Page 7 - Jewish News_November-2020

FEDERATION NEWS November 2020 7A

People of the Book...continued from page 6A
Bess Kalb / yourself. Fortunately, I am an ancillary love, the pain of watching a loved one a memoir has to be raw and honest. I
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me character in this book and my grand- suffer, and how he and their three chil- chose to write honestly about the most
Bess Kalb is an Emmy-nominated TV mother is the real focus, as she should dren moved forward with resilience. amazing love story as well as a plan for
writer for her work on Jimmy Kimmel be. the future that ended way too soon. Not
Live, and a contributor to various pub- What life lessons do you hope all love stories end the way you want
lications, including The New Yorker, people take away from your book? them to, but often, that’s what makes
The New Republic and Wired. In this, It’s something my grandma used them worth telling.
her debut memoir, Bess tells the story to tell me: “When the earth is cracking What life lesson do you hope
of her grandmother, Bobby Bell. Kalb behind your feet and you feel like the people take away from your book?
shares the stories of four generations of whole world is going to swallow you I hope that by reading this book,
up, keep walking.” the reader will take away lessons about
What did you learn about your- love, loss and hope. Loss is something
self by writing this memoir? all of us will confront at one time or
I learned how similar I am to the another in our lives. I hope people
women in my family going back three will hear me clearly when I say to
generations. I always considered my- please have meaningful discussions
self nothing like my mother or grand- about death when you are young-
mother or the great-grandmother I er and healthier. We all think we will
never met, but in tracing their histo- have “more time,” and those of us who
ries and digging into their struggles, As he reflects on Amy’s gift to him – a have had significant losses in our lives
triumphs and private challenges, I fresh start to fill his empty space with a know that is simply not the case. Fi-
saw myself over and over again. Even new story – he shares important and in- nally, it would be wonderful if my sto-
though we all had wildly different up- spiring lessons on hope and resilience ry inspired others who do go through
bringings, we turned out the same: in the wake of tremendous loss. a huge loss like I did to know that we
stubborn women with a weakness for How is writing a memoir differ- humans are resilient in surprising and
pastry. ent from other forms of writing or unexpected ways.
indomitable women and the men who Jason B. Rosenthal / My Wife Said storytelling? What did you learn about your-
loved them – Bobby’s mother, Bobby, You May Want to Marry Me The biggest difference between self by writing this memoir?
Bess’s mother and Bess herself, who Jason B. Rosenthal is the co-author memoirs and other forms of storytell- I discovered that simply by living a
grew up in New York and found suc- (with his daughter Paris) of the New ing is the very personal nature of the quiet life filled with love, compassion
cess in the rough-and-tumble world York Times No. 1 bestselling book Dear story. For me, writing a memoir was and kindness, I have somehow inspired
of L.A. television. Her grandma Bob- Boy. He is Foundation Board Chair of personal in every way. To be authentic, continued on next page
by was the light of Bess’s life and her the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Founda-
most ardent supporter, who was always tion, which supports both childhood For a complete schedule
there with her unequivocal love. literacy and ovarian cancer research. of events, admission
How is writing a memoir differ- Jason is also a public speaker, lawyer
ent from other forms of writing or and devoted father of three. Jason’s information, author bios

storytelling? memoir, My Wife Said You May Want PEOPLE OF THE BOOK and book synopses,
It’s always difficult to write about to Marry Me, is an inspiring personal
a subject you don’t particularly like, account of his life before, with and af- visit jfedsrq.org/books.
and even harder when that subject is ter Amy, in which Jason ruminates on