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Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue [Mass Market Paperback]

Jane Pauley (Author)
3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

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Book Description

May 31, 2005
“Truth arrives in microscopic increments, and when enough has accumulated–in a moment of recognition, you just know. You know because the truth fits. I was the only member of my family to lack the gene for numbers, but I do need things to add up. Approaching midlife, I became aware of a darkening feeling–was it something heavy on my heart, or was something missing? Grateful as I am for the opportunities I’ve had, and especially for the people who came into my life as a result, I couldn’t ignore this feeling. I had the impulse to begin a conversation with myself, through writing, as if to see if my fingers could get to the bottom of it. It was a Saturday morning eight or ten years ago when I began following this impulse to find the answers to unformed questions. Skywriting is what I call my personal process of discovery.”

And so begins this beautiful and surprising memoir, in which beloved broadcast journalist Jane Pauley tells a remarkable story of self-discovery and an extraordinary life, from her childhood in the American heartland to her three decades in television.

Encompassing her beginnings at the local Indianapolis station and her bright debut–at age twenty-five on NBC’s Today and later on Dateline–Pauley forthrightly delves into the ups and downs of a fantastic career. But there is much more to Jane Pauley than just the famous face on TVs. In this memoir, she reveals herself to be a brilliant woman with singular insights. She explores her roots growing up in Indiana and discusses the resiliency of the American family, and addresses with humor and depth a subject very close to her heart: discovering yourself and redefining your strengths at midlife. Striking, moving, candid, and unique, Skywriting explores firsthand the difficulty and the rewards of self-reinvention.





From the Hardcover edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"Truth arrives in microscopic increments, and when enough has accumulated - in a moment of recognition, you just know. You know because the truth fits. I was the only member of my family to lack the gene for numbers, but I do need things to add up. Approaching midlife, I became aware of a darkening feeling - was it something heavy on my heart, or was something missing? Grateful as I am for the opportunities I've had, and especially for the people who came into my life as a result, I couldn't ignore this feeling. I had the impulse to begin a conversation with myself, through writing, as if to see if my fingers could get to the bottom of it. It was a Saturday morning eight or ten years ago when I began following this impulse to find the answers to unformed questions. Skywriting is what I call my personal process of discovery."

And so begins this beautiful and surprising memoir, in which beloved broadcast journalist Jane Pauley tells a remarkable story of self-discovery and an extraordinary life, from her childhood in the American heartland to her three decades in television.

Encompassing her beginnings at the local Indianapolis station and her bright debut - at age twenty-five on NBC's Today and later on Dateline - Pauley forthrightly delves into the ups and downs of a fantastic career. But there is much more to Jane Pauley than just the famous face on TVs. In this memoir, she reveals herself to be a brilliant woman with singular insights. She explores her roots growing up in Indiana and discusses the resiliency of the American family, and addresses with humor and depth a subject very close to her heart: discovering yourself and redefining your strengths at midlife. Striking, moving, candid, and unique, Skywriting explores firsthand the difficulty and the rewards of self-reinvention.


--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

JANE PAULEY began her broadcasting career in 1972 at her hometown Indianapolis station, WISH-TV. She joined NBC in 1975 as the first woman ever to co-anchor a weeknight evening newscast at NBC’s WMAQ-TV in Chicago. She began her thirteen-year tenure on NBC’s Today in 1976. In 1992, NBC News launched the newsmagazine show Dateline NBC, with Pauley as co-anchor. After eleven years, her final appearance aired as the acclaimed special “Jane Pauley: Signing Off.” She is the host of “The Jane Pauley Show.”

Pauley has won many awards, including the Radio-Television News Directors Association’s Paul White Award for her lifetime contribution to electronic journalism and their Leonard Zeidenberg First Amendment Award, and the National Press Foundation’s Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. She lives in New York City.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 301 pages
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (May 31, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0812971531
  • ISBN-13: 978-0812971538
  • Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #174,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews
5 star:
 (9)
4 star:
 (3)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.2 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Putting a normal face on bipolar disease, August 31, 2004
Jane Pauley, that intelligent ray of sunshine, AND bipolar disease? The news dropped me in my tracks. Here was a trusted, normal face on a condition I've always looked upon as a scary problem to run from. I, who almost never reads celebrity memoirs, scooped up SKYWRITING immediately to learn more.

SKYWRITING begins with the 2001 bipolar episode, a side effect of a heavy dosing of steroids for persistent hives. If the news stopped me, just a television viewer who does not know Pauley personally, imagine what it did to her, a person who always seemed to be sailing forward in her busy public life. As she healed, she began experimenting with what she calls "skywriting," starting out with an image or memory and seeing where the pen took her. When she was done, she had revisited her childhood, adolescence, career in television and family life. She invites readers along on her journey to self rediscovery.

Pauley's writing is clear as a bell, and the chapters on the bipolar experience are delivered without overdramatization. Once the book turns to her life, it measures out in segments reminiscent of "Dateline" pacing, with segues fraught with foreshadowing. Those looking for hot gossip will not find it. There are several personal revelations but none that will change the way Pauley is received in the world: warm, smart and genuine. Few journeys of the self are as downright decent and ultimately as reassuring as this one.
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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars interesting, but light on substance, September 8, 2004
i read this book as soon as it came out as i am a woman with bipolar disorder. i assumed it would be about ms. pauley's struggle with the disease. obviously, i assumed incorrectly. once i realized that the book was about her emotional travels through life, i settled in for what i hoped would be an interesting read anyway. unfortunately, i didn't find it terribly interesting. i enjoyed hearing of her youth, family, friends, and career, but felt she only skimmed the surfaces of each. there wasn't the depth i expected. i did, however, like the style of her writing: the organization, easy-to-read nature, and the interesting thoughts posed on pages leading to new chapters. overall, enjoyable, but not as in depth as i would have hoped.

i recently read Blindsided: Lifting a Life Above Illness: A Reluctant Memoir by Richard Cohen in which he delves into the nooks and crannies of his life: the good, the bad, and the ugly. granted, this book was about his life with MS, but even so, his was a much more in depth look at his own psyche.

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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Fearless Honesty, August 25, 2004
The first few pages of Jane Pauley's memoir, "Skywriting" felt cerebral and--in spite of being a fan--had me thinking the story of her life might be too high-minded for my tastes.

This was NOT the case.

Jane Pauley's writing style unfolded in a way that was as familiar and charming as that likeable person seen on television all these years. And in spite of her shyness and her fierce protection of her private life, in these pages she lets loose and allows us to follow her path of self-discovery. In several aspects she tells the story of many of us who have suddenly found ourselves in the midst of middle age: the conflict of being a working mother ("...if I work full time does that make me a part-time mom?"); dealing with aging parents and well-guarded family secrets; reaping the joys of a close and loving relationship with a sister and a spouse; and, my favorite, that "we're in this together."

As she puts forth in the book, she has often been praised for her "genuineness" and "authenticity." This quick read is no exception and I highly recommend taking an afternoon to get to know the real Jane Pauley. Many thanks to the author for "having the courage to say yes."

From the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," and "The Things I Wish I'd Said," McKenna Publishing Group.
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Jane Pauley, New York, Tom Brokaw, Barbara Walters, Garry Trudeau, World War, Jann Wenner, Warren Central High School, Uncle Henry, Channel Eight, Jack Welch, Real Life
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