ust the name, The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken, peaks my interest and makes my mouth water. But Laura Schenone isn’t a flash in the pan—she’s a finely crafted author with a tremendous amount of determination. Yes, her books are about food and include scrumptious recipes, but they also provide more than your standard fare and delight even the most literary palate.
Laura Schenone was born and raised in New Jersey to a working- class family who were not readers. But her mom made sure she took her children to the library and bought some classic books, hoping that someone would read them. And it worked. Laura fell in love with books and decided at the age of twelve to become a writer. For many years, she wanted to be a fiction writer, but found it extremely hard to carve a path for herself. Then, when she was around thirty, she fell in love with food and got the idea for her first book, which took nearly ten years to write amidst having two children and working as a freelance writer. That book A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove: A history of American women told through food, recipes, and remembrances won a James Beard award. Now, she has a second book out, The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. She also writes for magazines and newspapers.
Join us as we dish writing with Laura Schenone, a remarkable woman with a ton of determination.
***
WOW: Before your latest book, you wrote a history book about the influence of food in American women’s lives A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove, which won the 2004 James Beard Foundation Award for Food and Reference Writing. What a huge undertaking! Now, you’ve written something more personal—a food memoir—The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken.
Was there an epiphany, or moment, that prompted the decision to write your own story?
Laura: No, there was no single moment, but rather a voice that had been inside my head all of my life. After I did one book that was a social history, I felt like I sort of earned the chance to write my own story. I understood better where my place was in history.
WOW: Yes, you sure did! In fact, both books required an extensive amount of historical research, which doesn’t come naturally to most writers; yet, you have a real gift for searching out details. Where did you learn this craft, or are you just naturally brilliant?
Laura: Not naturally brilliant—I wish, life would be easier—but naturally a question asker. That just seems to be the way I was born.
| "I felt like I sort of earned the chance to write my own story." |
WOW: (laughs) Well, that’s sure true! Publishers Weekly said that you have a "fierce honesty" and a style of "relentless questioning" in The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken. They also said that you had a "refusal to romanticize Italy," which brings me to my next question.
Your book begins with your memory of an old, handcrafted, wooden ravioli press, which hung on the wall of your mother’s kitchen as a decoration. From there you set out on a journey to find the original antique recipe, and your family’s history. This leads you to one of Italy’s smallest regions, Liguria, a narrow ribbon that stretches west along the coast of France. This must have been an amazing trip! Was this your first visit there?
Laura: I was a Francophile as a young woman—and learned French quite well. I went to Italy at age 21, but didn’t make a great many connections. I explain in my book how I am not singularly Italian (I am an American mutt) and how I resisted the Italian parts of my heritage for various reasons. So at 21, I appreciated Italy and thought it was great, but I did not feel any big connection.
When I went back at 40 in search of the recipes, I still didn’t fall in love. Perhaps I was beyond that kind of rapture. It was really a much slower thing that had to do with studying Italian language and going to a deeper level of knowing a place and perhaps discovering my own "Italianness" as I went. It was on my second trip, when it was freezing cold winter weather—not what Americans consider "typical" Italy—when I really fell in love. I met people who were so kind to me and willing to share old recipes with me because they want to save their own heritage, and perhaps because they could tell I was sincere. Also, I have a Genoese last name. I began to discover my own Italianness over time. And, of course, the beauty of the place, particularly the rugged mountains beyond the Riviera.
| "I researched images online of places I had been to help jog my memory and experiences." |
WOW: That sounds wonderful. But one of the things I know from traveling, is that it can be frustrating to find an Internet connection, especially in remote areas. How did you record your journey?
Laura: I kept notebooks. A different color for every journey—there were three journeys for this book. I wrote down everything. Photographs helped a great deal, as well, when I was later trying to write. But also, back at home, I researched images online of places I had been to help jog my memory and experiences.
WOW: That’s an excellent idea, and I use that method too for some of my freelance writing. I also know you do quite a bit of freelancing and have for some time. Since many of our readers are freelancers, I’m sure they’d love to know how you got your first freelance gig!
