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Shiksa Goddess
Celebrated playwright and magnetic wit Wendy Wasserstein has been firmly rooted in New York’s cultural life since her childhood of Broadway matinees, but her appeal is universal. Shiksa Goddess collects thirty-five of her urbane, inspiring, and deeply empathic essays–all written when she was in her forties, and all infused with her trademark irreverent humor.
The full range...more
The full range...more
Paperback, 256 pages
Published
May 14th 2002
by Vintage
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I feel late to the game in reading this one, as it was published in 2001 and a lot of the essays seem topical. Several of the essays were deeply personal; I found the ones on her sister's death and her daughter's birth particularly moving. Other essays felt more like inside jokes for New Yorkers and theater types. It makes me sad to think that Wasserstein didn't live long enough to see her daughter grow up. Her passion for the arts is an inspiring legacy.
When I read the book jacket cover, the description made me think I was going to LOVE this book described as Wendy Wasserstein’s essays on life in her 40s. Upon completion,
I felt like a movie trailer where the best parts were already pulled out for you. The book is easy to read since it is compiled of 35 short essays on different subjects. Overall, I really enjoyed and related to only a handful. Many were relative to the theater, arts and somewhat dated stories on Hollywood figures (Jam...more
I felt like a movie trailer where the best parts were already pulled out for you. The book is easy to read since it is compiled of 35 short essays on different subjects. Overall, I really enjoyed and related to only a handful. Many were relative to the theater, arts and somewhat dated stories on Hollywood figures (Jam...more
There were a few gems in this book of essays, for example when the author wrote about her childhood and family, but it was tough slogging through the rest of the essays that would probably only be interesting if you were a theater/dance aficionado in New York City. It also felt like there was a lot of annoying name dropping (many of whom I didn’t even know because they are famous theater people in New York). So overall the writer has potential but I didn’t enjoy this particular book.
With her characteristic humor and ability to face the facts, Wasserstein explores the state of the arts in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s and reveals sources of her inspiration from the lives of family members and her generation of women. Of course I was interested in her backstage stories and descriptions of working on her shows, but especially touching are the essays describing her visit through Poland with her older sister as they located where their mother's family had lived pr...more
I really like Wendy Wasserstein and it's a shame that her life was cut short. This series of essays deals with her life while she was in her forties dealing with her sister's cancer and trying to become pregnant. Really heartwarming and heartbreaking.
If you like Wendy Wasserstein, or theater, or New York, this collection of essays could be quite entertaining. If you don't have a particular interest in at least one of those things, I doubt more than a couple of the essays will be especially interesting.
Some of these essays were hysterical, others are more time-specific. It was odd to read the stories and essays with the knowledge that within a few years of completing the book, she was diagnosed with and died of cancer.
I really enjoyed this collection of witty, sometimes thought-provoking essays. I think Wendy Wasserstein was a visiting Professor or something at Amherst when I was there, and I'm truly sorry I didn't get to know her.
I started reading this book thinking it was a sure fire "fall back." That is, that I was going to love it, it would be easy reading, and I would be through it in a flash. And, I'm honestly surprised that I found it really banal, uninteresting and totally without bite. I wanted light and funny, and who would've thunk it, this is simply TOO light, not very witty, and and pretty much without substance (those who know me, are saying, WHAT????). These essays skim so many topics so much a...more
I was so disappointed by this book - it felt trivial and too self-deprecating. I wonder if her other essay collections are better!
I really liked this book and read it after she died which made me very sad as I felt as if we had lost a great voice
First, I have to confess to not having read any of Wendy Wasserstein's plays. Now, with that out of the way - I really enjoyed this book. It was somewhat of a bittersweet read, knowing that she died several years ago. But, there were many parts that were laugh-out-loud funny. I strongly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of New York and/or the theatre.
Book club book
I enjoyed reading this, even though some of the essay topics were not of much interest to me. It was a light relaxing read.
1st edtion, signed by author
I'd never read Wasserstein and this was a good sampling of essays. I look forward to reading her play the Heidi Chronicles.
I had heard of Wasserstein many times before, but never came in contact with her works. She is funny, but my want to read the other books I had in my possession trumped my full attention to this one, so it felt a little slow-going.
Diane
is currently reading it
Really funny book of essays , Wasserstein died almost 2 years ago,.. so it is a good look at all kinds of subjects.
Warm, funny, literary - just like Ms. Wasserstein herself. Plus, shout-outs to Mount Holyoke!
Got this book as a gift and really tore through it. Good ol' Wendy. She's the best.
I wanted to love it, Wendy Wasserstein was so talented. It was OK.
The essays are fine, but I love her plays with my whole heart.
Wasserstein is a great writer and pretty funny.
Eh. It should have been at least 50 pages shorter.
RIP Wendy. So funny, so poignant, so NY.
This one I loved.
Terri
marked it as to-read
Stephanie
added it
Carrie
marked it as to-read
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Wendy Wasserstein was an award-winning American playwright and an Andrew Dickson White Professor-at-Large at Cornell University. She was the recipient of the Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
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“The signature of a truly enviable woman is the tenacity and continuity of her women friends.”
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