Tuesday, July 14, 2009

GOOGLE MALINA SAVAL AND SEE WHAT YOU GET




I was Googling myself this evening which, for those who've yet to discover, is an excellent way to NOT Google exes, and I came across the following photos. All of them punctuate particular moments in the genesis of this book and I thought I'd post them as a sort of time line. One is the author photo I decided not to go with in favor of the one currently on the book (must give props to the photog, Paul Mindell), another is a shot of me on Tavis Smiley and the third is an illustration from my original LA Weekly article upon which the book is based. I love this rendering of "The Indie Fuck"--drawn by the incredibly talented Jillian Tamaki--because her interpretation of this character ("Indie" later appears in the book version) is so spot-on it's scary. And brilliant. I just absolutely love it. I feel that this artistic interpretation conveys such a keen understanding of the subject matter and what the article--and later book--is about. I think those of you who like the book should also go back and read the original feature story ( http://www.laweekly.com/2006-01-19/news/the-secret-lives-of-boys/ ) because there are boys there that don't appear in the book version and are quite compelling characters.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

FEMINIST REVIEW

Here's are some wonderfully positive words from Feminist Review!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

"The Brian Lehrer Show" on WNYC

Here's an interview I did this morning. Wondering why there's such an emphasis on boys being victimized and minimized and maligned by the representation of males in the media. True, media has its collective cultural influence. But the suggestion that boys do not have minds of their own and can not differentiate between, as one caller referred to it, "dimwits on TV" and their own lives is a ridiculously presumptive not to mention egregious statement. As I declare in this interview, boys can watch a show like the Simpsons--one of the most brilliant shows in the history of TV, by the way, created by Harvard grads--and not feel that they have to become Bart Simpson.

Monday, July 6, 2009

TRENDS ON TAVIS


First off, I want to thank everyone who tuned in to see my first national TV appearance talking up my book on "The Tavis Smiley Show." It was great fun and everyone on set--from the make-up artist to the producers--made me feel totally at home. As a journalist, I'm so used to peppering others with questions and now that I am on the receiving end I can more fully appreciate how on-your-toes one must be when representing your creative work. I must say it was pretty cool to have the dressing room right next to Motown founder Berry Gordy (he was there to discuss Michael Jackson) and a huge bowl of fruit plus assorted snacks and beverages at my immediate disposal. I paced the dressing room for what felt like an eternity as I waited to be miked, but as soon as I step foot in the dark, air-conditioned studio, cameras and lights angled on me and Tavis, my nerves quieted and I started to get into the groove of it all. It's been so much fun fielding all the positive responses from you all who tuned in, and have made me realize even more how much of a need there is for a book that focuses on what it's truly like to be young and male in America. So many of you have written to express gratitude for exploring a topic that many of us shy away from and doing it in such a way that's easily accessible, funny, warm and, yes, sometimes unsettling. Oh, and there's been much talk about the shoes. So, for you footwear mavens out there, I was wearing pale seafoam green Michael Kors platform wedges from, like, five seasons ago that I threw on because the black shoes I'd planned on pairing with the dress no longer fit (blame two past pregnancies). Was going to post a link where you could all find them, buy no such luck yet--maybe try Ebay?

And for those of you who still feel inclined to watch me and my shoes. Ha ha...

www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=tavi08s2bb2qa3f

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

TAVIS SMILEY SHOW JULY 3, 2009!!!

Check me out talking with talk show host Tavis Smiley about the book. My first national TV appearance! And I had the dressing room next to Motown Founder Berry Gordy, which was more than cool on so many levels.

Here, you can check out the interview in its entirety and read the transcript of the show.

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