Laura: I had a very scrappy way about me and still do. The same qualities that make you a good freelancer make you a good researcher and reporter. You use every lead and every connection. Sometimes you bluff your way into places. But in my young freelance life, I did a lot of nonprofit writing to help support my creative—i.e. nonpaying—work. I actually got a very meaningful steady freelance gig (lasted five years) by answering an ad in the New York Times. Of course, I probably answered hundreds. I also wrote freelance articles for the Jersey section of the New York Times when I was in my twenties. I got in there by bluffing when a change in editors occurred. I sort of acted like I had been part of the old guard—like I had already been writing there—and convinced the new editor to take a story. It was a good story, though, and that’s why he took it more than anything else.
| "The same qualities that make you a good freelancer make you a good researcher and reporter." |
WOW: (laughs) Laura, that’s too funny! I’ll have to remember that one if I ever find myself in that situation. So, do you have any other tips that our freelance women writers should know?
Laura: If a woman wants to have a family and children, it will mean a very different thing for her to be a writer than it does for most men who are fathers. It will be harder because you are choosing a risky career. And if you are doing creative work—it will be hard to turn away from kids who really need you, in order to write your own story. You have to have a certain amount of selfishness to do that. You also need a husband who will believe in you. Mine does. I highly recommend it. But everyone has to find her own way.
WOW: Having that support is fantastic. It’s even more needed when you set out to take on a monumental project, such as your first book, A Thousand Years Over a Hot Stove. Since that was a nonfiction book, did you write a book proposal to submit to agents/editors?
Laura: It took me at least a year to write the proposal. Then it took me a year to get an agent. Part of this was because I had a baby in the middle of all this and also moved to another state for my husband’s work. Once I had an agent, it took her nearly a year to sell the project. She tried first with a trial submission to four editors. They were afraid of it because it was heavily illustrated (expensive production) and I was writing a women’s history book without being a historian. When it didn’t sell quickly, my agent rightly advised me to rework the proposal. This took some time. But the next time it went out, it got more than one offer.
| "They were afraid of it… I was writing a women’s history book without being a historian." |
WOW: So, after your proposal was accepted, what happened next?
Laura: It took forever to get a contract and get the advance (typical)! And I began working. I completely overcompensated for my lack of a PhD by spending years in the library and reading everything. I also went out and interviewed living women for their memories of old recipes and food ways. This was very important because a lot of women’s history and especially domestic history and cooking—never gets written down. I worked hard at finding native women who would talk to me. And I also did some traveling to places like South Carolina where I could cook with Gullah women and go to plantation houses to see what they were like. Meanwhile, I researched one hundred historical images from library archives all over the country (much of it—but not all of it—online). Also, I wanted the book to be well written, so after reams of research, I wrote and rewrote and wrote again. As I write this, I can hardly believe I did it all.
WOW: You should be very, very proud. You did a wonderful thing for women everywhere by recording this history. So, from start to finish, how long did it take until you finally saw it in print?
Laura: From the first moment of inspiration to the finished book took ten years.
| This was very important because a lot of women’s history and especially domestic history and cooking—never gets written down. |
WOW: That’s what I call determination! And the topping on the cake had to be when you found out that you’d won the James Beard Foundation Award. Congratulations! How did it feel when you found out?
Laura: It was a joy and a shock. I never expected it. I was mostly glad for my husband and family, who did without a lot of stuff—my time and income—while I worked on this book for so many years. I somehow felt like the honor made it all seem worth it.
WOW: In The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken you search for purity in a recipe untouched by modern technology and Americanized ingredients, and the theme of redemption and beauty seems to be a thread in your books: "I’m not satisfied with the history I have, and I want to rewrite it. I want something beautiful from this beautiful place, something that can redeem me."
As writers, we know that "theme" is the hardest thing to pinpoint, and, most often, only revealed after we write the book. Do you purposefully incorporate themes into your writing, or do you make connections as you go along?
Laura: Both. There’s a glimmer of it, as you begin. But you only understand this after you get inside a deep place. Writing is like meditation. You need to sit and sit in silence so you can become aware.
WOW: That’s so true. But I bet it also has to do a lot with editing—cutting parts to make chapters and sections flow together. Can you recommend any editing techniques to our aspiring authors that you personally use?
