Plain Jane—Not

by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 9/6/2004

Nearly 30 years ago, she became the first woman to co-anchor a weeknight evening newscast (at WMAQ-TV in Chicago). The rest, as they say, is history: chosen at 25 to fill one of the most visible positions in American TV news, co-host of Today; and now host of her own talk show, which debuted on NBC on August 30. Now Jane Pauley has written her memoir, Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue, which debuts at #8 on our nonfiction list following its August 24 on-sale date. As reported in the book's first serial (People, Aug. 30), Pauley was diagnosed a few years ago with bipolar disorder—news that, not surprisingly, has received considerable press coverage. Pauley discussed her medical condition and lots more on last Wednesday's Dateline Tonight; she's also appeared on Today and Weekend Edition, with Larry King scheduled for next week. After three printings, Random House reports 180,000 copies in print.