Authors on the Air: Judd's Breakthrough

by Staff, PW Daily for Booksellers -- Publishers Weekly, 3/11/2005

On the View today, Koren Zailckas delivered a cautionary tale with Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood (Viking, $21.95; Tantor Media unabridged CD, $34.99). PW found Smashed smashing, giving it a starred review: "Zailckas is unsparingly insightful and acutely aware of what drinking can and does do to girls. She explains that while kids are taught that drugs are always dangerous, alcohol is perceived as an acceptable rite of passage. Her book is deeply moving, written in poetic, nuanced prose that never obscures the dangerous truths she seeks to reveal."

Today on the Diane Rehm Show, Ellen Langer led a colorful discussion about On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself through Mindful Creativity (Ballantine, $24.95). PW wrote: "What keeps us from becoming the artists we dream of being and living our lives to the fullest? Langer (Mindfulness), a professor of psychology at Harvard, shares her own journey as an untaught painter. . . . She deftly weaves into her own story a wide variety of studies that examine the obstacles ordinary people put in the way of their own creativity. . . . Langer's work will strike some as a bit naïve--does she believe 'real' artists are never self-critical? Still, Langer has much to say that's useful on art as self-revealing and life-enhancing that will inspire many readers."

Naomi Judd was in tune with the Jane Pauley Show yesterday as she talked about Naomi's Breakthrough Guide: 20 Choices to Transform Your Life (S&S, $12). PW found this guide "uplifting, and one of the more solid of the various 'self-help' titles from celebrities. . . . Country singing superstar Judd overcame medical odds by recovering from hepatitis C and wants others to benefit from her health regimen. In this lively and inspirational book, she offers a mix of autobiography, medical advice and just plain homespun talk from one plucky Southerner."

For more detailed information about author appearances on these shows and others as well as listings of book mentions and book reviews, see Motor Online. The service monitors nationally broadcast TV and radio programs and develops comprehensive listings of books, music, magazines, videos, film and software featured on more than 60 programs.

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This article originally appeared in the March 10, 2005 issue of PW Daily for Booksellers. For more information about PW Daily, including a sample and subscription information, click here »

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