Strollerderby : writers

Gee Mom, Why Don't You Just Buy a House?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:36:00 GMT

One of the best -- no, probably the best -- part about all this blogging business is that every once in a while you happen upon a gem, a rare find that makes you feel like you just discovered $50 in the street.

I happened upon Bette Jo's a Bead a Day a long time ago and am constantly amazed at the writing and honesty that springs forth. But a recent essay deserves special attention, because I'm sure it's something more than a fair share of us are feeling in these tight economic times.

Gee, this cool single mom is frequently asked, why don't you just buy a house?

"When I answer the question honestly, these people tend to look at me like I've just told them I enjoy mosquito's flying up my nose or something. I DON'T HAVE A DOWN-PAYMENT. Yes, I could afford a mortgage payment. I would freaking LOVE a mortgage payment. But when you live check to check, not able to save anything because all the money goes to bills and food and kids, and you have to juggle buying Christmas presents with which bill you might have to put off for a little while, there IS.no.down.payment."

Oh, and she makes kick-ass gems, too. In this holiday spirit of giving and sharing, I thought you'd love to find a new writer that should definitely be on your must-read list. Feel free to list some more must-reads below.

Teenage Trend Haters and Mass Girl Hysteria

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 22:31:00 GMT

It looks like I'm not the only one to get caught up in the Twilight/girl fad craze lately.

Sadie Stein over at Jezebel has a wonderful essay on teenage trends and their teenage trend haters:

"But I don't think it's often said that mass hysteria and anti-establishment posing are two sides of the same coin, and to a teen it can sometimes feel like there is not much of an alternative. It can be hard to enjoy something without joining in, hard to reject it without making a self-conscious statement."

Check it out -- it's well worth a look at what we can expect as our young girls grow older and, hopefully, wiser.

"Sleep Is for the Weak" -- Wake Up, Parents!

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:35:00 GMT

And get another book!

In our ever watchful eye for the best parental books from the blogosphere and beyond, we discovered this little treat this morning, and can't begin to tell you how excited we are.

Some of the best parenting bloggers came together under Surrender Dorothy's Rita Arens to create, "Sleep Is for the Weak: The Best of the Mommy Bloggers."

Filled with parenting stories from some of my favorites, including SD alum Stefania (Citymama) Pomponi-Butler, Izzymom, WouldaShouldaCoulda's awesome Mir, and many, many more, this is one books I am anxiously waiting for.

It's great to see another compendium of the web's best writers make it to the shelves of the bookstore. As always, details on parties to come.

The Truth About the Fighters of the Mommy Wars

Jen Chaney — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:32:00 GMT

Meg Wolitzer has written a new novel called "The Ten-Year Nap," the story of several stay-at-home moms who, a decade into the gig, begin to question their lifestyles. In this interview with Salon, Wolitzer insists she is not taking sides in the so-called Mommy Wars and genuinely wants to show what life is like for women who opt out of the workforce.

I have not read "The Ten-Year Nap," although now I am certainly intrigued. But I do want to draw your attention to a point on page two of the article, which notes that most of the women guiding the whole stay-at-home-mother vs. stay-in-the-office-mother debate are writers who have always worked from home. Wolitzer admits she falls into that category, and that her husband works from home, too.

Of course, that doesn't mean she is unqualified to write a novel about the full-time momma experience. But it is an important reminder that some of the people stirring the pot on this controversial topic -- one that has been known to drive wedges between friends and fire up hateful comments on blogs -- have never been forced to make the stark choice between full-time work or no work at all. I can think of plenty of people (me! me!) who would be happy to make a reasonable living by working at home full-time with their husbands doing the same. If only all of us were so lucky.

Photo: Random House UK

The Harrrd, Harrd Life of a Kids-Show Writer

Karen Murphy — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 21:27:00 GMT

When I moved back to Pennsylvania a year and a half ago from warmer/drier/higher climes, there was an online acquaintance in the area who expressed an interest in meeting me face-to-face sometime. Great! It was nice feeling a bit welcomed here. But a year and a half later we've still yet to meet. I will blame it on the fact that he's the writer for the Pokemon TV show (and does some of the voices), and that, combined with being a single full-time dad of two, means He Has No Personal Life.

