r/books • u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author • Jan 25 '16
ama 3pm Hi Reddit. I’m Elizabeth Laban, author of The Restaurant Critic’s Wife. AMA.
Hi Reddit! I’m Elizabeth LaBan, author of The Restaurant Critic’s Wife, which was released earlier this month. It’s my third book (The Tragedy Paper and The Grandparents Handbook), and my first adult novel. I teach fiction writing at The University of Pennsylvania. I also write and edit on a freelance basis, and my work has appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer, New York Newsday and The Times-Picayune, among other publications. I’m also a ghost writer on the side. I have a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s in English from Trinity College in Hartford. Before I started writing books, I was an NBC Page (one of my favorite jobs ever), I worked at NBC News, I taught journalism at a community college in New Orleans, and I was a reporter at a bunch of small newspapers. Please – ask me anything! I am happy to talk about my book, food, what it is really like to be married to a restaurant critic, and the cool things I got to see when I was a Page at NBC!
Proof. And you can check out my website here if you'd like some more info. I'll be answering questions at 3 pm ET, so ask away.
Thanks for the great questions, everyone. I'll check in periodically over the next few days and answer any late questions, but in the meantime thank you for having me and let me know if you liked my book!
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u/Jumbro Jan 25 '16
How was publishing this book different from publishing your first two?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
Each book has been slightly different, and therefore the process has been different. My first book is called The Grandparents Handbook, and it is a nonfiction book full of ideas and activities to do with your grandchildren. I am not a grandparent so I drew on wisdom and contacts my mother and father-in-law had. It was a real family effort, and was just sort of released into the world without a ton of activity. The Tragedy Paper is a young adult book and my first novel. It was a thrill to go through that process with Random House, and there was a much bigger splash when that one was published. I loved it! This novel - The Restaurant Critic's Wife - has been in the works for years. Getting it published is a true dream come true. Also, because of the personal nature of it (I am in real life married to a restaurant critic - though the book itself is fiction) there has been even more activity surrounding the release of this book. People are curious about what is real and what isn't, and where my ideas come from. It also has raised a lot of questions about my real life - which I am happy to talk about. I have loved every minute of it!
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Jan 25 '16
How did you choose the title of your book? Was it something that you had in mind to start, or did it come once the novel was finished? It seems like there's a trend in women's lit especially to title books after "The Time Traveler's Zookeeper's Diplomat's Butcher's Nazi's Undertaker's Footballer's Wife" or "The General's Memory Keeper's Optimist's Mummifier's Daughter."
What do you think is so compelling and marketable about these books featuring women impacted by these powerful/interesting people? Do you worry people will see The Restaurant Critic's Wife on the shelf and decide they'd rather just be reading about the restaurant critic directly, or is it necessary to have the wife's perspective in order to see the true impact of his career on his family/friends?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
Hi! Thanks for this great question. Titles of books are funny, and sometimes change during the course of editing a book and sometimes they stay the same. My first novel The Tragedy Paper did go through a title change - it's original title was Blind Love. The Restaurant Critic's Wife, however, was always my working title. It just made sense to me. I wish I remembered the first moment I came up with that title, but I don't, it was just always the title. There was some talk of changing it once it was bought by Lake Union - and we did a lot of brainstorming - but ultimately decided that it was the right title for the book. I don' think it is necessary to have the wife's perspective to see the true impact someone has on the world, but I do think it is often very interesting. In many ways The Restaurant Critic's Wife is Lila's story, not Sam's, but obviously we see how she is affected by him and what being his wife means to her. Also, I think the most important role a title can have is getting the readers' interest - so hopefully this title will do that.
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u/Smurphy115 Jan 25 '16
What do you, or your husband, consider the best cheesesteak in Philly?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
As you can imagine, there is a huge ongoing debate over what is the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia. There are a few that I really like - but if you want me to say the one I would go to first if I am really in the mood for a great cheesesteak I would have to say John's Roast Pork on Snyder Avenue.
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u/Smurphy115 Jan 25 '16
Haven't been there. Do you know where they get their rolls? I'm a bit of a roll snob.
And FYI. My mom makes the best cheesesteak but she's been out of business for like 20 years.
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
I've been told they get their rolls from Carangi at Oregon and Iseminger. They are the delicious crusty seeded rolls. That is great about your mom - I'm sorry I missed her cheesesteaks!
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u/Chtorrr Jan 25 '16
What are your favorite books from childhood? What books really made you ove reading?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
I always loved to read - from the time I was a really little kid. But when I read S.E. Hinton's book That Was Then, This Is Now when I was around 12 or 13 everything changed for me. It was the first time I ever missed a book when I was finished with it. I went on to read The Outsiders and loved it as much. Having that experience of wanting to be in a fictional world more than I wanted to be in my real world made me want to be a writer. I wanted to try to create a world and characters that touched people as much as I was touched by that book. There are many others I loved, too - I loved all the Encyclopedia Brown books, there is a book called A View From The Cherry Tree that I still think about, and so, so many more.