Laura: I rewrite a great deal and edit myself constantly. I wish I didn’t. But I’m just relentless. I think my style is to write everything out as I know it and understand it. Then to cut back to the bare bone so I can find the parts that glow. I hate repetitions and try so hard to say what I mean only once. Beginning writers try to swipe at any idea many times. But you’ve really got to cut a thing down so you say it once and get it really right. This takes a lot of time.
| "Writing is like meditation. You need to sit and sit in silence so you can become aware." |
WOW: I can see that. So, how was writing this memoir different from writing your first book?
Laura: In my first book, I felt very proud to be resurrecting and giving space to women’s voices from history. But for this book I felt not at all "proud." Rather, it is very, very embarrassing to write a personal memoir. To do it, you can’t look up; otherwise you’ll never go back in. When I was done, I felt, and to some extent, still do, feel quite exposed. But I still know that this is what I had to do so I’m okay. In this book, there was some messy stuff to deal with about my family. This was also very hard.
WOW: Your books come from a real passion that is an eternal thread throughout the history of women’s lives: food and all the aspects that come with it—from growing, preparation, and serving, to nurturing, tradition, and culture. In a sense, it’s a way of defining our roots as women. What do you ultimately hope that readers will gain from your books?
Laura: I suppose I had a certain mission, especially in the first book, to say that cooking and domesticity are a part of history, just as important as wars and politics that get so much more attention. In my second book, there is some of this, as well. I like giving readers the truth about history, as best as I can figure, and dispelling myths. But really, I’m not sure that I write to give my readers any specific messages. I write to answer questions I have inside myself. Readers will all bring their own meanings. But ultimately, I would like to give them some hope I suppose, because that’s what books are for.
| "I write to answer questions I have inside myself. Readers will all bring their own meanings." |
WOW: You also love to cook, and really fell in love with food when you and your hubby moved into a pre-Civil War farmhouse in central New Jersey and you started a vegetable garden. It sounds so romantic, and also, the perfect setting to write. How did you set up your workspace, and what was your writing schedule like?
Laura: Now I live closer to the city, and I’ve got two kids. Back then, I could write whenever I wanted because I had a lot more time. I don’t think romantic settings really make a difference. I need quiet and organization. I write during the day when my kids are in school. It’s hard for me to get cracking in the morning because I seem to need a lot of start up time. I often wind up going back to my office at night—late at night. As to the workspace, I’ve always had some kind of an office with a door.
| "I need quiet and organization. I write during the day when my kids are in school." |
WOW: Laura, you’re a fascinating interviewee and author. I’ve only touched on a few questions I wanted to ask you today, so you’ll have to come back and visit us again! So, on the author-platform side, you’re out promoting The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken at various venues, such as bookstores, art festivals, and restaurants. I’d love to know how these totally different events have worked for you.
Laura: It’s always best to get media when you can reach the most people—and that’s national media. But recently, I did a wonderful event at the Philadelphia First Person Arts Festival where I demonstrated ravioli and told stories from the book at the same time. It felt like performance art. There were about 60 people who came to watch and then eat later. It was a very warm group. And many people came because they had relatives from the same region in Italy. One guy even had the same last name. I really liked the warmth of that crowd. Perhaps it was because of the food.
WOW: Food is always good in a crowd, but I’m sure it was ultimately your storytelling that made it a winning combination. So, Laura, what’s next in the works for you?
Laura: I’m starting a wonderful new blog with my friend who is a fine artist. It’s called Eat Think Cook (www.eatthinkcook), and it’s about old recipes and modern life. My partner does absolutely beautiful paintings of food—so it’s gorgeous to look at. And I’ll be posting a recipe from history every week. We’ll also answer questions people have about old recipes and toss out lots of ideas and attitude. You can sign up for a monthly mailing at my website: www.lostravioli.com.
WOW: I will certainly do that! Thank you Laura for fascinating interview. Both of your books sound like the perfect holiday gift for any woman who loves to cook and read.
To find out more about Laura Schenone and her fabulous recipes, visit:
Eat Think Cook: http://www.eatthinkcook.com
Laura’s Website: http://www.lostravioli.com
riting is a passion, but until it starts paying the bills, many writers find themselves in the 9 to 5 work world, butting their heads against the glass ceiling and being left on the wrong side of the wage gap. The good news is—Kelly Love Johnson is the perfect guide to help advance your career and show you how you can earn what you are worth!
