Page 10 - Diane Musgrove Issue

Women of Distinction

Sometimes when you topics such as “poor little
are pursuing one dream, you rich girls,” wives of famous
accidentally stumble upon men, royal ladies, and the
another, and your entire people behind the names
creative focus changes. of iconic, world-renowned
Author Marlene Wag- brands.
man-Geller experienced this “I've always been an
phenomenon firsthand back avid, avid reader," she told
in 2008. After years of trying me when I asked if she
unsuccessfully to break into always wanted to be a writer.
publishing with historical, "Going from reading a book
literary fiction, the author’s to wanting your name on the
curiosity about the dedica- spine is a logical jump."
tion page in one of the most Once she understood
notorious books in American she wanted to be an author,
literature inspired her to she began to write in ear-
begin researching the stories nest. But, despite submitting
behind famous dedications. several literary historical nov-
She wrote a proposal, ac- els while living in Toronto,
quired an agent and sold the Wagman-Geller did not man-
book to Perigree, an imprint age to find an editor to take
of Penguin. her on. "I tried and tried and
The genre turned out got rejection after rejection
to be the perfect fit. She’s
after rejection," she said.
Photos courtesy of Marlene Wagman-Geller for submission, and she’s taught English and history
now published eleven books
In 1986, she and her
husband moved to San Di-
of historical nonfiction, a
ego, where Wagman-Geller
twelfth manuscript is ready
researching her thirteenth.
in National City. She was
also parenting the cou-
One day in December,
I met the petite, blonde, bub-
ple's daughter. Those years
proved to be difficult, cre-
bly author at Anthony’s Fish
Grotto in La Mesa, a “ladies
atively, for the author. "Every
who lunch” kind of place
day, I'd switch from teacher
mode to parent mode. I
with a dreamy blue-green
interior, generous outdoor
years. I just couldn't."
patio seating, and an exten-
It would have been easy
sive seafood-based menu.
We sat at a window could not write for like 16
to give up, but she never
booth overlooking a tranquil forgot her dream. One day,
pond where a family of serendipity lent a hand.
ducks paddled and a foun- "Someone told me that
tain sprayed in the center. Gwenyth Paltrow was going
Author Marlene stop about our shared love author said. "Before I see
to star in Peyton Place," the
Over lunch, we talked non-
a movie, I like to read the
of writing, books, and other
Wagman-Geller authors. We also discussed book, so I bought Grace
Metalious's book."
the ups and downs of the
It wasn't the actual
writing life–publishing,
marketing, and the best way
man-Geller's interest, how-
to handle PR. Throughout story that sparked Wag-
By Shelley Burbank the nearly two-hour con- ever. Instead, as she flipped
versation, Wagman-Geller through the front matter,
peppered the conversation the dedication page caught
with anecdotes and stories her attention: "To George—
gleaned from her years of for all the reasons he knows
researching and writing on so well."
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