Channeling Erma
April 13, 2010
I’m just in the process of packing my suitcase for a flight tomorrow to Dayton, Ohio. “Dayton?” you ask. Yes, Dayton! I’m off to the former stomping grounds of Erma Bombeck. I was not suddenly compelled to stalk the Ghost of Erma but rather I enrolled in a writing conference at her alma mater (University of Dayton) bearing her name and given in honour of her contribution to Human Interest and Humour Writing. Fancying myself a future generator of reams of writing in the same categories I was inspired to sign up and learn what tricks of the trade other followers and devotees of Erma can share. I’m already feeling inspired!
This seems like a good time to list some of Erma’s classic works (the titles alone are good fun!)
(If Life is A Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?; Family – The Ties that Bind … and Gag!; The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank; When you Look Like Your Passport Photo, It’s Time to Go Home; I Lost Everything in the Post-Natal Depression; At Wit’s End)
There are other titles as well and a few compilations of her most loved essays … check out your used book store or amazon as many are out of print.
The conference has a very full agenda but I am eagerly anticipating at least 5 hours of uninterrupted reading time on the plane – each way! Envious? I’m on a roll having recently finished Let the Great World Spin, On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which were all really good. I’m half way through a comical tale called “A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian” by Marina Lewycka and hope to finish it tonight so I can be efficient and pack to the full reading capacity! My bedside is stacked with options of course … I’ll let you know what I choose when I get back.
