J a n c e e D u n n: One of the greats

Read the Books

Dunn does a good job of keeping the reader wanting to know ‘What’s next?” in this crazy, yet oh-so typical family’s life....When a reader can connect with an author’s words, a book suddenly becomes magical – and there is magic here. Sacramento Book Review
Click to buy Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo? And Other Questions I Wish I Never Had to Ask: Amazon| Borders| Indiebound.com | BN.com | Powells.com
In her early forties, Jancee Dunn began to wonder why she still felt like a 13-year-old around her family. Talking to her friends, she found the same was true for them—despite successful jobs, marriages, and families of their own. Do we ever really grow up, she wonders? Why is the slow, sticky process of prying ourselves free from our parents and childhoods so difficult? In Why Is My Mother Getting a Tattoo?, Dunn examines the phenomenon, with scenes ranging from a "haunted Savannah" tour gone wrong to a visit to a tattoo parlor with her sixty-ish mother, who is dying to get a raven inked on her wrist. Finally, Dunn and her sisters arrange a visit to the house where they grew up, a bittersweet but comic experience that answers her questions and puts her at peace with her parents—until the next tattoo parlor visit, at least.

"I want Jancee Dunn to make me a pie. Actually, I want to sit around and listen to her entire family argue about what type of pie. Such is the extreme charm of her world. No matter the subject, Dunn's gimlet eye for all of life’s minor infractions and daily quirks is superbly addictive."
—Sloane Crosley, I Was Told There'd Be Cake

Click to Buy Don't You Forget About Me from Amazon | Booksense.com | BN.com | Powells.com
The hysterical debut novel from former Rolling Stone writer Jancee Dunn features the humor of Laurie Notaro or Merrill Markoe combined with the music-induced nostalgia of Rob Sheffield’s Love Is a Mix Tape.

Lillian Curtis, a 30-something New York City television producer, finds her past and present colliding when she moves back in with her parents, where time seems frozen in 1988 – in her room, there’s a Rick Springfield tape on her dresser and Duran Duran posters hanging on the wall. Back in New Jersey after twenty years, she is forced to confront not only her 80’s nostalgia, but also all the people she thought she’d left behind – including her high school boyfriend.

"Steeped in 80s-era references (Rick Springfield cassettes, Duran Duran posters, and Anais Anais perfume, anyone?), the flashback elements of Lily's life are breezy, reliably tacky fun. But unexpected moments of tenderness...give the story heart."
—People

"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 Los Angeles Times

"In addition to being an impressive treasure trove of cultural references both high and (frequently) low, Jancee Dunn is also a tenderhearted novelist. DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME is wistful, graceful, and seriously funny.
—Meg Wolitzer, The Ten-Year Nap

One of the "top upcoming summer reads..."
—Daily Candy

Click to buy But Enough About Me: Amazon | Booksense.com | BN.com | Powells.com

When the girl next door lands a dream job interviewing celebrities and rock stars at Rolling Stone, the result is Almost Famous meets Working Girl: A hip and funny true story of the pleasures and perils of the red carpet.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I loved this book from start to finish ... Jancee Dunn is a wonderful storyteller."
Curtis Sittenfield, author of Prep

"Jancee has "dunn" (pun intended) a spectacular job ... I am so proud to be a part of it.."
Dolly Parton

"Hilarious -- you won’t be able to keep from reading the whole thing." Matthew Klam, author of Sam the Cat

Don't You Forget About Me: The Playlist

What the Critics Are Saying

Meet the Cast of Characters

Bonus Book Chapters!

November 2009

Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

Subscribe to this blog's feed

About

Blog powered by TypePad

« I send holiday cards to sanitation workers, and suggest you do the same | Main | Reading Thursday night »

One of the greats

I'm on the Bob Edwards Show tomorrow on XM and Sirius!

The Bob Edwards Show airs Monday through Friday 8-9 AM (eastern time) on XM Channel 133 and Sirius Channel 196.

Bob hosted NPR's "Morning Edition" for nearly a quarter century, so for me, his voice is as familiar as that of a close friend. Peabody-winning Radio Hall of Famer Edwards is one of the best interviewers on the planet, so I was beyond excited.

I taped the interview recently and at one point, I burbled 'that's a good question!' Well, of course it is: he's frickin' Bob Edwards.

July 06, 2009 | Permalink

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d834533a5e69e2011571ca8f11970b

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference One of the greats:

Comments

I really enjoyed your Bob Edwards interview. What fun!

Posted by: Willy Bemis | July 12, 2009 at 01:34 AM

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

Posted by: |

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type:

Your comment has been saved. Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by the author. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Meet the Author

Jancee Dunn grew up in Chatham, New Jersey. She was a writer at Rolling Stone from 1989-2003, where she wrote twenty cover stories for the magazine. She has written for many different publications, among them the New York Times, Vogue,GQ (where she wrote a monthly sex advice column for five years) and O: The Oprah Magazine, where she writes a monthly ethics column entitled "Now What Do I Do?" From 2001-2002 she was an entertainment correspondent for Good Morning America. Prior to that she was a veejay for MTV2 from 1996 until 2001. Her memoir "But Enough About Me," about her life as chronically nervous celebrity interviewer, came out in 2006. Her novel "Don't You Forget About Me" is out in July 2008. She and her husband live in Brooklyn, New York.

Keep Up With Jancee

Want to receive notice of new books, readings and events, and other sundry tidbits of Jancee Dunn?
Click Here to Subscribe to the Jancee Dunn newsletter

What Do I Do Now?

Each month in O, the Oprah Magazine, I ask a panel of ethics experts to answer readers' ethical dilemmas both big and small.

You Can Help Me Out by Suggesting Your Own

Contact Jancee Dunn

Editorial inquiries for
Jancee Dunn:
David McCormick
McCormick & Williams Literary Agents
37 W. 20th Street
New York, NY 10011
mccormickwilliams.com

Readings,
Events,
and Media

Previous Articles, Essays, and Fiction

Thanks Typepad!

Lately Enjoying

The best cupcakes in the world. Make them, bring to a dinner party and watch everyone FREAK OUT. My secret weapon.
Barefoot Contessa Pantry - Chocolate Cupcake & Chocolate Frosting
Kate Christensen: The Great Man
The Great Man: A Novel
It's David Attenborough's Planet... We Just Live On It
Planet Earth (BBC DVD)
Lord Whimsy, Foe of Sportswear and Collector of Moths
The Affected Provincial's Companion, Vol. I: A Bounteous Selection of Essays (Hardcover)

The MTV2 Years

So You Want to be a Vee-Jay?
A Collection of Outtakes, Highlights, And Other Assorted MTV2 Madness

Recent Posts

Texas Book Festival

My writing process

Cassettes From My Ex

Two cheery e mail forwards from my father

One of my favorite blogs

My Austin itinterary

Betsy-Tacy (and let's not forget Tib)

Texas Book Festival

For aspiring writers

I love my readers, part five

Technorati

Search

WWW
janceedunn.typepad.com