Jennifer Weiner Explained

Jennifer Weiner
Birth Date:28 March 1970
Birth Place:DeRidder, Louisiana, U.S.
Education:Princeton University (AB)
Occupation:Novelist
Genre:Fiction, Women's fiction
Notableworks:Good in Bed (2001)
In Her Shoes (2002)
Spouse:Bill Syken (m. 2016)
Children:2

Jennifer Weiner (born March 28, 1970)[1] is an American writer, television producer, and journalist. She is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her debut novel, published in 2001, was Good in Bed. Her novel In Her Shoes (2002) was made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette, and Shirley MacLaine.

Background and education

Weiner was born to a Jewish family[2] in DeRidder, Louisiana, where her father was stationed as an army physician. The next year, her family (including a younger sister and two brothers) moved to Simsbury, Connecticut, where Weiner spent her childhood.

When Weiner was 16, her father abandoned the family. He died of a crack cocaine overdose in 2008.[3]

Her first novel, Good in Bed, is loosely based on her young-adult life: like the main character, Cannie Shapiro, Weiner's parents divorced when she was 16, and her mother came out as a lesbian at age 55.

Weiner has said that she was "one of only nine Jewish kids in her high school class of 400" at Simsbury High School.[4] She entered Princeton University at the age of 17 and graduated summa cum laude with an A.B. in English in 1991 after completing an 86-page-long senior thesis titled "'Never Far From Mother --' On the Uses of Essentialism in Novels and Films."[4] [5]

At Princeton, Weiner studied with J. D. McClatchy, Ann Lauterbach, John McPhee, Toni Morrison, and Joyce Carol Oates.[1] Her first published story, "Tour of Duty," appeared in Seventeen in 1992.[1]

Career

After graduating from college, Weiner joined the Centre Daily Times, the daily newspaper of State College, Pennsylvania, where she managed the education beat and wrote a regular column called "Generation XIII" (referring to the 13th generation following the American Revolution), aka "Generation X." From there, she moved on to Kentucky's Lexington Herald-Leader, still penning her "Generation XIII" column, before finding a job with The Philadelphia Inquirer as a features reporter. She continued to write for the Inquirer, freelancing on the side for Mademoiselle, Seventeen, and other publications,[4] until after her first novel, Good in Bed, was published in 2001. In 2005, her second novel, In Her Shoes (2002), was made into a feature film starring Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine by 20th Century Fox. Her sixth novel, Best Friends Forever, was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and made Publishers Weekly's list of the longest-running bestsellers of the year.[6] To date, she is the author of nine bestselling books, including eight novels and a collection of short stories, with a reported 11 million copies in print in 36 countries.[7] Her novel The Next Best Thing was published by Simon & Schuster in July 2012. Her writing on gender and culture appears frequently in The New York Times.

In addition to writing fiction, Weiner is a co-creator and executive producer of the (now-cancelled) ABC Family sitcom State of Georgia, and she is known for "live-tweeting" episodes of the reality dating shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. In 2011, TIME named her to its list of the Top 140 Twitter Feeds "shaping the conversation."[8] She is a self-described feminist.[9]

Criticism of gender bias in the media

Weiner has been a vocal critic of what she sees as the male bias in the publishing industry and the media, alleging that books by male authors are better received than those written by women, that is, reviewed more often and more highly praised by critics. In 2010, she told The Huffington Post, "I think it's a very old and deep-seated double standard that holds that when a man writes about family and feelings, it's literature with a capital L, but when a woman considers the same topics, it's romance, or a beach book – in short, it's something unworthy of a serious critic's attention. ... I think it's irrefutable that when it comes to picking favorites – those lucky few writers who get the double reviews AND the fawning magazine profile AND the back-page essay space AND the op-ed ... the Times tends to pick white guys."[10] In a 2011 interview with The Wall Street Journal blog Speakeasy, she said, "There are gatekeepers who say chick lit doesn’t deserve attention but then they review Stephen King."[11] When Jonathan Franzen's novel Freedom was published in 2010 to critical acclaim and extensive media coverage (including a cover story in TIME[12]), Weiner criticized what she saw as the ensuing "overcoverage,"[13] igniting a debate over whether the media's adulation of Franzen was an example of entrenched sexism within the literary establishment.[14] [15] [16] Though Weiner received some backlash from other female writers for her criticisms,[17] a 2011 study by the organization VIDA bore out many of her claims,[18] [19] and Franzen himself, in an interview with The Daily Telegraph, agreed with her: "To a considerable extent, I agree. When a male writer simply writes adequately about family, his book gets reviewed seriously, because: 'Wow, a man has actually taken some interest in the emotional texture of daily life', whereas with a woman it’s liable to be labelled chick-lit. There is a long-standing gender imbalance in what goes into the canon, however you want to define the canon."[20]

