J a n c e e D u n n

I confess that this wonderful review in today's 'Los Angeles Times' had me a little teary. Sniff!

BOOK REVIEW
'Don't You Forget About Me' by Jancee Dunn
A debut novel about a high school reunion deftly avoids clichés.
By Elisabeth Vincentelli, Special to The Times
July 22, 2008

Considering that she spent more than a decade interviewing celebrities for Rolling Stone -- an experience she recounted in her 2006 memoir "But Enough About Me" -- it would have been easy for Jancee Dunn to use the trappings of fame as background for her debut novel, or to write a roman à clef about debauched rockers. Happily, she shunned that crowded playing field; she did, however, pick an even more banal one, that of the high school reunion tale. Even worse: the '80s-flavored reunion. And yet Dunn's deft sense of pacing and her old-fashioned niceness make "Don't You Forget About Me" a breezy, entertaining summer read that never insults the reader's intelligence. This is a seemingly modest achievement that should not be underestimated.

The book's most compelling aspect is that its humor, largely observational, is always affectionate. "Don't You Forget About Me" doesn't try to compensate for the familiarity of its chosen subgenre with arch hipness, and it eschews the veneer of weary cynicism that coats so many books like green fuzz on a month-old piece of cheese. Dunn laughed at herself in her memoir; in the novel it's her heroine and possible stand-in, the gently hapless Lillian Curtis, who bears the brunt of the jokes while never turning into a pathetic doormat.

At 38, Lillian is a happy Manhattanite, shuttling between her "human golden retriever" of a husband, Adam, and her job as producer on the talk show "Tell Me Everything! With Vi Barbour," a haven for semi-washed-up celebrities. After Adam abruptly dumps her, Lillian decides to regroup at her childhood home in New Jersey. She even stays in her old bedroom, perfectly preserved by her parents as if it were the 1980s wing of the Smithsonian. Because she has, let's face it, nothing better to do, Lillian decides to attend her 20-year high school reunion. She'll reconnect with the old gang from the Bethel Memorial High class of 1988 and who knows, her then-boyfriend, the charismatic, unpredictable Christian, might even show up.

Like the quaint show she works on, Lillian is slightly eccentric and rather happy being out of touch with the zeitgeist. Her idea of a fun weekend is eating tuna casserole and watching "Singin' in the Rain" at the Connecticut house of her 74-year-old boss and friend Vi. "I just had no interest in contemporary pop culture," Lillian muses without any discernible regret. This sets up a clever way to defuse the book's blah premise, since Dunn suggests that immersing her protagonist in a warm bath of '80s nostalgia actually is a step forward for Lillian.

Indeed, despite the occasional gimmicky contrivance, as when Lillian calls a J. Crew phone operator for romance counseling, Dunn deftly pilots her story through the narrative shoals that lurk in memory-lane lit: references to the dorky songs one used to love and the dorky clothes one used to wear; pithy descriptions of now-balding, now-fat classmates; reminiscences of cringe-inducing love notes and drunken shenanigans. Dunn has such a light touch -- she seems to have a sixth sense for when the cup of fun clichés is about to run over and she needs to stop pouring -- that her often-hapless lead hasn't exhausted our goodwill by the time she learns her inevitable lesson.

Along the way, Lillian gets advice from her psych-professor sister, Ginny, and the spirited Vi, one acting as Lillian's auxiliary brain, the other as her heart. "For me, high school was a crude caste system made up of fleeting social ties among hormonally excited teens," the resolutely unsentimental Ginny lectures at one point. "And why those ties would create anything meaningful twenty years later is beyond me." It takes dozens of pages for this message to sink in -- a novel does need to unfold after all -- yet even then, Dunn mercifully refrains from oversoftening Lillian, who finds herself again blithely betraying a frumpy friend she had traded for more glamorous pals two decades ago.

While many Americans' fixation on their high school years would provide ample fodder for a writer with an ambitious agenda and an acid streak, Dunn isn't a satirist -- her descriptions of human foibles are just too good-natured. And one hopes that after "But Enough About Me" and "Don't You Forget About Me," she will turn her keen eye and nimble pen away from that first-person pronoun and tackle the wider world.

Elisabeth Vincentelli is arts and entertainment editor at Time Out New York.

Don't You Forget About Me
A Novel

Jancee Dunn

Villard: 282 pp., $24

Oprah & Friends

I'm so excited to be Gayle King's guest on her radio show, which is on XM's Oprah & Friends (channel 156.)