Kelly Love Johnson is a writer and managing editor for Skirt! magazine. She got her first job at age 15, worked full-time through two college degrees, and earned her management skills badge by swimming with sharks and being thrown to the wolves. She hasn’t worn pantyhose or fetched coffee in 10 years.
Kelly has been writing for publication for more than 10 years (for Skirt! since 1999) and her work has appeared in a variety of national and regional publications, including Flair Magazine, Mademoiselle, Digs Magazine, Parents, and numerous literary journals. She won the South Carolina Fiction Project for her short fiction in 1999 and a Family Y Fiction Fellowship in 2000. She occasionally leads writing workshops in Charleston and has been a guest lecturer or panelist at several regional writers’ conferences.
***
WOW: Kelly, welcome to WOW! We’re excited to have you with us, so I’ll just jump right in. You mention having gotten your first job at fifteen. I was sixteen and worked at the prize counter in Chuck E. Cheese, cashing out Skee-Ball tickets for children wearing pizza sauce smiles. What was the job that launched your first step into the workforce?
KELLY: I can’t say that it was my first job, though having a job at fifteen certainly impacted my plans for my future (because I learned pretty early that I didn’t want to be a hostess at Carey Hilliards, a waitress at Po Folks, or a drive-thru cashier at Arby’s for the rest of my life).
The job that really put me on the first few rungs of the corporate ladder was a bit of a fluke—I took a job as file clerk at a software company during my first year of college, thinking that filing all day would free my brain for more important pursuits, like studying and writing (which I’ve been hooked on since fourth grade). Apparently, I was an awesome file clerk, because I ended up supervising a customer service staff within a year and managing a call center before I was 25. And I was taking a full course load, summers included, in college.
WOW: Already a manager by 25—that’s amazing! Clearly, you’ve done well paddling your way through the treacherous waters of Corporate America. How did you go from that arena to deciding to become a writer?
KELLY: Everything I’ve ever done has always been secondary to my writing aspirations, so the writing came first. I just didn’t know that I could make a living from it until 1998 or 1999!
I love the personal narrative genre (both reading it and writing it), but I’ll admit to a phase in high school during which I thought I would become a famous poet. I have notebooks that date back to 8th and 9th grade, but the cringe factor on that teen angst poetry is so high I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to read them.
Corporate America was my support, my stopgap, my way to make money until I could do what I truly love. I think “working for the man” can be difficult for creative types, but I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything. My current job is a strange hybrid of creative and corporate—I have one foot on either side.
always been secondary
to my writing..."
WOW: I never spent more than about a year total in my various attempts to work in Corporate America (think square peg, round hole). In your book, skirt! Rules for the Workplace: An Irreverent Guide to Advancing Your Career, you talk about breaking through the glass ceiling. Is there really such a thing in the 21st Century workplace?
KELLY: Absolutely, and the data backs it up. Though women make up almost half of America's labor force (U.S. Department of Labor), only seven Fortune 500 companies have women CEOs or presidents, and 90 of those 500 companies don't have ANY female corporate officers (Catalyst.org). This isn’t a fluke—and it isn’t because women are staying home with their children. The number of single women who work full time while raising children gets higher every year, and unfortunately, a large percentage of those women are surviving at or below poverty level.
WOW: I think it’s great that in your book you include personal anecdotes about your workplace experiences to illustrate a specific point you wanted to make. If you can pick a favorite example, I’d love to have you share the story with our readers.
KELLY: One of the statements I make when I teach workshops about getting ahead at work is "hire people who are after your job." It tends to get a mixed reaction, but my point is that you can’t get ahead until there’s someone ready to step into your place. I’m always baffled when bosses see employees with high aspirations as a threat.
The example I use in the book is about an intern I hired when I was an editor for a local newspaper. She was definitely a high achiever—showed up on time, was enthusiastic, and made it clear she wanted to learn everything about the business of journalism. There were other interns during the semesters she worked, but none matched her level of professionalism or ability—and she knew it. Halfway into her first semester with us, she informed me that she wanted my job (or one like it).
The following semester, rather than asking her back as an intern, I hired her as a part-time employee. While still taking a full course load, she threw herself into the job. Her favorite phrase was (from the movie "Working Girl"), "I’m right on top of that, Kel." Before she’d even graduated from college, she was in charge of our internship program (hiring to firing) and filling in for me when I was out of the office.
