Good morning, and welcome to our little corner of the blog world, hosted by There’s A Book, in which we peel away those onions and share bits and pieces of ourselves.
Today our host is asking this question, which is one that will require some thought:
WHO IS A FAMOUS PERSON (DEAD OR ALIVE) THAT YOU MOST ADMIRE? AND WHY?
Admiration has many facets to it, and maybe I’ll admire one person for some fantastic deed and another for a great creation…so I’m struggling here.
I’m thinking that, as a writer, I should go with someone who has excelled in the writing field. Someone whose work inspires me and even spurs me on to my own achievements.
But before I answer that question, I should probably consider what constitutes fame. Is it enough that the person has written bestselling works? Or is more required? Maybe the person I have in mind is not someone everyone knows, so does that mean that person isn’t famous?
As you can tell, I have qualms. But I do know one thing. The person I have in mind is someone whose every work I will read, if I can get my hands on the book. And I have read a couple of her memoirs, so I have a feeling about the journey she has traveled. So…okay, folks. I am going to go with:
JOYCE MAYNARD
Her latest book was The Good Daughters, which I reviewed HERE.
When she was eighteen, she wrote a cover story for a popular magazine about growing up “old” in the sixties; later she developed this story into a book, Looking Back: A Chronicle of Growing Up Old in the Sixties, published when she was only nineteen.
Over the years, she has been a columnist, a newspaper reporter, a radio commentator, and finally a novelist. To Die For became a feature film starring Nicole Kidman, directed by Gus van Sant.
In 1998, she published a memoir entitled At Home in the World, in which she describes her youthful relationship with J. D. Salinger, among other things.
She has also written true crime novels, like Internal Combustion: The Story of a Marriage and a Murder in the Motor City.
Nowadays, she also conducts annual writing workshops at Lake Atitlan.
All the while, she has been a single parent (for most of that time) to three children.
What’s not to admire?
So who did you all pick today? I’m eager for you to stop by and share your comments and links.
SNOW SPARKS 
I have never read any of her books, but am going to put her on my tbr list after reading this post. Thank you for introducing her.
CMash
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Thanks, Cheryl…I’m hoping you do read at least one of her books…and then you may be hooked, just as I am!
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Wow, I’d never heard of this author, but she sounds admirable – doing all she does while parenting on her own! Wow!
Here’s mine
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Thanks for stopping by, Jessi….hope you have a great weekend.
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I don’t think I have ever read any of her work, must rectify that!
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Oh, you should, Gwen! And thanks for stopping by.
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I think she’s a perfect selection for you. It’s always seems to be someone who really inspires us in our greatest passions, I think. My mom actually reads her books and loves them. If I had more time in the day, I think I would as well. Great choice!
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Thanks for stopping by, Danielle…Yes, we definitely have to follow our own passions.
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“Admiration has many facets to it, and maybe I’ll admire one person for some fantastic deed and another for a great creation…so I’m struggling here.”
Well said! I agree.
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Oh, thanks, J. Kaye…You’re making the rounds today. It’s good to see you.
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