We'll be talking about the ethics column that I preside over in "O, The Oprah Magazine" called "Now What Do I Do?

Normally I'd be sick with nerves, but everybody - and I mean everybody - at the magazine talks about how wonderfully nice she is. And how can you not love a person who rhapsodizes on her show about the offerings in the Hearst cafeteria? (Hearst publishes O magazine.)

I will have the air date shortly.

My favorite catalog

I have stopped getting catalogs - I opted out of them on catalogchoice.org, which is a great website.

However I still get one: The Vermont Country Store (www.vermontcountrystore.com)

Have you seen it? It has all of these old fashioned products such as pink Princess phones and Little Golden Books and Brach's candies and electric typewriters ("Types At A Pace You Can Think.")

It is a general celebration of Things From the Good Old Days, Before Everything Got S'Darn Complicated.

When I've had a hard day, I love paging through their soothing catalog copy: "No Batteries Or High-Tech Gizmos To Go on the Fritz - Wind-Up Watch Keeps Accurate Time." "Put A Little Fun Into Your Wardrobe With Our Spirited Embroidered Vest and Blouse Set!"

I got some abuse from my post on the freebie Dior cream that I got - so let me be clear that I generally prefer the drugstore stuff. Which is the best thing about this catalog - it carries the drugstore stuff of my youth, because they dig up all of these forgotten products.

Observe:

Body On Tap shampoo! They also have "Gee, Your Hair Smells Terrific." I'm not kidding. As well as:

Tatiana perfume! Also Love's Baby Soft, Ten-O-Six zit lotion, Sweet Earth compact perfume, and...remember this?

Yes. Your eyes do not deceive you. It's freakin' Indian Earth.

:

Julie is a city girl

Remember my best friend Julie? Well, she is a New York City girl, through and through, and I love when she visits her parents upstate because she leaves me funny messages. I'll get e mails from her that just say 'En route to Snakeland.' (Her parents' property is teeming with animals, including a variety of snakes.)

It's safe to say she will never live in the country.

She was recently upstate and left me this phone message:

It’s me. I’m in the town of Granville at the moment and everyone is having breakfast at Scotty’s, and I’m desperately looking at the New York Times. (voices in background) Okay, did you hear that? A guy came out of Scotty’s and says, ‘Hey, Mr. Kressler, you look like you’re going on safari.” And the other guy goes, ‘So far-i, so good-i.” Get it? No one in the city would that. Also we were sitting at the table and an old man came up to us and asked us what we think of Granville. I think I like New York City better where people don’t talk to you. Okay. Call me.

In today's "New York Times"

I wrote a piece that is part of a new ongoing series entitled "Who Lives There."

Here's the link...

I won't lie: the perks can be nice

I occasionally write for Vogue magazine, which is a dream gig. I once did something about Dior and was given this moisturizer called L'Or De Vie, which is completely insane. You should feel how heavy the jar is. And how about the blinding, shimmering gold, and the blinding, shimmering, heavy gold spoon that ladles the stuff, and looks like something Tony Montana would use on a weekend binge?

There's a daunting instruction booklet in many languages that calls L'Or De Vie "a masterpiece of sensoriality.' I'm not sure 'sensoriality' is a word, but I suppose I get what they're saying.

Next -and you may not have time for this if you have to go to work - you 'release a small drop of L'Extrait onto a fingertip. Breathe in the delicate fragrance and then massage the drop onto your forehead with a sweeping movement. Then glide over your entire face to fully benefit from the power of L'Or De Vie.'

Do you know I can't bring myself to open the damn thing?

A Note From Tracy

...whom you will recognize from "But Enough About Me."

We compared notes after our Fourth of July escapades with our families (she has venerable Georgia roots.)

She writes about trying to please a picky family member at lunch:

My entire family was visiting my at my home in Connecticut over the 4th. My sister, her husband, and their three children were here from Chicago and my parents arrived from Georgia. I had painstakingly planned each meal during the 48 hour visit and know that for the most part, everyone likes my food. Both my father and mother have a very discriminating palate and I aim to please. It’s one of the ways we really connect. My sister and her family are so easy to please, she's just happy that she does not have to cook. For lunch I decided to have a smattering of deli cold-cuts, cheeses, and several types of breads, just to keep things simple. I figured everyone would like to make their own sandwiches. Everyone seemed happy, except Dad. He perused the offerings and boldly stated that he would prefer homemade egg salad with fresh basil from my garden. I look at my sister, Katherine, and roll my eyes. I calmly ask Dad, “you can’t find anything here that appeals to you?” He asks my mother to please make him some egg salad to which of course, she dutifully obliges, much to my dismay.

