Book Review: The Scoop by Erin Van Der Meer

Meet Francesca “Frankie” Miller. To say Frankie is at a low point in her life is an understatement. Her ex-boyfriend is making wedding plans with his beautiful and successful new girlfriend, and Frankie can’t even get a date. Even worse, she’s a 29-year-old unemployed journalist after losing a really great gig with Marie Claire magazine. Goodbye impressive byline, swag bags filled with pricey beauty products, and premium seats at fashion shows. Hello to miniscule unemployment checks, mounting unpaid bills, and shattered self-esteem. But is Frankie desperate enough to take a job with a sleazy tabloid? We find out in Erin Van Der Mer’s satirical and entertaining debut The Scoop.

On the hunt for another job in journalism, Frankie deals with one rejection after another. She’s growing more desperate and depressed. And it doesn’t help that her Ivy League educated and privileged nepo baby friend Audrey moves seamlessly from losing her job at Marie Claire to a cushy job at the New York Times. Then Frankie is offered a job as night editor for the shady website The Scoop.

The Scoop is owned by the Johnson News (shades of Fox News Corp.). At the helm of The Scoop is British-born editor-in-chief David Brown. Toxic and prone to childish tantrums, Brown is a nightmare to work for but he’s effective in getting his staff to do his bidding writing articles that capture eyeballs and go viral. Years ago, Frankie would have been appalled to work for the Scoop. But now? Frankie holds her nose and accepts the night editor position. David tells her that if she’s successful, she just might move up to Johnson’s more respectable publication Business Day.

Working the night shift, Frankie, along with her staff, lives on a sustenance of cigarettes, copious cups of coffee, and various types of junk food. They sit hunched over their laptops, quickly churning out articles they hope will be clickbait that has made the Scoop so notorious. Quality journalism? Relevant stories? The actual truth? When it comes to the Scoop the more salacious the story the better.

Just as Frankie’s new gig might not be something to brag about, so is her personal life. Frankie is still pining for her ex-boyfriend and her friends are distancing themselves from her, including Audrey. How much lower can Frankie sink?

Turns out, much lower.

Frankie writes a less than favorable article about a once mega famous and still beloved pop star. This articles goes more viral than Covid. Frankie gains a great deal of notoriety and can’t help but poke the bear. She continues to write salacious articles about this pop star, one who greatly guards her privacy. Things grow so out of control, they turn nearly tragic, and Frankie’s actions may not only destroy the pop star’s life, but also her very own.

Despite a few passages that could have used some tightening up, I was riveted by The Scoop. Just when you think Frankie can’t sink any lower, she sinks lower. Will she climb out of this amoral abyss that is working for the Scoop? Will she ever get back on track of working a solid, respectable journalism gig? You sure hope so.

Part of me was horrified by Frankie’s actions, but part of me understood them. Not all of us are privileged Ivy League grads with wealthy and connected parents who can help us gain one impressive professional position to another. Sometimes we take a job because we desperately need one, and our bills won’t pay themselves. Frankie Miller and The Scoop illustrate this damn near perfectly.

Book Marks

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Book Review: She Come By It Natural by Sarah Smarsh

It’s been a month since we lost Dolly Parton and her death still stings. Yes, she lived to be 80 years old. Yes, she was suffering from cancer. But somehow we thought Dolly would live forever. There was so much more work for her to do.

Dolly was a talented singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. She was a smart and astute businesswoman. She was a generous philanthropist whose work is still benefitting people positively in countless ways.

Dolly appealed to hard hat blue collar types and blue-haired punker kids. She appealed to rhinestone clad drag queens and Riot Grrrls clad in their baby doll dresses and Doc Marten’s. She was loved from Appalachia to the Big Apple, from Dollywood to Hollywood, and pretty much from all over the globe. Dolly was love and light in a world of hatred and darkness.

A lot is being written about Dolly and will be for years to come. I wouldn’t be surprised if college classes will be dedicated to Dolly Parton. The Philosophy of Dolly Parton? Yep, I’d take that class. In 2020, Sarah Smarsh published her own take on Dolly Parton and summed up the icon in book She Come By It Natural.

