Forever, Erma: Best-Loved Writing From America's Favorite Humorist [Paperback]

Erma Bombeck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997

A lot of columnists write words to end up in the Congressional Record or on the president's desk or at the Pulitzer Committee's door. But Erma Bombeck went us all one better. Her words won her the permanent place of honor in American life: the refrigerator door. Now we are again at wit's end."--Ellen Goodman

"Erma Bombeck may be gone, but she'll live forever in her columns. A fitting finale for the much-loved humorist." --Booklist

"Forever, Erma is a modest measure of our loss." --The New York Times Book Review

Erma Bombeck's own aversion to producing books of column collections over the years made the family and publisher of the hardcover Forever, Erma apprehensive about its public acceptance.

The pubic proved Erma's misgivings were unfounded. Within nine weeks of the publication date, the book had climbed to number three on The New York Times best-seller list. It remained on the list for a total of fifteen weeks. Over 400,000 copies had been bought by her loyalists and their friends and families.

The success of the hardcover edition expands Erma's literary legacy. Now the paperback edition of Forever, Erma will reach new generations. We all see ourselves in her words.

Only the emotional spectrum of this book matches its topical diversity. One's feelings are reminiscent of the same warmth and tenderness only Erma could portray, and readers will be delighted to find their favorite selections. Included with 188 other columns are her first, "Children Cornering the Coin Market," from January 1965, and her last one, "Let's Face It," from April 1996.

As in the hardcover edition, a tribute chapter includes remembrances from some of Erma's family, friends, and colleagues, including Phil Donahue, Art Buchwald, and Ellen Goodman.

Readers around the world loved Erma Bombeck and cherished every one of her columns. Forever, Erma, will give them a classic way to hold on to this most gifted writer. As Phil Donahue said, "We shall never see the likes of her again. She was real and she brought us down to earth--gently, generously, and with brilliant humor. When the scholars gather hundreds of years from now to learn about us, they can't know it all if they don't read Erma.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Erma Bombeck occupied a seat of honor in the homes of millions of Americans. Hers was inevitably the column you read aloud at the breakfast table, the piece you tore out on the bus to send to your mother, or the clipping you stuck on the fridge as a chuckling reminder of our modern lives' sublime ridiculousness. Bombeck had an eye for our common experience and a knack for throwing it into touching relief; we laughed because we saw ourselves in her work. She died last April, and this collection--the profits of which benefit her favorite charities--pulls together some of her best loved columns. The columns span Bombeck's career and the book includes tributes delivered at her memorial service. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

The housewife columnist whose gently subversive humor has won her a prominent niche in American culture is commemorated in this collection of over 120 of her most popular and memorable essays. Bombeck, whose bestsellers include All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room, died in 1996. Trained as a newspaper reporter, she honed her skills into a unique blend of humorous social commentary based on the quotidian passage of domestic life and an empathy with women in their relations with the larger world, including spouses and children. Much honored, quoted and sought after for advice, Bombeck had an infectious sense of human absurdity that is highlighted in this collection celebrating her 25-year career as a low-key enforcer of the positive in the face of adversity, whether it be her own terminal illness, or "missing socks, promiscuous hangovers and other unexplained phenomena" that were grist for her reporter's mill.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Original edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0836236734
• ISBN-13: 978-0836236736
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Beloved for her wry yet warm look at family life, Erma Bombeck was America's favorite humorist at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books, including Forever, Erma, appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. She claimed her first fiction writing was the weather forecast in the Dayton Herald. Her favorite food was pasta, and her hobby was dust.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty, Perceptive, Keeps Life In Perspective, June 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Forever, Erma: Best-Loved Writing from America's Favorite Humorist (Hardcover)

After Erma Bombeck's death, editors Donna Martin and Alan McDermott created this collection of best Bombeck stories. It blends her life experiences and philosophies, and those of others close to her by weaving the former news articles and stories with her unique thread of humor and poignancy. The reader can enjoy watching the pitfalls and highlights of a growing family and the author growing both as a woman and an a writer. Pick it up on your next trip to the bookstore or library. You'll laugh, cry, and be totally delighted.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Erma wasn't the best, she was the only., October 22, 2002

By 

Annie_Xmas (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forever, Erma: Best-Loved Writing from America's Favorite Humorist (Hardcover)

I loved Erma Bombeck from the beginning. Her ability to make you laugh without being mean or crude, to see the humor in any situation, to be dignified and tolerant without being forceful about it. These make her a unique person.

This is a collection of some of her best columns. She knew the world could be mean, cruel, bitter, and unfair, yet she never was any of these things. She was a great writer and a great person.

I love the tribute section of this book, though the story from her husband made me cry. It was April 22, 1996 and the ride was over.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Where IS that other sock???, October 26, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Forever, Erma: Best-Loved Writing from America's Favorite Humorist (Hardcover)

I am not a Mother, I do enjoy a good humorist though, and Erma delivered. This is the first Erma book I've read, and I am saddened that she won't be around to write more! However I am happy to know that she left plenty of books to keep me busy!! I especially appreciated her commentary on the socks that go in the drier as a pair and don't come out as a pair! Good argument for never having to wear socks!! I also appreciated her ability to speak freely about the Catholic church, and what Catholicism has meant for her. She didn't "force" her religion on others, yet gently stood firm in her belief, and in no uncertain terms, documented her strong faith in the Catholic church and in God. I am sad to see her go. If God only knew how funny Erma was, he probably would have taken her long ago! Thanks for giving us one last chance to laugh! Read it for the laughs, and remember, life is temporary, no one gets out alive! Erma lived life to the fullest, in this book, Erma promises each one of us, that we can do the