrier is just finding time and quiet.

From James Lipton, host of Inside the Actor’s Studio:

1. What is your favorite word?
Ephemera

2. What is your least favorite word?
Scrotum

3. What sound or noise do you love?
My daughter, sweetly calling “Mommy!” at eight o’clock in the morning.

4. What sound or noise do you hate?
My daughter, sweetly calling “Mommy!” at three o’clock in the morning.

5. What is your favorite curse word?
Douchebag.

From JL’s Uncle Jessie Meme:

1. A song/band/type of music you'd risk wreck & injury to turn off when it
comes on the radio?
Does NPR at is smuggest count?

2. Best show on television?
I adore “30 Rock.”

3. Favorite movie?
“Broadcast News.”

4. Favorite room in your house?
Master bathroom. Big, beautiful, and the door locks!

5. Best concert?
Richard Thompson at Ocean City Pier in the summer of 2000.

6. Brass or strings?
Strings

8. If you could have anything put on a t-shirt what would it be?
STOP LOOKING AT THEM.

8. The best part about being your age?
Knowing that I don’t have to stress about finding a guy who wants to get married and have kids.

9. Favorite Girl Scout cookie?
Thin mints!

10. Poker or gin or bridge?
Trivial Pursuit.

11. Shower or bath?
Shower

12. Favorite pajamas?
Loose, cotton, shapeless, comfy.

13. Nightmare job?
Being in newspapers, right about now.

14. A talent you wish you had?
I can carry a tune. I wish I could really sing.

15. Dream vacation?
Private villa, with chef, at the One & Only Ocean Club in the Bahamas, and all of my best friends there.

16. What’s on your nightstand?
About thirty books I’m either reading or re-reading, including Kate Christensen’s TROUBLE, Julie Metz’s PERFECTION, Kathryn Stockett’s THE HELP.

From the famous “Weird Things” blogoshpere meme:
Tell us 3 weird things about you:
1. I prefer to eat my meals from bowls. Not just soup or stews – anything. Any kind of food; I prefer it in a bowl.
2. I sometimes eat pizza in stages: topping first, then crust.
3. I developed this very elaborate back story for my late rat terrier Wendell that I only recently realized was basically the back story of the artist Francis Bacon, who got booted from his well-to-do parents’ farm after he was caught fooling around with the stable-boy.

BFF Giveaway

To celebrate the BFF theme, we're giving away two copies of Jennifer's new book, Best Friends Forever, to one person (one for you to keep and one to give to your BFF). All you have to do to win is leave a comment telling us one trait that's important to you in a friend. The giveaway ends Thursday night!

Update on 07.17.2009 by Brené Brown

Congrats to Lolly! She won two copies of BFF!