Late last year, I wrote a review of Smarsh’s excellent book, Bone of the Bone-Essays on America by a Daughter of the Working Class. I found Smarsh’s opinions, ideas, and life experience as a member of the working class turned college educated professional to be profound, eye-opening, and compelling. So I was only too willing to get Smarsh’s take on the singular Dolly Parton.

She Come By It Natural was originally published by the music magazine No Depression and then fleshed out into a book. She Come By it Natural is divided into four parts when it comes Dolly’s life, career, and her impact on pop culture, society, and so much more.

Part One-Dolly Parton embodies the working woman’s fight.

Part Two-Dolly Parton masters the art of leaving.

Part Three-Dolly Parton becomes the boss.

Part Four-Dolly Parton cements her icon status.

By now, Parton’s life story. She grew up dirt poor, in a large and loving family. She struck out on her own moving to Nashville knowing her talents would take her far. She thumbed her nose at a sexist industry with her first country hit “Dumb Blonde” asserting herself as not dumb (or actually blonde).

She was cast as the girl singer on The Porter Waggoner Show. And though she appreciated his mentoring she found him too controlling. So against some people’s advisement, Dolly struck out on her own. And instead of putting her career on the skids, Dolly became more and more successful, and not only as a singer. She became a movie star, astute business woman, and philanthropic powerhouse.

But just as the personal is political, so is Dolly Parton, especially when it comes to feminism. Dolly never exactly called herself a feminist but if you think she was an anti-feminist, guess again.

Feminism is often conveyed as for only white, college educated, middle-class, urban women. But it’s also for the women Smarsh was all too familiar with, working class women who struggled hand to mouth and who never got past high school. These include women like her mother and grandmother who faced many challenges but were also tough as nails.

Whether singing of the plight of women in the working world in 9 to 5 or the creativity and resourcefulness of women in Coat of Many Colors, Smarsh expertly conveys how these songs connect to feminism.

She Comes By it Natural is a book written in a thoughtful and compelling way by Smarsh. It’s a slim volume that will definitely make you think and love Dolly Parton even more.

Graphic and Novel

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Graphic and Novel

Book Review: Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands by Ellen Rachlin

Written by poet and writer, Ellen Rachlin’s debut novel, Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands is a historical fiction tale that takes place in ancient Mesopotamia thousands of years before the birth of Christ. It tells the tale of one singular woman, Enheduanna. Not only was Enheduanna the daughter of Sargon the Great, she was also the world’s first named author in human history (I like her already).

But Enheduanna was so much more than the daughter of a powerful man and a woman of words. She was also very intelligent, strong, and courageous, and ambitious. Never a shrinking violet, Enheduanna was willing to stand up for herself, her people, and her rightful place in history. But first Enheduanna had to face many challenges and go on a journey that would break many men.

Early on Enheduanna is named High Priestess of Ur. But before she can fully immerse herself in this powerful position, rebellious Lugalanne stages a massive coup. Not only is Enheduanna stripped of her lofty position, she is also stripped of her very home. She is cast into a mysterious underworld, where treacherous danger lurks.

Now, Enheduanna is not about to curl up into the fetal position and take this without a fight. She musters up the fortitude, wisdom, and divine feminine energy to strike back at her enemies. She will be triumphant and reclaim her role as Priestess of Ur. And she will not be deterred.         

But first, Enheduanna goes on a journey, one that will always be easy. She will make victorious strides, but she will also face heart rendering setbacks. She will find allies who help light her way and champion her. But she will also face enemies, some who she never expected.  Throughout this journey you hope Enheduanna will prevail and once again be High Priestess of Ur. It is her destiny.     

At a time when woman were seen as barely human, Enheduanna stands tall as a woman of strength and valor. She’s a protector and fighter, and truly admirable.           

