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Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 4
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 Oh, For Frying Out Loud! Okay, honesty first: My name is Fay Jacobs and I am an author and publisher of A&M Books, a successor to the legendary Naiad Press of the 70s-80s.
Two suggestions:
First, in a stunning example of timing is everything, I had announced the Sept. 20 publication of Out of Step by J. Lee Watton, a memoir of 5 Navy WAVEs dismissed from the military in 1965, accused of being lesbians. Turns out that's the EXACT day the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban is being lifted. Go figure. It's a terrific book - fascinating, infuriating, emotional and even humorous and I wanted to tell you about it for a future discussion.
Second, I am a teeny, tiny press. And this year, my third book For Frying Out Loud - Rehoboth Beach Diaries won so many literary awards people think I am making their names up. National Federation of Press Women Book of the Year for Humor, Delaware Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year, Golden Crown Literary Award, IPPY Finalist, etc. This book too, would make a VERY DIFFERENT and FUN discussion.
Here's an excerpt from a review I got just today from Rainbow Reader:
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
For Frying Out Loud by Fay Jacobs
Publisher: A&M Books
For Frying Out Loud – Rehoboth Beach Diaries by Fay Jacobs is a jaunty little collection of essays and soliloquies that covers her day-to-day life in Delaware’s Rehoboth Beach and the world beyond. No topic or bodily function is sacred, as she takes on politics, intolerance, LGBT history, technology, transportation, rendered meat products, demon dog sitting, simple home repair, NSAIDs, and chilled adult beverages. Each entry, regardless of its subject matter, is approached with refreshing honesty, a healthy dose of self-deprecation, and enough mirth to make your face hurt from smiling by the time it’s done.
I am impressed with Ms. Jacobs’ mastery of colloquial writing. That is to say, her ability to tell each story in a simple, engaging way that makes the reader feel like she’s sitting across the table sharing stories as the margaritas flow faster and faster. The essays are tight, focused, and refreshingly didactic without being judgmental or haughty; and the subject matter is often familiar, because many of us have had the same general experiences, observations, and conversations – we’ve just never managed to do it with the wit, flair, and je ne sais quoi that Ms. Jacobs and her merry band of Rehomos achieve time and again...
The book is fun and fabulous, it’s classy and heartwarming, and it manages to remind us that we’re all in this together...
So, everything you've heard is true - Fay Jacobs and For Frying Out Loud are a two-for-one American treasure. In my opinion, the madcap Ms. Jacobs deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the Mike Roykos and Dave Berrys of the world. .. it’s delightfully bent and bawdy, and chock full of whimsy, but a girl can still learn a lot from it.
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