It can never be easy in our family…my Dad always wants something more, something unusual, something not readily available. Even more annoying is that Mom goes ahead and boils the eggs, painstakingly slices sweet gherkins (as opposed to using a teaspoon of relish) and celery, adds mayonnaise and salt and pepper, without so much as a question. She toasts a slice of Italian boule and snips a few leaves of fresh basil. Admittedly, the sandwich is a work of art. It is open faced and has the fresh egg salad with whole leaves of basil woven like ribbons in between. It’s really worthy of a photo in Bon Appetit. As we are all in line to make our own individual sandwiches using the cold cuts, Dad looks lovingly at his sandwich and thanks Mom with his usual, “Thank you, Darling.” She picks up a plate and gets to the back of the line. He again looks at his plate then says, “Lynn, I can’t possibly eat this without a knife and fork.” Of course, she gets him the knife and fork.
In the end, I too, wanted that egg salad more than the cold cuts. Maybe I just need to let some of the control go and appreciate Dad for the eclectic, ornery, demanding, person that he is.

Who among us can not relate? Then - because she is a fabulous cook - she includes her recipe for Jambalaya, which she likes to make during the summer. Enjoy! (I love all of her recipes.)

TRACY'S JAMBALAYA

This is a very easy one-dish meal. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 Pyrex casserole dish with Pam. Add all of the following uncooked ingredients and stir to blend. Cover with foil and bake one hour, stirring occassionally. Remove foil and bake an additional 15-30 minutes (stirring occasionally) until all of the liquid has been absorbed. ***Add the shrimp to the dish once you remove the foil.

1 Polska kielbasa, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 boneless raw chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined***
1/2 green bell pepper diced
1 can Campbell's French Onion soup
10 oz. chicken broth
2 TBSP melted butter
1 small package button mushrooms, sliced
1 c. Uncle Ben's rice (uncooked)
handful fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp. Tony Chachers creole seasoning
few shakes of Tobasco sauce
several shakes of cayenne pepper

"Don't You Forget About Me" is out July 29

And my husband's book is out the very same day.

Isn't that odd? What are the chances?

For the past three years he has been researching a book on traffic all over the world and what it says about us as a society. The fun part is that I have been tagging along with him to India, China, all over Europe, etc. for research.
What's not so fun is that every time I get in a car with him, he recites grim statistics about the likelihood of our getting into a crash ("Did you know that most accidents occur on dry roads in normal weather during the day?")

That said, I'm so proud of him. Here is the book:

Would you be surprised that road rage can be good for society? Or that most crashes happen on sunny, dry days? That our minds can trick us into thinking the next lane is moving faster? Or that you can gauge a nation’s driving behavior by its levels of corruption? These are only a few of the remarkable dynamics that Tom Vanderbilt explores in this fascinating tour through the mysteries of the road.

Based on exhaustive research and interviews with driving experts and traffic officials around the globe, Traffic gets under the hood of the everyday activity of driving to uncover the surprisingly complex web of physical, psychological, and technical factors that explain how traffic works, why we drive the way we do, and what our driving says about us. Vanderbilt examines the perceptual limits and cognitive underpinnings that make us worse drivers than we think we are. He demonstrates why plans to protect pedestrians from cars often lead to more accidents. He shows how roundabouts, which can feel dangerous and chaotic, actually make roads safer—and reduce traffic in the bargain. He uncovers who is more likely to honk at whom, and why. He explains why traffic jams form, outlines the unintended consequences of our quest for safety, and even identifies the most common mistake drivers make in parking lots.

The car has long been a central part of American life; whether we see it as a symbol of freedom or a symptom of sprawl, we define ourselves by what and how we drive. As Vanderbilt shows, driving is a provocatively revealing prism for examining how our minds work and the ways in which we interact with one another. Ultimately, Traffic is about more than driving: it’s about human nature. This book will change the way we see ourselves and the world around us. And who knows? It may even make us better drivers.

