The Girls are back!

Our guest today is E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List. I received a copy of The Boyfriend List yesterday, and was instantly pulled under its spell--it's a fun postmodern young adult novel that captures all the angst and hope of teenage life (and features a most fetching frog on the cover--see below). Here is a synopsis:

Ruby Oliver is fifteen and has a shrink. She knows it's unusual, but give her a break -- she's had a rough ten days. In the past ten days she:
-lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list)
-lost her best friend (Kim)
-lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket)
-did something suspicious with a boy (#10)
-did something advanced with a boy (#15)
-had an argument with a boy (#14)
-drank her first beer (someone handed it to her)
-got caught by her mom (ag!)
-had a panic attack (scary)
-lost a lacrosse game (she's the goalie)
-failed a math test (she'll make it up)
-hurt Meghan's feelings (even though they aren't really friends)
-became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
-had graffiti written about her in the girls' bathroom (who knows what was in the boys' !?!)

But don't worry-- Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

I asked E. to create a different kind of list for her visit here, a list of women she admires. Here is her wonderful response:

Women I Admire by E. Lockhart

I admire women who live large. Who are unafraid and unapologetic for their choices. Who are voracious. Who are physically or artistically surprising. Women who remind me what is possible.

1) MFK Fisher. The food writer. But she was so much more than that. She wrote miraculously meticulous sentences that I recall years after reading them, and she was unapologetically sensual.
2) Katherine Hepburn. The actress. For cross-dressing. For being unafraid of popular opinion. For style.
3) Bonnie Blair. The speed skater. Because she was a freakin' superhero on that ice.
4) Margaret Cho. The comedian. For being so very unafraid. And for making me laugh, repeatedly and loudly, on the subway while listening to my ipod. (the clip: "Daddy Gay Story")
5) Iris Murdoch. The novelist. Her novels are engrossing and perpetually surprising to me. And I love, also, that she was both decidedly homely and remarkably sexy.
6) Kristin Chenoweth. The singer. She's got a voice that runs the gamut from ridiculous to sublime.
7) Ruth Krauss. The picture book writer. Her writings were utterly original and joyful.
8) Amy Schwartz. Also a picture book writer. For finding truths and rhythms in every day lives, and articulating them perfectly.
9) Julia Child. The chef. What's not to love? Even an imitation of her cheers me up. And she taught me how to cook.

So glad to be on your blog! And so fun to make this list. I could have gone on and on. PS. My favorite fruit is mango. --E

Thank you so much, E! It's a delight to have you here!