As for the label "chick lit", Weiner has expressed ambivalence towards it, embracing the genre it stands for while criticizing its use as a pejorative term for commercial women's fiction. "I’m not crazy about the label," she has said, "because I think it comes with a built-in assumption that you’ve written nothing more meaningful or substantial than a mouthful of cotton candy. As a result, critics react a certain way without ever reading the books."[4] In 2008, Weiner published a critique on her blog of a review by Curtis Sittenfeld of a Melissa Bank novel.[21] Weiner deconstructs Sittenfeld's review, writing, "The more I think about the review, the more I think about the increasingly angry divide between ladies who write literature and chicks who write chick lit, the more it seems like a grown-up version of the smart versus pretty games of years ago; like so much jockeying for position in the cafeteria and mocking the girls who are nerdier/sluttier/stupider than you to make yourself feel more secure about your own place in the pecking order."[22]

In November 2019, Weiner participated in the harassment and abuse of Brooke Nelson, a college student who was mentioned in her local newspaper as saying she thought that author Sarah Dessen's YA novels were not suitable for the Common Read program run by Northern State University, Aberdeen, and that she had advocated for the inclusion of civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson's memoir, Just Mercy, instead.[23] In a series of since-deleted tweets, Weiner described Nelson's opposition to Dessen's inclusion in the Common Reads program as "catty and cruel", part of "systemic discrimination" against young women, and linked it to coverage of gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's repeated sexual assaults on young women.[24] [25] She later stated that she had "zero regrets" regarding these remarks. When the story was reported in Jezebel,[26] The Guardian,[27] the Washington Post,[28] and Slate,[29] Weiner reportedly regretted her actions.[30]

Film adaptations and television appearances

In Her Shoes

In Her Shoes (2002) was made into a major motion picture in 2005 with Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MacLaine. She also made a cameo appearance in this film.[31]

State of Georgia

After signing a development deal with ABC Family in 2008,[32] Weiner wrote a pilot for a half-hour sitcom with producer Jeff Greenstein (Desperate Housewives), originally called The Great State of Georgia and starring a plus-sized young woman who aspires to be a Broadway star.[33] In 2010, the network ordered the show to series (renamed State of Georgia), and it went on to air 12 episodes in the summer of 2011. On September 16, Weiner announced the show's cancellation via Twitter.[34]

Television appearances

Weiner made her TV debut on The Tony Danza Show in 2005, reappearing in 2006. She made a cameo appearance as herself in the Younger episode "The Jade Crusade" in 2016.

Personal life

Weiner married attorney Adam Bonin in October 2001.[35] They have two children and separated in 2010. On March 19, 2016, she married writer Bill Syken.[36]