"Tom Vanderbilt is one of our best and most interesting writers, with an extraordinary knack for looking at everyday life and explaining, in wonderful and entertaining detail, how it really works. That's never been more true than with Traffic, where he takes a subject that we all deal with (and worry about), and lets us see it through new eyes. In the process, he helps us understand better not just the highway, but the world. It doesn't matter whether you drive or take the bus--you're going to want to read this book."
--James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds

"A great, deep, multidisciplinary investigation of the dynamics and the psychology of traffic jams. It is fun to read. Anyone who spends more than 19 minutes a day in traffic should read this book."
--Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author The Black Swan

"Fascinating, illuminating, and endlessly entertaining as well. Vanderbilt shows how a sophisticated understanding of human behavior can illuminate one of the modern world's most basic and most mysterious endeavors. You'll learn a lot; and the life you save may be your own."
--Cass R. Sunstein, coauthor of Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

Tom Vanderbilt writes about design, technology, science, and culture for Wired, Slate, The New York Times, and many other publications. He lives in Brooklyn and drives a 2001 Volvo V40.

My favorite semi-obscure 80s film

....is 1984's incredibly formulaic yet supremely addictive "Reckless," starring Daryl Hannah and Aidan Quinn. Remember? The rich-high-school-girl-falls-for-bad-boy plot is redeemed by the film's two good-looking stars. Why is this gem not out on DVD?

I saw it many, many times at the Madison Cinema in New Jersey.

My forthcoming book is partially set in the 80s so I'm in that mindset right now.

Reckless also marks the film debut of 80s icon Jennifer Grey.

Enjoy this classic dance scene:

Kills Hunger - Dead!

So I'm at my folks' house in Jersey for the Fourth of July, and we're all standing around in the kitchen, as we are wont to do. Suddenly I feel a little hungry, so I ask my mother if she has any snacks. She tells me there are some Triscuits in the pantry.

So I open the pantry door and there's an open box of Triscuits, right next to an open can of this:

....aaaand this.

I ask you: who does this? Anyone care for crackers in Ant Killer flavor? Or maybe your taste runs to Bug Stop. My parents complain that I write about them too much, but if they didn't give me so much material, I wouldn't do it.

Return To the Satellite Sisters

"Don't You Forget About Me" was chosen by the Satellite Sisters as the first Beach Bag Book of the summer! Whenever the Sisters call me for an interview, I immediately drop everything, because it really is the most fun you can have. It's like dropping by for coffee with friends.

Listen any time to our interview here

Summer is here

Happy Fourth.

I'll be at my folks' pool in New Jersey, provided my father repairs the ancient pool filter ("I don't need it replaced, I know just how to fix it.")

I have the perfect swimsuit for those gals out there who are not bikini people. Me, I'm partial to a one-piece. This one changed my life. You have to take out a second mortgage to buy it - it's alarmingly pricey - but for me it's worth every penny and I highly recommend. It's by Norma Kamali and it's called the Bill swimsuit. It also happens to be Oprah's favorite.

Redbook review

Did I mention my new novel, Don't You Forget About Me, is out on July 29?

From July 2008 Redbook:

Dunn channels adolescent adult angst via Lillian, a newly divorced woman who wonders whether everything in her life could have been different if she'd just stayed with her high school boyfriend. Transport yourself back to sweaty dances in the gym and Simple Minds blasting from your car's tape deck in this fun novel about life after high school.

By the way (this is me again, not Redbook) the protagonist's name is Lillian Curtis. Lillian is my grandma's name, Curtis is my grandfather.

VenusZine

I'm in the summer issue of the fabulous VenusZine! It's such a kick to be featured alongside Missy Elliot, Margaret Cho and Lynda Barry. Thanks to writer Kate Rockwood for such a great piece.

The article can be viewed here and here (sorry, no online link).

Speaking Engagement

My folks have worked tirelessly at Project Self Sufficiency in Newton, New Jersey for the last 13 years. PSS helps low-income single parents and teen parents with various programs and services to get them on their feet financially. So I'm happy to speak at a fund raising event there this Wednesday, June 4. Join me, won't you?

JANCEE DUNN TO SPEAK AT
PROJECT SELF-SUFFICIENCY PROJECT SHOWHOUSE
COMMUNITY EDUCATION BUILDING
127 MILL STREET – NEWTON, NJ
ACROSS FROM SUSSEX COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 – 1PM
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
FREE