the write stuff January 21, 2009

I spent some of my formative years in a little town north of Dallas called Lewisville. (Well, at least it was little then. It’s since suffered from full-on urban sprawl, making it indiscernible from every other strip-center-filled suburb across the state.) Lewisville wasn’t exactly what you’d call cosmopolitan (our high school football team was called the Fighting Farmers, for christ’s sake), and, well, it just wasn’t the sort of place you’d except to find a lot of future rocket scientists or Pulitzer prize winners. But there is one former resident who’s making quite a name for herself. Her name is Andrea Buchanan, and she was a friend of my sister’s while we were growing up there. She’s since gone on to become a respected filmmaker and also, just recently, a best-selling author.

Her new book is called Note to Self, and in it, 30 notable women, including singer Sheryl Crow and actress Kathy Najimy, talk about some of the defining moments of their lives and the lessons they’ve learned from them. Reviewers have called it “deeply moving, incredibly inspiring and uplifting” and “a book every woman should own.” I’ll be reading a copy as soon as my sister-in-law finishes with it. Given the buzz and good reviews, though, I think it’s safe to go ahead and offer my congratulations to Andrea (mixed with a healthy dose of jealousy!), and to say keep up the good work.