Now to be honest, there were times when I was overwhelmed by the plot and the amount of characters in   Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands. Thank goodness, Rachlin provides glossary of the main characters and how they relate to the story. And as a warning, there is a great deal of a violent passages in  Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands including sexual assault and rape, which may be triggering for some readers.

Still, I must praise Rachlin for all the craft and care she put into Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands.  Enheduanna’s life is clearly a passion project and her research skills are top notch.

Enheduanna’s Song From the Sands is a wondrous tale for anyone who loves ancient history, strong women, and a heroine’s journey.

Writer’s Block

We’re coming to a close of the summer of 2026. And instead of it being a summer of fun and frolic, this summer has been the worst for me since 2020. It started with me losing my job in July, which has put me a in deep funk. Then my allergies seemed to be cranked up to eleven, which often left me achy, fatigued, and nauseous. We recently lost Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, and Gloria Steinem, losses that have me completely bereft. And we just commemorated the 25th anniversary of September 11, which seemed to weigh so much heavier this year. Everybody I know is just so weary and despondent. Even the most minor of setbacks of inconveniences can make us angry or well up with tears.

I’m hoping things improve once falls arrives. Often things do. As September closes and October approaches, I have plans for this blog. Look for a little more activity as I try to become more positive and more pro-active in my life. Wish me luck. I really need it.

Book Marks

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A Tribute: Dolly Parton 1946-2026

“If I’m remembered 100 years from now, I hope it will be not for looks but for books.” -Dolly Parton

When I found out that Dolly Parton had died last Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer, I actually gasped out loud. Not Dolly! She can’t leave us. We need her so much! Then I did something I haven’t done in a long time. I cried a full-on ugly cry with blubbering tears rolling down my cheeks and snot getting into my hair.

Dolly wasn’t a relative or a close friend. She was a famous person who I never met. She was an iconic celebrity. And at the same time, she was very down to earth.

I first became aware of Dolly Parton as a talented singer, musician, and songwriter when her hit “Here You Come Again” was racing up both the country and pop charts. She wrote the classics “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You” (the latter song becoming a boffo hit for the late Whitney Houston) on the same day. And years later, I appreciated Dolly’s performances in movies like 9 to 5 and Steel Magnolias.

Another thing you couldn’t help but notice about Dolly was her unique look and image. For Dolly, “more was more.” The Queen of Maximalism, Dolly sported a wardrobe of many colors, not to mention sparkles and rhinestones. With her bodacious bustline and gallery of golden wigs, some people wanted to write off Dolly as a dumb blonde. But Dolly was no dummy. She was also was not a blonde.

Dolly’s fans were (and remain) a cross-section of people that included both rednecks and drag queens. Interestingly enough, a few days before her death, I caught a fascinating documentary about Dolly that included footage of young punk rockers, complete with studded leather jackets and bright pink mohawks at one of her UK concerts. Years ago, my friend Nora and I saw the goth band Sisters of Mercy in concert, and during one of the band’s songs, lead singer Andrew Eldritch morphed into singing “Jolene” and the entire audience sang along.

And then there was Dolly’s philanthropic projects, which benefitted a multitude of causes and helped men, women, and children. But probably the philanthropic project that means the most to me is Dolly’s Imagination Library. Established in 1995, Dolly’s Imagination Library has provided countless children age-appropriate free books from the moment of birth until a child turns five years old. These books also include those in Braille for blind children. In the more than thirty years it’s been in operation, the Imagination Library has donated books that so far has exceeded over 300,000,000 books, and I’m sure it will only grow with Dolly’s passing. Knowing her love of books, children, and giving back should make us so grateful that we existed the same time as Dolly Parton. Heaven has gained a beautiful new angel. Dolly, we will always love you.

To learn more about the Imagination Library and to also make a donation, here is link to its website.

Imagination Library

More on Dolly and the Imagination Library

Long Live Dolly Parton, Giver of Books

Dolly Parton Was a Legendary Literacy Champion: See All of Her Books.

Mychal Threets pays tribute to the late Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library says it will keep sending free books to kids. Here’s how to sign up.

Library Of Congress Pays Tribute To Dolly Parton’s Literacy Program.