Reading, Writing, and Motherhood: Just Like Erma Bombeck

On Mother’s Day, I was sitting in front of my blank computer screen, thinking about the show I just watched on humorist and columnist Erma Bombeck.

Erma and I have a lot in common. I write two weekly newspaper columns just like she did. I’ve written several books, albeit only two of mine are published. She’s had ten on the New York Times Best-Sellers list. We’re both from the Mid-West. She’s from Ohio; I’m from Indiana. We both settled in the West–I’m in Utah; she moved to Arizona. And we both try to see the humor of life, although I think she’s much better at it than I am.

A journalist by trade, Erma knew the importance of reading and the joy of writing. Despite being told by a college professor that she would never make a career as a writer, Bombeck saw her goal, then did everything in her power to make her dreams come true while raising three children with her husband. She wrote about the experiences of her family, although the stories were sometimes embellished to enhance the possibility for humor. She taught us much about the importance for laughter and brought us some of the funniest pieces ever written for women.

Despite the health issues of breast cancer and polycystic kidney disease which eventually claimed her life, Bombeck continued her weekly schedule of housework which provided the fodder for her newspaper columns. "If I didn't do my own housework, then I have no business writing about it. I spend 90 percent of my time living scripts and 10 percent writing them," Bombeck once said to the New York Times. Bombeck published more than four thousand syndicated columns in 900 papers nationwide, wrote 15 best-selling books, and became one of the world's most beloved humorist columns before her death in 1996.

Although I never expect to write as many columns, publish as widely, or be as funny as Erma Bombeck, I want to thank her for proving that women have a place in the world of newspaper columnists. I only hope that someone finds my columns occasionally as funny, interesting, or true to life as those she gave to her readers.

The Book Club Dilemma

In the past few weeks I’ve watched with interest the online discussion of a group of women about their concerns over starting a book club. “What kinds of books should we read? What if club members are offended by the books we choose? Are there books that are more in line with the beliefs of our particular group of members? Must every book be religious in nature if our group starts as an outreach program of our church?”

How can you tell what book is appropriate for your book group to read? The same way you select a book for yourself. Is the book entertaining and the subject interesting? Are there characters the club members can identify or sympathize with? Are the language and situations appropriate to your values? Can readers make connections to the book and themselves, another text, or the world?

When choosing a book for your club, where is the line between censorship and individual choice? If a book club attempts to select books based only on clean content and language, then the club will likely fail. Stories without conflict are boring, if they can be classified as a story at all. Looking only for books that are wholesome in content might leave readers bored and dropping out of the group. Unfortunately, all literature might have some element that someone will find controversial.

When selecting a book, whether it be for a book club, family, or to read on your own, we should always remember that each of us has our own level of comfort. We need to respect the rights of others to choose to read along with us, or to elect not to join. If we find a book to be out of our own personal comfort zone, then skip the discussion. Don’t rely on the comments others make about the book as your sole reason to join or skip a conversation.

Novels allow us a safe place to discuss values, choices, and character motivation. When we have the safety net of discussing fictional characters rather than actual life situations, we discover those universal themes that allow us to grow in character and provide an impetus for discussion.

Books clubs have been around almost as long as books themselves. Find the one that best fits your schedule and taste, and enjoy the friendships that develop though discussing a good book.

A Classic Moment

Sometimes I get in a mood where only a classic will do. One week found me watching Curley Top which starred Shirley Temple, reading a biography of the young child star by Lester David, finishing Dean & Me: A Love Story by Jerry Lewis, starting a biography about Johnny Carson written by Ed McMahon, and pausing at a couple of I Love Lucy episodes as I channel-surfed. My kids like to tease me by saying those things aren’t classics for me, but the boys are not quite right. Sure, I grew up watching Johnny Carson late at night, but the other shows were only contemporary for my parents and grandparents.

I was chatting with my husband about my re-infatuation with the classics and how sad it makes me to know my children are not exposed to the same brand of comedy today. I Love Lucy first aired October 15, 1951, and has never been off television since then. Somehow, I can’t quite imagine the same longevity for Malcolm in the Middle. Since Friday May 22, 1992, we haven’t climbed into bed at the words, “Here’s Johnny!” Sure, we have Jay and David to keep us company, but somehow it’s just not the same as watching the Amazing Carnack. Nostalgia for the wacky comedy of Jerry Lewis and the crooner tunes my mother used to play has found me watching an old Matt Helm movie starring Dean on Encore a few days ago and watching Jerry turn into The Nutty Professor trying to impress the lovely Stella Stevens on a local station as well. Newer versions of Jerry’s films tend to run more crass than funny, and remakes of Dean’s movies seem to be stuck at Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. Both the Shirley Temple selections came to me thanks to the Spanish Fork library.

When it comes to books, too, sometimes only a classic will do. It’s amazing the great stories that are out there, waiting to be read by a whole new generation of readers. As you join me in this column and at Lu Ann's Book Review, I plan to provide a balance between the old and the new. I hope you’ll give both kinds of books a try and maybe by reading something old you’ll discover something new.

Have You Read a Good Book Lately?

I am a reader, and I love to talk about books. I spend most of the school day engaged in conversation with teenagers about the latest adolescent fiction I’ve discovered, or books they want me to read. We discuss the best of the best in classics, and pan the books we’d rank among the worst. Current and former students approach me to beg for titles that are appropriate for them, and I’m always ready to give a list that will cover their reading needs for the next year.

But kids aren’t the only ones who ask me about book recommendations. The first week I wrote this column, I did a professional book review for the National Council of Teachers of English NCTE Selects program, reviewed a middle grade novel for the International Reading Association’s Signal Journal, and submitted a list of 100 recommendations for great short reads to Bookmarks Magazine. I had a pleasant conversation about adolescent novels on the steps of the Spanish Fork Library with library director Pam Jackson, talked with members of my book club about several books that are being made into movies, and discussed a few new releases with my writer’s critique group.

A walk through either my home or classroom would convince you that books are an important part of my life, a part that I’m happy to share with anyone at almost anytime. And that’s what I do in my column each week at the Spanish Fork News. My teaching, writing, and speaking careers provide multiple venues for me to talk about middle grade and adolescent novels, but I know that adults are always looking for a good book as well. I hope you’ll join me each week as I write about topics related to reading, and that you’ll read some of the books I recommend to you, too.