Friday, November 30, 2007

Happy Birthday, Emily!


Today's a special day here in the offices of Jen A. Miller. I've written about Emily, my Jack Russell Terrier Mix, before, and today is her sixth birthday. She's celebrating right now by going back to bed -- and who can blame her? Who wouldn't want to sleep in on her birthday.

In honor of Emily's birthday, I encourage you to click over to my Book a Week With Jen blog for a review Jean M. Fogle's Salty Dogs, and adorable book about dogs on the beach. Not only did I write a preview of that book, but I also wrote the "Jen & Em" story because, on top of today being Emily's birthday, tomorrow marks two years ago that I brought home this squirrel-barking, ball-chasing, space-heating, best pal a gal could have.

If you're thinking about bringing a pet into your home, I urge you to think about adoption. Emily came to me through the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees, NJ. Maybe there's a shelter dog or cat in your future, too.

Digg this

Thursday, November 29, 2007

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Atlantic City is changing. Big time. Here's a fantastic article from Sunday's Philadelphia Inquirer about all the proposed construction -- much of which does not involve casinos.

The Philadelphia Inquirer checks in with Scott K. Evans, the new mayor of Atlantic City.

Ever go to West Cape May? Now you can see its history in a new painting.

Speaking of Cape May, here's a round up of what's going on with the renovation of Washington Square.

Speaking of Cape May (again) -- it's getting a dog park. Emily will be thrilled.

There's movement on that Strathmere-wants-out-of-Upper-Township story.

Stone Harbor's looking to remdy what the Cape May County Herald calls the "dwindling business district."

The Nature Center of Cape May is having a "yard sale" that runs through Saturday.

The CFO of the Tropicana has resigned. I've read a lot about the Tropicana's woes since this summer -- the Quarter, where I love to go when I'm in town, might be up for sale. It's sad, really, but as long as I can get a mohito at Cuba Libre...

And finally, Van Halen's coming to Atlantic City.

Digg this

Public Service Announcement: Camp Out for Hunger

Two weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the 93.3 WMMR studio to watch the Preston and Steve show in person. If you've paid attention to my "what I'm listening" to notes at the end of blog posts, you'll see that I'm listening to them for most of my morning posts. When I was wrapping up The Jersey Shore: Atlantic City to Cape May: A Complete Guide, I listened to Preston & Steve so I had something to laugh about when I put in those last changes. They helped me not rip my hair out when it came down to the wire.

The entire show is fantastic, and the people are fantastic. They couldn't have been nicer to me as I watched from the wings. They also do great things, one being the annual WMMR Camp Out for Hunger. Starting on Monday and running through Friday, they'll be set up in the Metroplex shopping complex in Plymouth Meeting, PA, collecting non-perishable food items for Philabundance, which is reporting an absolute all time low in how much food they can give to people in need.

This isn't just broadcasting live from the parking lot for five mornings. The gang lives there for the entire week.

For all the details, click here. If you make the trip up, they'll keep you entertained. From what I hear, it's one big party, and you can win some fab prize, all while helping out a good cause. I'll be in Arizona next week (yes, I do go other places besides the shore), so I'll miss out, but that doesn't mean you have to.

I also talked to Tracey Deschaine of Dixie Picnic, and it turns out that her clan is a big fan of the show and plans on bringing some Upcakes to the party as well. So grab some food and head up the Blue Route. It's needed now more than ever.

What I'm Listening to: Preston and Steve on 93.3 WMMR

P.S. I'm working on an article about self help books and the people who love and hate them. If you'd like to interviewed for the article (and are willing to let me use your real name), drop me a line at jenmiller27 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Digg this

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Upcakes for the Holidays

I think Upcakes are the shore food item I've mentioned most on this blog. Surprised? I am -- it's not something I grew up loving. But these sweet treats, which are cupcakes iced on three sides instead of one, are so darn good, and the owners of Dixie Picnic (609-399-1999, 19 8th Street, Ocean City), which sells them, have been smart about keeping them on my mind -- and in my mouth -- long after Labor Day.

First: you can get Upcakes at the King of Prussia Mall. My father was out doing a bit of holiday shopping and saw Upcakes, all lined up in a pretty row, for sale in the Plaza section of the mall. What a great idea! If I hadn't done all my shopping online and in Collingswood this year, an Upcake would be a perfect mall shopping break. Even better, the people running the stand seemed to remember who I was, or what this blog was (hi guys!).

Second: you can now order Upcakes and Dixie Picnic Jams for the holidays online and ship them anywhere in the continental U.S. It's a great way to send a bit of the shore to someone far away, or someone who is missing the summer.

If you're not sure about an Upcake purchase just yet, I highly recommend going to the Dixie Picnic website and signing up for their email list. You'll stay updated on everything going on at the shop (how do you think I learned about these great ideas?), and maybe get a coupon or two.

By the way, my picture of an Upcake does it no justice. Better shots are on their wesite.

