Joni B. Cole’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
Party Like It’s 2044
Party Like It’s 2044: Finding the Funny in Life and Death
Book Summary
Author Joni B. Cole worries that Vlad the Impaler may be a distant cousin. She feuds with a dead medium. She thinks (or overthinks) about insulting birthday cards, power trips, and the real reasons writers hate Amazon. And she wishes, really wishes, all those well-meaning people would stop talking about Guatemala. At once irreverent and thought provoking, Cole offers a joy ride through this collection of eclectic essays that lands smack on the sweet spot between soul searching and social commentary, between humor and heft. Writes author and national book reviewer Joan Frank, “Here is a voice giving us a welcome break: vibrant, provocative, funny and flavorful…Cole’s deep and generous thinking makes room and fresh air: worth breathing deeply.”
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
ISBN-10: 0826365566
ISBN-13: 978-0826365569
Print length: 240 pages
Purchase a copy of Party Like It’s 2044 on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Thrift Books, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
Author Interview
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
Outline? What’s an outline? Ha ha ha. My genre is literary humor essays, and the word “essay” actually comes from the French word meaning “to try.” That pretty much defines my process. I start with an experience or memory that, for whatever reason, sticks with me, or makes me laugh, or bugs me. And then I just put it down on the page in whatever floppy, sloppy form it takes, often bringing in tangential ideas and flights of fancy. Then draft after draft (after draft after draft after draft…) I try to figure out on the page why that experience or memory feels significant to me. Fortunately, all that trying usually does give way to a story with a structure and a meaning that resonates for me, and I hope for readers.
Tell us what you enjoy most about writing personal essays.
My essays read a lot like stories, in that there are characters and scenes just like there are in fiction. So they can be a lot of fun to write because I love writing stories. Of course, the difference between my essays in Party Like It’s 2044 and a work of pure fiction is that my stories (including the one about the “magical” bathrobe) really happened to me, so writing them often has the extra benefit of helping me process and understand why I feel and act the way I do. I also enjoyed “finding the funny” in some of these life experiences, including some of the stories that are about serious or difficult events in my life.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing personal essays?
As I noted before, when I sit down to write I don’t have an outline or a plan. So this takes great faith in the creative process. I need to believe there is a reason I chose the raw material I chose to write about. I need to trust that I’ll figure out how my sometimes disparate ideas will connect. I need to have confidence that if I just stick with it, a good essay will emerge. When I lose faith in the creative process; when I doubt myself, that is when I find writing to be at its most challenging. But of course what is that saying… “If you’re going through hell, keep on writing.” (Or something like that.)
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
Given I write personal essays, I’ve incorporated a lots of my previous experiences in my writing. My essays center around jobs that I screwed up, the challenges of balancing work and family, and relationships that I (almost) squandered in the chaos of it all. All of this “material” not only serves my writing, it also makes me more human, which I believe makes me a better writer. Of course, it also helps that I teach writing for a living so I know a ton of narrative craft that serves to guide me during the revision process.
Describe Party Like It’s 2044 in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
A cross between David Sedaris and Kelly Corrigan.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
Given the state of the world, I think we all need to remember that it’s okay to laugh. In fact, it’s essential because humor is a reminder of our collective humanity, our foibles, and the dearness and weirdness of life. In addition, I hope this book not only entertains readers, but also makes them think and feel. And finally, I hope the collection reminds readers to lean toward optimism; to recognize that we are all only human, so why not be forgiving and loving toward others and ourselves.
What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author?
In graduate school I turned in a short story that had taken a lot of heart and effort to write. The professor’s reaction, which he scrawled on the back of the last page: “It’s all wrong.” Now, as a seasoned writer and writing teacher, I realize that’s not tough criticism, that’s just toxic feedback and bad teaching. While that prof’s reaction jerked around my confidence for a bit, eventually I got over his dismissiveness and, ultimately, I learned so much from him on how not to teach writing.
What has been the best compliment you ever received on your writing?
“You’re a writer’s writer.” (I am honored when so many readers comment on the humor in my work, but I am super honored when they notice the quality of the writing.)