One of the other editors and I came up with a nickname for our high-performing former-intern-turned-editorial-assistant: "Hostile Takeover." The "hostile" part was a joke, but the takeover part wasn’t. I was promoted to managing editor only because she was there, upon college graduation, to step into my shoes full-time as assistant editor.
If we feel threatened or encroached upon by the ambitious others who work for us, we only hurt our own careers. I’ve seen mediocre managers who hire underperformers simply because they think it makes them look that much better. Wrong! Hiring high achievers not only makes us appear smarter, chances are they can teach us a thing or two. Not to mention that when we’re ready to move up another rung, we have a ready-made replacement.
(Photo: Kelly & Nina)
WOW: On your book blog, you posted a quote: "When women think of power as dominance, they really hate it. When they think about power as the ability to do things, they love it. Because women love getting stuff done." ~ Margaret Heffernan, author of How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs are Changing the Rules of Business Success (More magazine, September 2007).
How do you think women can reprogram themselves to think differently about their own power?
KELLY: I think we have to stop thinking that we have to act like men to get ahead at work. I’ve seen a lot of good female managers set themselves up for failure because they were so fixated on power that they lost sight of their own abilities. I don’t care what my title is or what parking space I get or who I’m the boss of. I care about how much money I make and how I can improve my job performance.
The rest of it is all ego and we really should rise above it. I’ve seen a lot of backstabbing and “mine is bigger than yours” in the workplace, from women AND men, and there’s no doubt that it holds us back. There’s enough out there for all of us to get a piece of the pie.
(Kelly’s mood board at the office)
WOW: I’m very familiar with alpha and beta personality types—a subject you talk about in your book. (I’m definitely an alpha.) But can you explain to our readers how those two types face different challenges in the workplace?
KELLY: Because I am an alpha, I have a tendency to take charge when a crisis presents itself. I live my life in problem-solution mode: Problem? Solution. End of discussion. Sometimes I have to remind the betas around me that I do want to hear their ideas, and I am most often incredibly grateful when someone else speaks up, because it takes the pressure off.
If you’re a beta, stalling tactics work well to give you some time to get your thoughts in order and, if necessary, give yourself a little pep talk before jumping in feet first. My own beta mantra is, "I’m good at my job...I’m good at my job." I am good at my job; sometimes I just have to remind myself on days when my confidence wanes. Stalling tactics: "Let me just run back to my desk and get my notes on that," "I have to make a quick call; can we meet in the conference room in ten minutes?" and (my personal favorite, learned from my psychotherapist mother) "So what I hear you saying is that we have a serious problem with XYZ. Can you give me some background?" (and use that background summary time to gather your own thoughts).
Every beta has a tiny alpha inside—and vice versa. Let the little one out every now and then; you might be surprised at the results when your inner-alpha throws a little muscle around, or your inner-beta turns a volatile meeting into a problem-solving roundtable.
There’s a lot more to it—the book has checklists on how to know if you’re an alpha or beta, how to modify behavior, how to use your traits for good and not evil, etc.
...the dictionary defines assertive as "persistently positive or confident."
(Nina’s having none of it!)
WOW: In the corporate workplace, it seems that the women who have strong opinions and choose to voice them are called witches (with a slight consonant change). How can a woman assert herself and not be considered a threat? Or is that possibility just wishful thinking?
KELLY: In the workplace, we’re expected to be self-confident. And particularly in sales positions, we’re trained to be assertive. Good salespeople are described as "bulldogs"—they latch on and won’t let go. Men are applauded for this behavior, while many women are treated like yappy Chihuahuas for the same characteristics.
Typically the word aggressive is used to describe behavior that’s pushy, abrasive, or forceful. In contrast, the dictionary defines assertive as "persistently positive or confident." The real difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect other people. Assertive communication supports our own rights while still taking the feelings of others into consideration. In short, assertive behavior shows respect and aggressive behavior does not.
One of the most insidious reactions women have had as a result of negative stereotypes is to pull back, often running in the other direction. I’ve encountered too many soft-spoken, demure women who wonder why they’re not making sales or getting promoted. I can tell from their body language and use of the passive voice that they’re probably being passed over because they’ve become as charismatic as dishrags.
