Customer Reviews

Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue (Random House Large Print Biography)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I have always admired Jane Pauley - she always seemed serene and in control, but in "Skywriting" she shows that, as with the lovely swan gliding across the water, there is a lot of activity going on below the surface.
She writes about growing up in Indiana, her quick rise to the top in broadcast journalism while maintaining a private personal life, and the conflicts involved with being a working mother. This is also the story of her parents and the midwestern values that they represented which are still evident in Jane Pauley's character today. She also writes honestly about a bipolar episode brought on by a reaction to prescription drugs.
Written in a stream of consciousness style, the book is a coming-of-middle-age appreciation of a life filled with personal and professional success. There were many times in her life when Jane Pauley just seemed to be in the right place at the right time, but once she was there, she handled it beautifully - it is great to go along for the ride.

After reading this book and trying to think about it at several different levels -- memoir, autobiography, even metaphor -- finally I conclude that this is a book of greatest interest to Jane Pauley's fans and to others who follow her career.

The hook, of course, is that she embeds most of the narrative in a frame of her experience of mental illness: specifically, bipolar II disorder. Without discounting any of her suffering, it seems fair to note that her experience differs from that of most bipolar patients. She goes to hospital, sure, but she does not endure a lock-up ward and is able to wear her own comfy clothing, not the icky hospital gowns de rigeur for everyone else. She overspends, sure, but she and her family can afford it. Her work situation comes up, sure, but her job security and indeed her ability to do her job are never in question.

And there is a perfectly logical explanation for how the disorder was induced in her. In her telling, it seems to be an entirely exogenous event: unfortunate, but understandable and unavoidable. Most people living with bipolar, themselves, or living with someone who has the disease will recognize that we do not live in Jane Pauley's world.

Reviews of and stories about the author are cited at length here, as if to support her observations about her own life. But these, in effect, render the book redundant unless one agrees with the proposition that Jane Pauley's life requires or deserves a virtually Thucydidean history.

To me, the likeliest explanation for this book selling enough copies to warrant its reissue in paperback is that readers will expect to learn from or relate to the bipolar illness experience of Jane Pauley and her family. On those counts, this book utterly disappoints.

I've always enjoyed Jane Pauley and I particularly admire the way she managed her career. When the network seemed to be pushing her off the couch in favor of Deborah Norville, Jane did the classy thing: she quit! Before she married she talked about her cats and after she married she didn't talk about her husband. And who wouldn't like someone who married the creator of Doonesbury?

But I keep recalling that "happy families are alike..." and mostly Jane Pauley has had a happy, even a charmed life. Her home life was happier than most. She was a cheerleader in junior high, a debater and a representative to Girls State and Girls Nation. She joined a sorority in college. Her career came to her and she made the most of every opportunity.

So I found myself continuing to like and admire Jane Pauley as a person, while getting increasingly frustrated as a reader. Skywriting feels like meeting someone at a formal dinner and learning just what's appropriate for a professional person to share. But that's not what I think most people want from an autobiography.

People read about the lives of others because we want to know their pain as well as their pride. Voyeuristic, yes, but we learn from stories of triumph and redemption. We learn from getting answers to questions like, "What was she thinking when..." We want experiences, not events.

You can still be professional while telling a good story. Recent examples include autobiographies by Katherine Graham, General Claudia Kennedy, and Queen Noor. These authors give us a glimpse into themselves and their worlds, while maintaining high standards of propriety and good taste.

So as a person, I admire Jane Pauley because she doesn't talk about Garry Trudeau. As a reader, I want to know, "What's Trudeau like around the house? Do you get to enjoy his biting wit all the time? Does he talk about his Doonesbury characters?"

And aside from outbreaks of hives, what was Pauley's experience of being diagnosed with bipolar disorder? Since she's gone public, does she feel she's helping others? Beyond a reference to spending time in a hospital's VIP room, we get little background. Was she also seeing a therapist? How did her family respond to the diagnosis?

And what about Jane's network experience? What did she feel on dealing with Norville? Was Barbara Walters a helpful mentor or an aging star who resented her replacement? Or if she chooses to be analytical, what does she think of the fine line between news and entertainment? What's her view of the role of women in broadcasting?

Sure, these questions are awfully nosy and impertinent, and they're really none of the reader's business. But to my mind, that's the purpose of autobiography: to go beyond closed doors and glimpse the person behind the persona. I can respect anyone's wish for privacy...but you give that up if you choose to write an autobiography.

I always enjoy watching Jane Pauley on television, and this book provides the same enjoyment. She is honest, funny, and intelligent. Jane is very open about her mental health issues. She acknowledges her bipolar disorder without blaming anybody, or feeling sorry for herself. It helped me to deal with similar issues. You will enjoy this book. Jane's life and career before the Today show is also very interesting to discover. The cover has a great photo. Jane looks as young as ever.

This seemed totally disjointed as I read it. Snippets of the author's childhood, reference to her father's drinking problems, some small indication of her bipolar diagnosis, but mostly a reverie of her successful career in television. There was nothing here that was particularly striking or unique in any way. None of the issues were well developed enough to satisfy my appetite for detail. I was disappointed with it.

In Jane Pauley's book "Skywriting a life out of the blue,"
she tells her memoirs and family secrets with love and without
judgement.Jane and her sister Ann,grew up in the 1950's in
a new Indiana suburb,with a mother and father who loved them.
Jane did well in school and after college,at an early age,
became a host on The Today Show and later an interviewer on
Dateline.However,beneath the happy facade,in a job that
would create envy in many women,Jane feels ambivalent,and after
marrying,she feels torn between her home and children.
During her 40's,she is unable to comprehend the dark feelings
that would come unbidden,over her.Periodically,throughout
her life,she is attacked by hives,that the M.D.'s regarded
as idiopathic.(no known cause).
She is also during this time,unable to understand her
Father's peculiar moods,until she and her sister,find bottles
and evidence of heavy secret drinking.She is disappointed,
however,she does find a good setting for him to dry out,
under supervision.They re-unite as father and daughter.
Again,the hives have starded up,in a very severe way.
Her Doctor gives a cortisone type drug,which induces her first
hypomanic attack.
Jane has never experienced this before,and reveals she
has bi-polar illness.During a stay in the hopital,she is
stabilized on lithium and other meds.She also learns how to
pace herself.
She tells her story,in the way she reported others,her
purpose is to help people.
As she saws at the end,there are no charmed lives only
just lives.

A beautifully written account of Pauley's illness. As I have a son with bipolar disorder, I found this memoir very reassuring. I have hope that my son will, with the right treatment, reach his potential.