Share some advice for aspiring authors.
Know that you can write the books you want to write if you believe in yourself, learn the craft of writing (there are a ton of online workshops and courses), get feedback along the way, and find a supportive community. I’ve taught creative writing to hundreds and hundreds of adults so I know of what I speak.
What is your favorite line from your book?
“I’m not going to give him a kidney if he can’t even call me on my birthday.”
About the Author
Joni B. Cole is a writing instructor and author of seven books, including the acclaimed new essay collection Party Like It’s 2044, described by scholar and humorist Gina Barreca as, “Fabulously readable and thoroughly engaging, it is Cole’s voice that makes her stories sing. Whether she’s leading us into laughter, or holding our hand through dazzling moments of emotional recognition, Cole takes writing seriously while taking herself lightly, and thereby illuminating the world with these memorable essays.”
Joni also has authored two books for writers: Good Naked: How to Write More, Write Better, and Be Happier (listed as one of the “Best Books for Writers” by Poets & Writers magazine); and Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive (“strongly recommended” for students and teachers by Library Journal). Nominated for a US Fellowship Award and Pushcart Prize, she created the three-volume “This Day” series that shares a day in the life of hundreds of women across America (“fascinating and eye-opening,” Publisher’s Weekly).
For twenty-five years, Joni has taught online and in-person creative writing to adults through her own Writer’s Center in White River Junction, Vermont, as well as at academic programs and conferences around the country. She lives in Vermont and has two daughters. For more info, email jonibethcole@gmail.com. Or visit: jonibcole.com or thewriterscenterwrj.com.
Giveaway
We have 3 copies to give away of the hilarious essay collection, Party Like it’s 2044 by Joni B. Cole! Fill out the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win. The giveaway ends December 18th at 11:59 pm CT. We will choose three winners the next day and announce in the widget and follow up via email. Good luck!
Blog Tour Calendar
November 13 @ The Muffin
Join us at the Muffin as we celebrate the launch of Joni B. Cole’s essay collection Party Like It’s 2044. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
November 15 @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for a guest post by Joni B. Cole about tips for productive revision.
November 18 @ A Wonderful World of Words
Visit Joy’s blog for a spotlight of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com/
November 20 @ One Writer’s Journey
Join Sue again for her review of Joni B. Cole’s essay collection Party Like It’s 2044.
November 22 @ Michelle Cornish’ blog
Visit Michelle’s blog for her review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog
November 24 @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews & Interviews
Visit Lisa’s blog for her interview with Joni B. Cole about her book Party Like It’s 2044.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
November 25 @ Choices
Visit Madeline’s blog for a review of Joni B. Cole’s book Party Like It’s 2044.
November 26 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie’s blog for an interview with Joni B. Cole.
November 28 @ Thoughts of Maddness
Don’t miss Maddie’s review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://maddiegudenkauf.com/thoughts-of-maddness
November 30 @ Deborah Adam’s blog
Join Deborah for an interview with the author, Joni B. Cole, author of Party Like It’s 2044.
http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/
December 1 @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily’s blog for a spotlight of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com/
December 3 @ Shoe’s Seeds and Stories
Visit Linda’s blog for her review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
December 4 @ The Shaggy Shepherd
Visit Isabelle’s blog for her review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://theshaggyshepherd.wordpress.com/
December 6 @ A Storybook World
Join Deirdra for her spotlight of Party Like It’s 2044.
http://www.astorybookworld.com/
December 7 @ Knotty Needle
Judy shares her thoughts about Joni B. Cole’s essay collection Party Like It’s 2044.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
December 10 @ Boys’ Mom Reads
Visit Karen’s blog for her review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com/
December 13 @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for her review of Party Like It’s 2044.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
December 15 @ The Mommies Review
Visit Glenda’s blog for her review of Joni B. Cole’s essay collection Party Like It’s 2044
http://www.themommiesreviews.com/
December 17 @ Boots, Shoes and Fashion
Visit Linda’s blog for her in-depth interview with author Joni B. Cole about her essay collection Party Like It’s 2044.
https://bootsshoesandfashion.com
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