Justine Magazine Review (no energy for a creative title today)
17 June 2009
There are days where I feel like I’m leading a double life. I’m a mom and a writer, and never the two shall meet. When McKenna’s up, I’m 100% mom. (Except on the days where I don’t get my normal amount of coffee. Then I’m like 75% mom.) I rarely even check e-mail when she’s awake because my office is tucked in a different section of the house than where we play. When McKenna naps, I’m pretty much 100% writer. Maybe I pause to pop her milk in the fridge, but I usually put her to bed and head to my office. It’s a good system.
So on days like today, when the two worlds do meet, I find myself grappling a bit. Today I made the mistake of checking the mail (the regular mail) while McKenna was awake. I checked because it’s the middle of June and I assumed my copy of Justine would be arriving in the mail any day. Justine was my first real interview and I’ve been anxious to see it.
Today it arrived.
I sat there and obsessed over it. Did I answer those questions the way I should have? Was I too flip? Too serious? Should I have used this word instead of that one? Do I sound as cool and effortless as Sarah Dessen, who’s featured only two short pages away from me? (No, I decided quite easily, I don’t.)
That’s when I discovered that I’m much softer when I’m in “Mommy mode.” I think softer is the word I want. I seem to feel each ounce of anxiety much more sharply. When I’m at my computer, when I’m Stephanie-the-writer, I detach better. Even if reviews sting, I realize that it’s not about me, it might not even really be about Skylar. But when I’m sitting in my living room with McKenna and KC, our dog, detaching becomes complicated.
Okay, I just reread what I have so far and realize it sounds like Justine gave me a bad review. They actually had very nice things to say. Their book summary is one of my favorites, and then under “Why read it?” they say: Me, Just Different reminds you that life is messy and complicated; but just when things seem their worst is when they finally begin to change for the better. Everyone will be able to relate to Skylar’s eventful journey from innocence into maturity.” And then below it “Kendall, 16” (my favorite person in the whole world right now) says, “This book hit home. It’s a really honest look at how hard it is to balance popularity and stay true to your beliefs when you’re a teenage girl.” You can see the write up and a few more comments here, but for the actual interview you’ll need to pick up a copy.
And why wasn’t Justine around when I was sixteen? (Or if I’m incorrect and it was, why didn’t I know about it?) It’s got all the fun fashion and music stuff without being trampy like Seventeen tends to be. Plus they do lots of literary stuff. So girls, if you’re arguing with your parents about teen magazines, check out Justine because it could be a good compromise.
Off to obsess a little bit more about why I used an exclamation point when I answered the first question … although McKenna’s sleeping, so I guess I’m done being hypercritical.
Okay, I LOVE that they have little blurbs from teen girls who read the book. That’s a great format, and they chose great lines to use! =)
Posted by Roseanna on 17 June 2009