I'm Best Friends With a Famous Author...

Last year during my nine snow days, I discovered the author Jen Lancaster. A girl I met at a bunco party mentioned her so I checked out her first memoir - Bitter is the New Black. I've read all of her books now, and her blog is the only one I follow with any devotion. (www.jennsylvania.com) She cracks me up. NO ONE has followed my advice to read these books. They are hilarious...Jen says out loud everything we're thinking but are too embarrassed to admit. Her memoirs cover her downward spiral into unemployment in Chicago while trying to maintain her lifestyle of Prada and David Yurman - her attempt to lose weight even though at her largest she would comment, "Damn, I look good" - her timeline of fashion choices and the memories associated with those clothes - her crazy neighbors and their shenanigans in Chicago - and her attempts to give up reality TV for her Jen-aissance (get it? Jen + Renaissance). I fell in love with her when she said she wanted to grow up to be Lucille Bluth. (If you don't understand this, run and purchase Arrested Development.) Here are her first four books. Her best chapter ever is one where she describes how much she hates Rachel Ray and her perky boobs. The first page of her book on weight loss says the following:

Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. - A Weight Watchers Axiom

Weight Watchers can kiss the fattest part of my ass. - A Jen Lancaster Axiom

Soooo, this summer I decided to email her even though the possibility of a reply was non-existent. But last Friday night I was at home alone watching Project Runway on the computer (BTW - Jen would love that I was watching that) when I checked my AOL. She replied! Months later, Jen sent me an email! Here's my original email and her response. I'm waiting for it to be posted to her blog, but I thought my blog would do for now.

Hey Jen - love your books! You probably won't read this but I had to send an email about shopping at Books A Million tonight.

I was roaming the aisles of BAM tonight when I stumbled upon stacks of Bitter on a table in the center of the store. I thought it was strange because this store only gets a few copies of your books when they are released. Upon closer inspection, I found that the table was labeled "New Classics." This made me smile and giggle a bit.

Soon you'll be on required reading lists for schools across America. Best. Class. Ever.

Thanks for your books...they always make me laugh!

Sincerely,
Lyndsey in Kentucky

Lyndsey,

New Classics?! Ha!!

Have you ever seen the movie Idiocracy?! It shows our future civilization as a place where my books WOULD be required reading!

Thanks for writing and giving me my laugh of the day!

Best,

Jen