Phillyist Interviews... Jennifer Weiner

Acclaimed author and Philly denizen Jennifer Weiner (pronounced "Winer," not "Weener"!), author of Good in Bed and In Her Shoes has a new novel, Best Friends Forever, coming out tomorrow (July 14).

If you don’t know her books, they’re girly and beachy, but they manage to transcend the typical "chick-lit” label. Sure, there are high heels, baked goods, and cosmetics on the cover, and inside, the stories are definitely geared more toward women. But somehow they don’t make me want to stab myself in the eye like some of the other chick-lit offerings do. And that, dear Phillyist readers, is a critical distinction.

Also, several of her books have been set in Philadelphia, so it's nice to see the city represented. (Sidebar: If you haven't seen it, In Her Shoes was also made into a fabulous movie, set and filmed in Philadelphia. Just ignore the fact that Toni Collette is playing the “fat” sister while tipping the scales at a whopping, what, 120 lbs? Ah, Hollywood...)

Phillyist got to read Best Friends Forever before its release, and while it’s filled with Weiner’s trademark snark, it’s also a mysterious, multi-layered look at women’s friendships, how they grow and evolve over the years, and how our relationships affect us from childhood through adulthood.

Jennifer Weiner will be reading from her new book at the Philadelphia Free Library on Wednesday, July 15. Phillyist was lucky enough to talk to her before the event, and here’s what she had to say:

Because you live in Philadelphia, what are some of your favorite things about the city (stores, eateries, things to do, etc.)?
The thing I love best about living in Philadelphia is walking everywhere, usually with my daughters. I grew up in a suburb where you needed to get in a car (or, when I was a kid, on a bike) to get anywhere, so it makes me very happy that I can walk to my gym, the movie theater, the grocery store, great parks and galleries...and the restaurants! My favorites these days are Chifa, Supper, Morimoto for great sushi and the New Wave Cafe and Estelle on Callowhill for a quick, casual dinner or brunch with the kids. I'm also very fond of Head House books, right around the corner from my house—it's a lovely place to buy (and read) a book!

What made you get involved with the Philadelphia Free Library (one of MY favorite things about the city)?
Joining the library board was an easy call—I'm a lifelong reader, and I grew up doing a lot of my reading in libraries, so I wanted to do what I could to assist and support Philadelphia's libraries and give other readers, and writers, a chance to enjoy them.

I know you have very strong opinions on “chick lit” and the role of female writers in the publishing industry. Do you think the chick-lit stigma is still going strong?
Sadly, yes. I think it's there when the Times runs lengthy, glowing, congratulatory pieces about male writers whose books sell in the high hundreds, and runs what amounts to a hit piece on a writer like Jodi Picoult, who's immensely popular...but because she is immensely popular, because her books are about women and families, and read by women, there has to be something wrong with her (and of course, by extension, her readers). I think it's there when the Times runs round-ups of ten books that have nothing in common except all being written by women. (I'm still waiting for the round-up of ten books by men. Probably, I should not hold my breath).

The good news is that readers don't seem to share the critical establishment's dismissive attitude about the kind of books that matter. They read what pleases them, what entertains or provokes them, and they don't care how hard the critics bang the drums for the boy of the hour. 

Did anything ever become of the Good in Bed TV series?
It was kind of a typical Hollywood story—the book got optioned, the pilot got written, the executives didn't love the pilot, and then the executives who'd loved the book lost their jobs. I still have hopes that Good in Bed will show up on the big or small screen some day, but because it's got a plus-size woman as its heroine, it's going to be an uphill battle. 

What book(s) are you reading right now?
Slip of the Knife by Denise Mina, Perfection by Julie Metz, Trouble by Kate Christensen and On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, which is SO not a beach book!

What are you working on next?
Getting my toddler to stop waking up at five in the morning. Seriously—mommy's too old for this nonsense.

Jennifer Weiner
July 15, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
Philadelphia Free Library (1901 Vine Street)
FREE

Image courtesy Engelman & Company