Want to read: Madonna and Me

The 2012 anthology Madonna & Me: Women Writers on the Queen of Pop is a book I definitely want to read, and especially upon seeing the kickass list of contributors is one I wish I'd gotten my act together to write an essay for (my second failure to write about Madonna...hmmm). Someday my dream anthology is to edit something like this; not about Madonna or music per se, but a topical anthology with my dream list of authors, which takes, well, I don't know what it takes, but I intend to figure it out before I die, maybe even before I turn 40! It'll happen...cooking up other stuff in the meantime. I also think that first-time anthologist Laura Barcella is someone you should emulate if you're editing an anthology. She's got a website, a a Twitter account, Facebook page for her book many months prior to publication. I will be studying it to learn how to better promote my books! And plotting how I can someday realize my dream.



From the book's about page:

Madonna and Me will be published by Soft Skull Press in March 2012.

In Madonna and Me, 40 female authors including Cintra Wilson, Gloria Feldt, Caroline Leavitt, Bee Lavender, Wendy Shanker, and Susan Shapiro write about how Madonna changed their lives.

Why? Because, for children of the '80s and ‘90s, Madonna's been nothing less than a constant companion. Maturing in the media spotlight for nearly 30 (!) years, Madonna has truly grown up with us (not to mention that she’s sold more than 200 million records worldwide). Brazen, beautiful, and balls-to-the-wall, Madonna is so much more than just the sultry architect of a few hit songs. For the MTV generation and beyond, Madonna is a living example of having it all. She's been so much more than a media darling or a “boy-toy” tartlet, even in her later incarnations as savvy businesswoman and kooky Kabbalah matriarch. Madonna has inspired us and challenged us, pushing us to be bolder, edgier versions of ourselves.

Of course, not all women love Madonna, so not every writer in Madonna and Me worships at her altar. The essays are honest, funny, engaging, and real, and they’re about more than just Her Madgesty. They delve into the hearts, souls, and memories of contemporary writers both established and up-and-coming. In Madonna and Me, they offer a broad array of perspectives on aging, sex, childhood, and more.