Which is completely consistent with last week's American Public Media Marketplace report on the hard hard life of children's TV writers. Seriously! And this is why it's hard (one, two, three: awww!):

1. Writers must avoid writing conflict. Uh, any writer knows that it's pretty much conflict (or, if you blog for Strollerderby, it's witticisms and snark, hopefully combined) that drives good writing. But kid's shows can't have conflict! Or, the idea of "conflict" is something like "Clifford's dog-friend was shy about being seen in an unflattering pose/making a mistake/having white-lied about something," but it's all handily resolved within the 8-minute time window for each low-attention-span-friendly story.

2. Deadlines. Ugh, the pressure! My Pokemon-friend said he wrote an entire movie over 6 days on the Christmas break (how does he do it with the kids???), and that sounds "normal."

3. Kid's Shows are Serious Busines. Really! Writer Doug Cordell talks about puppeteers who stayed in character during lunch (they're PUPPETS, not method actors!!) and disputes over thngs like the improbabilities of a rabbit puppet wearing running shoes (though he habitually wore a vest).

All of which makes blogging sooo much more appealing, doesn't it?

Image: www.sfondideldesktop.com

Would You Like to Write for Strollerderby?

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:16:00 GMT

You too can look as good as Mike Adamick (pictured right) and ~~win friends and influence people~~ call yourself a writer... all while having a great time covering today's breaking news about parenting and childraising and everything in between.

Here are some of the topics we've ~~skewered~~ covered:

If you're interested,

Submit three original writing samples of 250 - 300 words each (please don't just send links to your blog posts) to Ada (ada@nerve.com) and Rachael (redsydarling@gmail.com) by next Wednesday, November 7th...

What we're looking for: smart commentary on the latest parenting doings (read the examples given for the "voice" of Strollerderby. What we're *not* looking for: your personal experiences as a parent (unless used as a jumping off point for a broader analysis). Good luck!

Sloane Tanen's New Book Is "Hatched"

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 17:01:00 GMT

If you aren't familiar with Sloane Tanen's books featuring her signature chicks, check them out. You're are in for a treat. I think they are "crazy-delicious," and I can't get enough.

Her latest book, Hatched (Bloomsbury), due out April 3, tackles the embarrassing, mundane, and just plain not-fun parts of pregnancy and childbirth with Tanen's humorous take on the subject and her chicks as the "stars."

Sloane Tanen’s work has been exhibited in a number of shows and can be found in private and corporate collections in Manhattan, Boston, San Francisco and Los Angeles. She received her BA from Sarah Lawrence College and holds graduate degrees in literary theory from NYU and in art history from Columbia University. But more importantly, she was John Hughes' inspiration for Mia Sara's Ferris Bueller character. (As we all know, her name in the movie is...Sloane.)

Check out Hatched, if only to see the horror on a poor little chick's face after learning that she has pooped during childbirth. In front of her sorority sisters.

Angsty is the New Happy: Parents Eschew Therapy for Blogging

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:17:00 GMT

Her Bad Mother is a wonderful writer who has an impressive ~~Google ranking~~ following for someone who has only been blogging since January of last year (could be all those references to "sore nipples.") She is a professor who lives in Toronto and is part of an excellent group of writers at UrbanMoms. She writes today (and quite frequently) about the angst and worry she feels about parenting her darling daughter, Wonder Baby. As Wonder Baby gets older and more active, the trouble seems to get deeper. The adorable giblet pictured at right is now a wild and challenging toddler.

Like many parent bloggers she uses her blog as therapy. And while her style has often been derided (as popularized by the now defunct TrainWrecks), reading her blog, one is keenly aware of the difference between solipsism and soulfulness. Blogs like hers are honest and vulnerable and true. Like all things of this nature, they inspire awe and gentleness rather than snark and sarcasm. And in their own way, they make the world better.