Even though I know the answer, I always ask them when was the last time they asked for a raise or promotion (or sale or new account). The response is usually some form of "why bother?" They feel trapped in a catch-22, damned if they do and damned if they don’t. "I was told to tone it down," one friend told me. "So I did."
There isn’t just one thing women like us can do (I have a lengthy list in Chapter Five), but I don’t think being considered a threat (or a bitch) is necessarily a bad thing.
"Being a good feminist has nothing to do with hating men. It’s about equality."
WOW: The concept of feminism has changed so much over the many decades—from the first blossom, seeking women’s suffrage, through the years of militant feminism that was very anti-man. Do you have an opinion about the current trend and its direction?
KELLY: Many women are hesitant to identify themselves as a feminist because of the negative connotations and stereotypes the word carries—like man hater or (my least favorite) “feminazi.” It’s easy for people who would welcome a return to the 1950s (women in the kitchen, not the boardroom) to dismiss our ideals and values as feminist propaganda. But it’s important to be clear about one thing: Being a good feminist has nothing to do with hating men. It’s about equality. We don’t want more; we just want the same.
WOW: You have a chapter in your book called “Work Like a Girl.” What does that mean?
KELLY: We are girls, we are females, we are women—but we shouldn’t let anyone take those things and turn them into reasons why we deserve less and why we should be considered weaker, lacking in intelligence, and run by our emotions.
Women have many characteristics that make us natural leaders. For instance, the very same nurturing instincts that can lead us astray on a career path by allowing us to become sidetracked looking for external validation are also the instincts that make us compassionate managers.
A good manager understands that, while the bottom line comes first, they are still managing a function that involves human beings. Women are less likely to put that fact aside, and we are able to focus both on the bottom line and on individual members of our staff. Rather than encouraging women to act like men in the workplace, the "Work Like a Girl" chapter highlights how we can draw on our natural female traits that will help us improve job performance.
"Women have many characteristics that make us natural leaders."
WOW: Do you have any tips to share to help women direct the future of their careers?
KELLY: Tons! I wish I could narrow it down to one or two. In general, I think focusing more on the bottom line and your paycheck/compensation and less on the emotional and social aspects of work life is something I’ve seen over and over again with successful women.
I learned from one of them a long time ago (OK, it was my mother) that making friends in the office is less important than making money. It’s great to have a social work environment, but the size of your paycheck matters most. I think if more women were comfortable asking for money, talking about money, asking what they can do to make more money, we’d be able to close the wage gap.
WOW: Your book is filled with so many practical and encouraging tidbits to inspire women to have the career success they deserve. I’d love to have you share your thoughts on this with our readers.
KELLY: Thank you! I’ll consider it successful even if it only gives one woman the courage to ask for a raise. Closing the wage gap is something I’m very passionate about. It makes no sense in this day and age to have any disparity in salary based on gender. I think our society has progressed enough so that gender should not be a factor in the workplace.
WOW: I admit, I’m not exactly the office politics poster girl. I never play well with others, I run with scissors, and if I get angry enough, I throw verbal sand. What kind of advice would you give someone like me—someone who likes to march to her own drum, but needs to learn to get along?
KELLY: I’m not Ms. Perfect either! In fact, I’ve broken every single one of my own rules. Just three months ago, I had a mini breakdown and came this-close to bursting into tears in the office. I put my big sunglasses on, picked up my bag, and got out of the office as fast as I could—then sat in my car and cried for an hour.
There’s a whole chapter in the book on "damage control" that covers how to make a comeback when you screw up. In the instance I mentioned, my boss knew I left in tears because I ran into a co-worker on my way out and couldn’t stop to talk because I was holding it in. I made sure she understood that I needed some space, that it wasn’t something I do all the time (she knew that), and that I’d come back to the office the next morning with a happy face on.
Temperance and honesty are our best friends. If we learn how to recognize what triggers tantrums, crying jags, and outbursts, we can better manage them. It’s not the action; it’s the reaction we should be worried about.
"Temperance and honesty are our best friends."
WOW: That’s good advice! I’m like-this with honesty, but I don’t think temperance and I have met yet. You certainly handled that situation well. Can you share with our women readers some web resources that will help them move ahead in the workplace?
