Monday
Mar272006
BOOKS: QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS
Monday, March 27, 2006 at 06:06PM
Available May 2006 - pre-order at Amazon.com
This review based on a galley copy from HarperCollins
""
QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS
About the Author
HILLARY CARLIP, author of Girl Power, has written commentaries for NPR and is a performer and artist. She is the creator and editor of the acclaimed personal essay Website FreshYarn.com, and lives in Los Angeles. You can find out more about Hillary at her Web site, FlyHC.com.
I didn't think I was going to like it (professional jealousy of a personal humor essayist about my same age, most likely), and I ended up loving QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS and Other True Stories from a Life Unaccording to Plan.
Hillary Carlip's hysterical, sometimes heartbreaking, memoir about growing up an outsider (a Jewish Lesbian) in celebrity-obsessed Hollywood, begins in 1965, with personal "highlights" of the year and retro photographs opening the chapter -- a clever format she carries through the book, so that it ends up, in part, a personalized pop culture parade from the 1960s through 2004.
Hillary Carlip is a contemporary -- a fellow survivor of growing up in the 70's; coming of age in the 80's; hitting reality in the 90's; and finding her stride, finally figuring things out, to some extent, and embracing her life, her experiences, and herself as she careens toward midlife in 2004.
From her days as an underage stalker, pursuing friendships with Carly Simon and Carole King, to recognizing her sexual preference; From her quirky career development as a teenage juggler/solo variety act to a winning appearance on The Gong Show; From her surreal life as a singing telegram performer to a successful woman immersed in Hollywood: screenwriting, pitching, playing studio politics, and ultimately bailing out of that scene; QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS is truly unique, and a wonderful journey of self-discovery, re-invention, and self-acceptance.
As for the professional jealousy of a contemporary author on her sure-to-be-successful sophomore literary effort (actually, QUEEN is her third book, see www.flyHC.com...even that Hillary Carlip tempers with deliciously-irreverent reality ("Finding the OH! in Oprah"), by sharing her disappointing experience as an author "embraced" by Oprah:
"Let's face it. The biggest thing that can happen to an author is to appear on Oprah. In 1995, when my book Girl Power: Young Women Speak Out was released, I pulled out all the big guns in my effort to manifest this goal. I set my intention, chanted, affirmed, visualized, prayed, and well, spent way more money on a publicist than I could afford or had earned from the book's advance..."
At this point, I am recognizing, and deeply appreciating, a kindred spirit in our author adventures and determination (I did the same thing with The Rebel Housewife Rules in 2004), but Hillary actually made it: She was on Oprah!
The reason I LOVE Hillary Carlip is because she tells the unvarnished, sometimes painful, but usually hysterical, honest-to-god TRUTH, skewering those happy little myths often found between the ideal and reality...
"How could an author's book featured on Oprah for an entire episode not see a sales spike? Just ask me (and Carnie Wilson)."
(You'll have to read the book if you want to know--)
QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS is compulsively readable, from 1965 right on through 2004 -- you'll love it.
Subject: BOOKS: QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS
Date: March 28, 2006 10:31:17 AM EST
HOW SWEET ARE YOU?!
Thank you so much for the awesome review!!
I am thrilled to know about you and your blog now. It's FANTASTIC (even without my great review!=))
Keep on rebelling!!!
XO Hillary
This review based on a galley copy from HarperCollins
"Compulsively Readable..."
""
QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS
by Hillary Carlip
(HarperCollins, May 2006)
About the Author
HILLARY CARLIP, author of Girl Power, has written commentaries for NPR and is a performer and artist. She is the creator and editor of the acclaimed personal essay Website FreshYarn.com, and lives in Los Angeles. You can find out more about Hillary at her Web site, FlyHC.com.
I didn't think I was going to like it (professional jealousy of a personal humor essayist about my same age, most likely), and I ended up loving QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS and Other True Stories from a Life Unaccording to Plan.
Hillary Carlip's hysterical, sometimes heartbreaking, memoir about growing up an outsider (a Jewish Lesbian) in celebrity-obsessed Hollywood, begins in 1965, with personal "highlights" of the year and retro photographs opening the chapter -- a clever format she carries through the book, so that it ends up, in part, a personalized pop culture parade from the 1960s through 2004.
Hillary Carlip is a contemporary -- a fellow survivor of growing up in the 70's; coming of age in the 80's; hitting reality in the 90's; and finding her stride, finally figuring things out, to some extent, and embracing her life, her experiences, and herself as she careens toward midlife in 2004.
From her days as an underage stalker, pursuing friendships with Carly Simon and Carole King, to recognizing her sexual preference; From her quirky career development as a teenage juggler/solo variety act to a winning appearance on The Gong Show; From her surreal life as a singing telegram performer to a successful woman immersed in Hollywood: screenwriting, pitching, playing studio politics, and ultimately bailing out of that scene; QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS is truly unique, and a wonderful journey of self-discovery, re-invention, and self-acceptance.
As for the professional jealousy of a contemporary author on her sure-to-be-successful sophomore literary effort (actually, QUEEN is her third book, see www.flyHC.com...even that Hillary Carlip tempers with deliciously-irreverent reality ("Finding the OH! in Oprah"), by sharing her disappointing experience as an author "embraced" by Oprah:
"Let's face it. The biggest thing that can happen to an author is to appear on Oprah. In 1995, when my book Girl Power: Young Women Speak Out was released, I pulled out all the big guns in my effort to manifest this goal. I set my intention, chanted, affirmed, visualized, prayed, and well, spent way more money on a publicist than I could afford or had earned from the book's advance..."
At this point, I am recognizing, and deeply appreciating, a kindred spirit in our author adventures and determination (I did the same thing with The Rebel Housewife Rules in 2004), but Hillary actually made it: She was on Oprah!
The reason I LOVE Hillary Carlip is because she tells the unvarnished, sometimes painful, but usually hysterical, honest-to-god TRUTH, skewering those happy little myths often found between the ideal and reality...
"How could an author's book featured on Oprah for an entire episode not see a sales spike? Just ask me (and Carnie Wilson)."
(You'll have to read the book if you want to know--)
QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS is compulsively readable, from 1965 right on through 2004 -- you'll love it.
Update on Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 10:48AM by
Sherri Caldwell
Sherri Caldwell
Again: How cool is this?!
Email from Hillary Carlip, author of QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS:Subject: BOOKS: QUEEN OF THE ODDBALLS
Date: March 28, 2006 10:31:17 AM EST
HOW SWEET ARE YOU?!
Thank you so much for the awesome review!!
I am thrilled to know about you and your blog now. It's FANTASTIC (even without my great review!=))
Keep on rebelling!!!
XO Hillary