Susan Jane Gilman
Susan Jane Gilman, whose reviews and commentaries can be heard regularly on All Things Considered, is a journalist, fiction writer and bestselling author of three nonfiction books: Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress, Kiss My Tiara: How to Rule the World as a SmartMouth Goddess and, most recently, Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven, a memoir about a naive and disastrous trek Gilman made through Communist China in 1986.
Gilman has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, Ms., Us, The Village Voice, The New York Observer and Real Simple, among others.
Her short fiction has appeared in Story, Ploughshares, The Beloit Fiction Journal, Virginia Quarterly Review and The Greensboro Review, which awarded her its 1997 Literary Award. Gilman has received other awards as well, including a New York Press Association Award for articles she wrote on assignment in Poland as a cub reporter in 1990. She earned a BA in Literature from Brown University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan.
Gilman currently lives in Geneva, Switzerland, where she co-hosts Bookmark, a monthly book review show on World Radio Switzerland, the national English-language station. The rest of her time is spent writing, or as she puts it, staring catatonically at a blinking cursor. She also writes a humorous travel blog A View from A Broad.
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Travel can be stressful, with flight delays, waiting rooms, and hours in economy class. One of the best ways to survive this mayhem is with a good book. Author Susan Jane Gilman offers suggestions for six great books that won't embarrass you in airports.
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When writer Raymond Carver died in 1988, the Times of London christened him "The American Chekov." The epitaph has stuck. Author Susan Jane Gilman has the review of a new, 578-page biography entitled "Raymond Carver: A Writer's Life." -
The godfather of cartoon counterculture takes on the Bible in his new comic, The Book of Genesis Illustrated. Reviewer Susan Jane Gilman says R. Crumb's latest effort is serious — and brilliant.
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When it comes to our current understanding of theology, former Roman Catholic nun Karen Armstrong attempts to bring "something fresh to the table." Reviewer Susan Jane Gilman calls Armstrong's Case for God a "stimulating, hopeful work." -
Long on generalities and short on real wisdom, The Wisdom Trail does not do justice to the women it profiles.
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Time and Again spans time, finds mystery, delves into Science-Fiction, grounds itself in Einstein's theories and ultimately, settles into romance fantasy. So what's the problem? Author Susan Jane Gilman explains her guilty addiction to this cult pop thriller.
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Author Susan Jane Gilman recommends two books — Niall Ferguson's The Ascent of Money and Alan Beattie's False Economy — to help you unravel the economic crisis.
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In his new book, Dave Cullen delivers a clear-eyed portrait of the brains behind the Columbine killings. He says the massacre wasn't an emotional outburst or revenge fantasy carried out by a couple of social outcasts. Reviewer Susan Jane Gilman calls the book strong, but says it doesn't quite sing. -
Ron Suskind's A Hope in the Unseen tracks a familiar story — an ambitious kid's escape from the inner city. Author Susan Jane Gilman says Suskind treats his subject with such care that this nonfiction tale has the impact of an epic novel.