Bibliography

Novels

Short stories

Nonfiction

Essays

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Official bio . Jenniferweiner.com . November 29, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111126230015/http://www.jenniferweiner.com/theauthor.htm . November 26, 2011 .
  2. Web site: Bloom. Nate. The Next Carrie Bradshaw?. Cleveland Jewish News. August 14, 2013.
  3. News: McNeil. Liz. Why Author Jennifer Weiner Chose To Reveal Her Father Died From a Drug Overdose. 29 September 2016. People. September 29, 2016.
  4. News: Jennifer Weiner: Chic Lit. Hillel.org. July 6, 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20120812001942/http://www.hillel.org/about/news/2007/jul/weiner_06July07.htm. August 12, 2012 .
  5. Weiner. Jennifer Agnes. 1991. "Never Far From Mother --" On the Uses of Essentialism in Novels and Films.
  6. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/45712-bestsellers-10-the-year-in-bestsellers.html "Bestsellers '10: The Year in Bestsellers"
  7. https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=14180629 "Jennifer Weiner Broadens From Best-Sellers to TV"
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20110409021424/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2058946_2059139_2059138,00.html TIME's "Top 140 Twitter Feeds"
  9. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/30/LVGSOFCGM21.DTL&type=printable A feminist fights back against 'chick lit' label
  10. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pinter/jodi-picoult-jennifer-weiner-franzen_b_693143.html "Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner Speak Out On Franzen Feud"
  11. https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2011/05/24/jennifer-weiner-talks-good-in-bed-chick-lit-and-cheating-husbands/ "Jennifer Weiner Talks 'Good in Bed,' Chick Lit and Cheating Husbands"
  12. https://web.archive.org/web/20100816043659/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2010185,00.html "Jonathan Franzen: Great American Novelist"
  13. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/aug/25/jennifer-weiner-jonathan-franzen-overcoverage "Jennifer Weiner speaks out against Jonathan Franzen 'overcoverage,'"
  14. http://www.slate.com/id/2267184/ "Can a Woman Be a 'Great American Novelist?"
  15. http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/77506/the-read-franzen-fallout-ruth-franklin-sexism "The READ: Franzen Fallout"
  16. https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129529565 "Feminist 'Franzenfreude' Over Raves for 'Freedom,'"
  17. http://flcenterlitarts.wordpress.com/2010/08/23/smart-people-saying-dumb-things-part-xxiv-jodi-piccoult-jennifer-weiner/ "Smart people saying dumb things, part XXIV: Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Weiner"
  18. http://www.slate.com/id/2283605/ "Women at Work: A new tally shows how few female writers appear in magazines"
  19. http://vidaweb.org/the-count-2010 "The Count 2010"
  20. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/authorinterviews/8022791/Jonathan-Franzen-interview.html "Jonathan Franzen interview"
  21. https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/05/books/review/05SITT01.html?_r=1&oref=slogin "'The Wonder Spot': Sophie's Choices"
  22. http://jenniferweiner.blogspot.com/2005/06/in-between-unloading-my-galleys-and.html "A Moment of Jen"
  23. News: Common Read hits 10 years at Northern. 12 November 2019. Aberdeen News. 23 November 2019.
  24. Web site: Graham. Ruth. 2019-11-15. The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into. 2020-09-07. Slate Magazine. en.
  25. Web site: Shapiro. Lila. 2019-11-16. Famous Authors Drag Student in Surreal YA Twitter Controversy. 2020-09-07. Vulture. en-us.
  26. Web site: Bestselling Authors Band Together to Dunk on a College Student. Jezebel.
  27. News: War of words breaks out after YA novelist's fans go after critical reader. 15 November 2019. The Guardian. 23 November 2019.
  28. News: A student opposed a YA novel for mandatory college reading. The backlash from famous authors was fierce.. The Washington Post. 23 November 2019.
  29. Web site: The 2017 College Grad Who Got Attacked by a Horde of YA Authors Had No Idea What She Was Getting Into. Graham. Ruth. 2019-11-15. Slate Magazine. en. 2019-11-23.
  30. News: Sarah Dessen Is Sorry. 11 November 2019. Jezebel. 23 November 2019.
  31. Web site: In Her Shoes. www.imdb.com.
  32. http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/ellen_gray/20110622_Ellen_Gray_.html?page=1&c=y "Jennifer Weiner does television"
  33. https://www.deadline.com/2010/10/abc-family-orders-more-melissa-joey/ "ABC Family Orders More 'Melissa & Joey' & Picks Up Four More Pilots"
  34. https://twitter.com/jenniferweiner/status/114810728334106624 "Alas: #stateofgeorgia is no more"
  35. News: WEDDING; Jennifer Weiner, Adam Bonin. October 28, 2001. The New York Times.
  36. Web site: Jennifer Weiner on Instagram. https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BDLRRPvv2k- . December 24, 2021 . registration. Instagram. 20 April 2016. So this happened...last night, in the presence of family, friends, and way too much charcuterie, I married Bill Syken..
  37. Web site: Good In Bed Jennifer Weiner. jenniferweiner.com. 2015-08-27.
  38. Web site: About Jen Jennifer Weiner. jenniferweiner.com. 2015-08-27.
  39. Book: Weiner, Jennifer. Little Earthquakes: A Novel. Washington Square Press. 2004-01-01. en. 9780743468930.
  40. Book: Goodnight Nobody. 27 August 2015. Goodnight Nobody. 9780753176375. Weiner. Jennifer. 2007.
  41. Web site: The Guy Not Taken Jennifer Weiner . jenniferweiner.com . 2015-08-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151009080551/http://jenniferweiner.com/books/the-guy-not-taken . October 9, 2015 .
  42. Web site: Certain Girls Jennifer Weiner . jenniferweiner.com . 2015-08-27 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150816042816/http://jenniferweiner.com/books/certain-girls . August 16, 2015 .
  43. Web site: best friends forever . 2022-08-10 . Jennifer Weiner . en-US.
  44. Web site: Who Do You Love. Goodreads. 2015-08-27.
  45. News: Newman . Catherine . 2023-08-23 . Jennifer Weiner's New Novel Covers Plenty of Ground . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-11-26 . 0362-4331.
  46. Web site: Video Jennifer Weiner talks about new book, 'The Breakaway' . 2023-11-26 . ABC News . en.
  47. Web site: August 29, 2023 . 'The Breakaway' explores how society impacts a woman's relationship with her body . NPR.
  48. News: Merry . Stephanie . 2023-08-27 . For Jennifer Weiner, biking is a coping mechanism — and a plot point . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-11-26 . 0190-8286.
  49. Web site: Victoria's Secret Finally Set Its Angels Free. Better Late Than Never.. Weiner. Jennifer. The New York Times. 17 June 2021. 18 June 2021.

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