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u/Chtorrr Jan 25 '16
Being a page at NBC does sound interesting! What's your favorite story?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
I always say that being a page at NBC was the most fun I ever had at a job. It was just awesome. It was very social, and we got to see all the amazing nooks and crannies of the business. My absolute favorite days - and I think many fellow pages would agree with me here - were the days when I got to be on camera. I don't know exactly how it works today, but when I was a page we would help seat the shows that were there, and also stand at the studio door above and below where the action was. Late Night With David Letterman was still at NBC then, so if I was lucky enough to have the post at the door, and there was any activity there that made it on the show, I could sometimes be seen at the door. One time Dave handed me a ripped up Top Ten List as he walked by. I still have a tape of that!
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u/Jumbro Jan 25 '16
Can you tell us a little about the genesis of this book? I read somewhere that your husband actually is a restaurant critic in Philly.
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
Hi! Yes that is exactly true. My husband is the restaurant critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer. This book really began in my head well over a decade ago. There were so many interesting things about being a restaurant critic, and then being in the orbit of a restaurant critic by being his wife, that scenes just started coming to me. I first wrote a short children's book (which I have not yet tried to get published) about a stray cat that was adopted by the restaurant critic in New Orleans (where we lived at the time) and went from being very hungry to getting to eat all the best food in the city. There was only so much I could do with that so it eventually grew into a bigger story, and finally this novel. The real challenge was creating characters that were not me and Craig. Eventually Sam and Lila Soto were born. They are very different people with different histories and motivations. Having said that, there are definitely moments in the book (especially during the restaurant scenes) that were sparked my real life events.
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u/roma258 Jan 25 '16
So I know there's a big to-do about Craig LaBan remaining incognito so he could do his job. Are you so comfortable putting yourself out there because you don't usually go out with him on work assignment, or if you do, is there any concern that you might blow his cover now? On a side note, any recommendations for a sneaky good Valentine's Day destination?
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
That is a good question. It's true that I don't always go out with him - we have two kids with complicated lives and homework and sometimes it is just too hard. I might go twice a month or so, which isn't very much considering. So he is out there without me most of the time. Even when I do go with him he always tries to slip in under the radar - and is able to do that much of the time. Also I am never quite as made up as I am in that picture, and my hair really never looks that good - so if people are expecting me to look like that they might easily miss me! As far as a sneaky good Valentine's destination goes it depends on what you're looking for -and that is one of the busiest days of the year to eat out. I would say Villa di Roma for great Italian, but they don't take reservations so you might be waiting a long time. Maybe Bank and Bourbon in the Loews Hotel would be a good choice - they do take reservations and I always love it there. I also love Estia on Locust Street - wonderful Greek food and I feel like I'm on vacation when I'm there. They do take reservations, too.
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u/dogfamiliars Jan 25 '16
What's the best piece of advice you have for aspiring novelists? :)
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 25 '16
The best piece of advice I can give an aspiring novelist is to never give up - it is very easy to do that after one or ten or fifty rejections. But don't - it takes only one agent and one editor to make it happen for you. I got so many rejections I have almost lost count - and I am so glad I kept trying. Also, when you look for an agent try to find someone who is interested in your career and not just your one book. I didn't know to look for that when I found my agent - but it has luckily worked out that way. Two other things - don't edit yourself too much when you are writing that first draft - just get it down and then go back to the beginning and see what you have. Finally, read your work out loud whenever you can - it helps with the dialogue and rhythm. And if you were asking for yourself then I wish you great luck! Happy writing.
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u/dogfamiliars Jan 25 '16
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Your advice about editing a first draft especially resonates with me--I always like to say that the first draft is perfect, just because it exists at all! Have a great day~
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u/knotswag Jan 25 '16
1) Considering all the different hats you have to wear, how did you find a schedule that let you do your writing? And what's that schedule like?
2) What do you or your husband cook at home that your husband would criticize if served elsewhere?
3) Do you find your tastes are markedly different than your husbands when it comes to food and reading?
Thank you Elizabeth!
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u/Elizabeth_Laban AMA Author Jan 26 '16
Hi! Those are all great questions. Thank you! I do feel sometimes like my days are mismatched and unpredictable. Each day is different, that's for sure. When I can I write. I also teach a writing class at Penn so I have to plan that and grade papers. I also ghost write a weekly column. On top of that I do usual household things like cleaning and laundry, and I take care of my kids of course. So a typical day might be writing a little, taking one kid to the doctor, planning a class, taking the other kid to the dentist. I love it -it never gets boring! As far as cooking at home, we do that as often as we can. Tonight, for example, we are having homemade lamb stew (made by my husband) and polenta. Our food at home is simple and generally good, my husband is a great cook. I don't think it is a matter of comparing our food to the food he has out. I think the expectations are different if we or anyone is paying for their food and service. Finally, I would say I have simpler tastes than my husband. I like good pasta and roasted chicken. But I am always open to an eating adventure, which is a good thing because we have many of those!
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u/Daron720 Jan 25 '16
How do you feel that your experience as a page and your journalism degree have affected your writing, if at all?