KELLY: It’s incredibly important to do your research on what you’re worth and Salary.com is a great tool for that. I also love FastCompany.com—I’ve been a fan since it came out in print in the 90s. I think it’s a great mag to expand horizons, learn management skills, get ideas for being a leader at work—and it isn’t dry. It’s probably skewed more toward tech business, but I learn something new every time I visit the site (or read the print mag).
WOW: If you had one single message you would want readers to take away with them after reading skirt! Rules for the Workplace: An Irreverent Guide to Advancing Your Career, what would it be?
KELLY: If you’re afraid to ask for a raise, get over it! There’s a lot more to that, but if I had to sum it up in a sentence, that would be the one.
WOW: [laughs] I’m so inspired—I think I’ll have to ask Angela for a raise! But seriously, I think WOW! has really found a unique niche and is filling an extremely important need for women writers. As an editor for skirt! Magazine, do you see a trend developing with women embracing their all-woman audience and excelling in online and print publishing?
KELLY: I think skirt! is a unique product and I don’t have a lot of experience with other women’s magazine in the same way (other than as a freelance writer). I think it has less to do with the women-centric focus of the publication and more to do with not "dumbing down" our content like other magazines and newspapers do. We don’t edit out the big words, we would never run a "how to please your man" article, we understand that women are more complicated than diet tips and recipes. Our readers are smart and we never underestimate them. I don’t think I answered your trend question!
WOW: Don’t worry. Your answer was better than my question! Now, I’m curious... Do you have another book in the works? If so, can you tell our readers a little bit about it?
KELLY: I do have another book in the works, but the concept isn’t quite finalized yet. It developed from an essay I wrote earlier this year called "Hairy Legs & All" that ran in our July 2007 issue. I stopped shaving my legs (and under my arms) for nine months after I realized I didn’t know WHY I was removing my body hair (turns out that Gillette marketed a razor for women in the 1920s and that’s how it became not only mainstream, but practically mandatory). I treated the process like an “experiment” in feminism and came to some pretty interesting conclusions in the end (and started shaving again).
The general idea is: Can I be a feminist and...shave my legs/wear lipstick/wish for a husband/change my last name when I get married/etc. I hope it will be a treatise for young women who have misplaced ideas about what feminists are supposed to be, as well as help negate the feminist-as-dirty-word paradigm that we’re all trying to combat.
WOW: That sounds like such a great premise for a book! I can’t wait to read it—I already want to interview you about it! And I just have to say that I love your outside-the-box experiment. (But I can’t go a single day without shaving or I get all heebie jeebie about it!) Ok, now, back on track… In your book, you talk about embracing change. Are there any significant changes on the horizon for you with your book coming out in January 2008?
KELLY: I think I’m going to spend a bit of time traveling here and there for book signings and workshops, but I’m not quitting my day job or anything! I love skirt! too much.
WOW: That sounds like a great plan. And a lot of juggling! With 2008 just around the corner, do you have any resolutions for the New Year?
KELLY: I make over 100 every year and a lot of them are intensely personal, but “make more money” is at the top of the list. And of course, finish my second book. On the intensely personal side, I have some commitment issues with relationships that I’d like to try and overcome. I’m learning how to compromise in my personal life and have twenty or thirty resolutions relating to that. It’s a hard road!
WOW: Kelly, I have no doubt that you’ll successfully navigate any path you choose in your life. You have such a wonderful outlook and your passion for your topic is contagious! Thank you so much for such an inspirational interview! I know your tips and suggestions will be a great call-to-action for our readers!
Readers, check out Kelly’s site at www.kellylovejohnson.com for tentative dates of her signings and workshops; more will be added as they are confirmed. You can reach her via email from her site as well. She has a myspace page www.myspace.com/rulesforwork and will send out bulletins to her friends list as readings/signings are added. You can also catch up with Kelly and "gaze into her navel" on her Microfamous blog.
***
Annette Fix is an Editor for WOW! Women On Writing, an author, and spoken-word storyteller based in Laguna Niguel, California. Annette's memoir, The Break-Up Diet will be available Valentine's Day 2008.
© 2007 WOW! Women On Writing
e-mail: editors@wow-womenonwriting.com