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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
This review is from: Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue (Hardcover)
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
This review is from: Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue (Hardcover)
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
This review is from: Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue (Hardcover)
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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