ShareThisBy PATRICIA SHERIDAN
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Nora Ephron's new book of essays, "I Feel Bad About My Neck and Other Thoughts on Being A Woman," skips the silver lining and goes _ humorously _ straight to the dark heart of the cloud called aging.
Starting her career as a journalist with the New York Post, she's best known for later works, including the novel "Heartburn," written after the breakup of her second marriage with Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein. She adapted it into the highly praised 1989 film of the same name. Her original screenplays include "Silkwood" (1983), "When Harry Met Sally" (1989), "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) and "You've Got Mail" (1998).
She's just finished a screenplay based on a book by Julie Powell called "Julie and Julia," about how Powell cooked every recipe in the Julia Child cookbook. Married three times, with two grown boys from her second marriage with Bernstein, Ephron lives in New York with her husband, writer Nicholas Pileggi.
Q: Do you feel compelled to keep your neck covered after writing the book or freer to expose it?
A: Well, I've just gone on doing what I did. Every time I go to the store I'm able to rule out 93 percent of all the clothing items in it because they're unflattering to my neck. I wear this little string of pearls around my neck that happens to fall exactly into the scar on my neck that I write about in my book _ my tragic, tragic post-thyroid operation scar ... So I wear turtlenecks. I wear my string of pearls. I wear my scarves. I wear my shawls. I have two ostrich boas that I bought at the Elton John store in Las Vegas. I really keep it covered, you know. Or I just kind of button up or zip up or put up my collar really high if I'm wearing a shirt or a jacket. That's how I deal with it.
Q: When you engage in team writing do you find yourself being more inspired?
A: Well, I only do screenplays writing with other people. That's a completely different thing. Basically movies are collaborative. I like writing screenplays with other people. First of all, it's fun. I love working with my sister (Delia Ephron). She really makes me laugh, and it's a way for us to spend time together on the planet.
Q: Your mother used to say everything is copy. What constitutes some things you just can't or won't write about?
A: I would never really write about my marriage.
Q: With the exception of "Heartburn"?
A: That was a marriage that ended. If my husband were to walk out on me tomorrow he better watch his back (laughing). But you know I have a really nice marriage. It feels like a private thing, so I don't think I'd ever write about that. I wouldn't really write about my children's lives.
Q: Do you ever worry about the repercussions of writing about real people thinly disguised as characters?
A: Well, I haven't done that in ... what are you referring to?
Q: I was thinking about "Heartburn."
A: That was 30 years ago, 25 years, so I'm not so worried about it. At the time I probably should have been, but I wasn't. I feel like if you marry a writer, you better know that everything is up for grabs.
Q: How about when you address your own flaws and fears in your writing? Is that difficult? Do you ever regret something you revealed?
A: I haven't yet, but I could _ sure. I mean I have regretted writing things. I'm not talking about personal things. I don't wallow in regret, but I do think regret is a realistic response to the mistakes you make. I certainly have made mistakes in my writing, and I've made mistakes in my personal life. You know? I mean, who hasn't?
Q: Do you feel as potent directing a story as when you are writing one?
A: I think that directors always have the illusion of control when you direct something, but nothing gives you as much control if you write something, like what's in this book. You have the ultimate control.
(Patricia Sheridan can be reached at psheridan(at)post-gazette.com)
or 412-263-2613.