What I'm Listening to: Silver Storms by The A-Sides

Digg this

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Getting the Word Out

Good news on the book front -- we're almost at proof stage, which is when I'll see a mock up of the book with the words, pictures and maps (provided by my brother) all rolled into one. I'm so excited to get that package in the mail. It's one step closer to seeing this dang thing in print!

In the meantime, though, I've been working on getting the word out about the book. I don't want to do TOO much advance PR, but I'm setting into motion things that could pay off in the long run. To start, I'm reminding my editors when I email them about the book, and about this blog (which is in my email signature). I'm averaging more readers a day here than I ever thought, so thank you again for visiting!

To start, I took Sandra Beckwith's most excellent book PR class. It's online, it's a great value, and it's given me plenty of ideas about how to get this book in the hands of readers.

I've also put together a list of magazines and newspapers that might want to write about me, as well as a list of local radio and TV stations that might want to feature my face or voice. I had a chance to sit in on a day of Preston and Steve (which, if you pay attention to the ends of these posts, is a morning radio show I listen to a lot). My mother wanted to know why I was going if I wasn't promoting the book yet, and I said, well, because I thought it would be cool to meet these guys, and going now will make it that much easier to send out an email when the book comes out to see if they'd like to put me on the air next time.

I'm also talking to some of the presidents of the Chambers of Commerce about what we can do together to get the word out; I'm pitching articles about the area to magazine, and I've been assigned quite a few so far; and I've started planning both my book launch party and a few signings (hint: Collingswood's Second Saturday will be involved). A book website is being designed, and I've started to plan my "blog tour."

But my brain can only storm so much. What do you think I could do to promote the book?

What I'm Listening to: In Our Bedroom After the War by Stars.

What I'm Reading: Oh, the Humanity! by Jason Roeder

Digg this

Monday, November 26, 2007

Down the Shore with...Chris Grabenstein

Who better to interview for the "Down the Shore with Series..." than Chris Grabenstein? His John Ceepak Mystery Series takes place in Sea Haven, which is a mash up of a few Jersey Shore towns. This one-time ad agenecy writer has written three seaside mysteries so far, with #4 coming at you this summer. What better becah reading could you ask for?

1. What do you consider "your" shore town? Why?
My shore town is definitely Beach Haven on LBI. We go down there with friends every summer to do, uh, research. Much of the research involves Corona Beer and Hint Of Lime Doritos. We stay on the same block off the beach every year. Our friends go when their whole family is in residence and we get to become adopted members for the week. I have learned how to boogie board and snarf down oysters.

2. Most people go down the shore to eat. Any favorite places you like to go?

One of the people in our extended family is a gourmet chef, so we usually eat one place fancy every summer. My favorite spot is Skipper Dipper's ice cream. I think we go over there every night. I love standing in line, watching all the kids scooping and squirting ice cream. "Next group!" I always go for the chocolate dipped soft serve cone so I can watch it drip all over my hand and make a mess. I also love the Chowda at the Chowda Pot. Who would've thought hot soup would be so refreshing in August? Oh, and Pinky's Shrimp. Love getting a pound or two of cooked shrimp, some cocktail sauce, and lemon wedges and taking it back to the house. Goes well with those Coronas I mentioned earlier.

3. Tell us a little bit about the series.
The John Ceepak mysteries include the Anthony Award winning Tilt a Whirl, Mad Mouse, and Whack a Mole. Book #4, Hell Hole, will be published next August.

John Ceepak is a former MP just back from Iraq who lives his life by a strict moral code: he will not lie, cheat, or steal nor tolerate those who do. He is teamed up with a 20-something part-time summer cop named Danny Boyle who, basically, took the job because, as he puts it "chicks dig the cop cap." What makes the series so powerful is the growth in the two characters across the books. I think that's why they've been on several Best Mysteries Of The Year lists. At first, the only thing that the two guys have in common is a love for the Boss. Bruce Springsteen. Here's what Booklist says: "Grabenstein has done his homework. His portrait of summer on the Jersey shore, replete with tacky boardwalk arcades, kitschy souvenir and T-shirt shops, manic city folk who bring their attytood on vacation, and hordes of young people awash in hormones, is virtually note-perfect."

4. How did Beach Haven and Seaside Heights become Sea Haven?
Well, I wanted the family-beach scene from Beach Haven but I also wanted my fictional town to have a tacky boardwalk. So, I put the two together. I once filmed a Dr Pepper commercial on the Boardwalk in Seaside and, after three days of shooting there, the images were indelibly etched in my imagination. I also added in a little of Cape May and Spring Lake and Wildwood. In fact, my Sea Haven is the whole Jersey Shore crowded onto one eighteen mile long barrier island.

5. What's this about you and the Cheetah Girls? Did you have anything to do with their concert in Wildwood this summer? ;-)
Well, this is funny. My brother called to say he saw the Cheetah Girls posing with a copy of Whack a Mole, Ceepak mystery #3, in one of the celebrity magazines. Not People, one of the others. Anyway, it showed the girls relaxing at home. And there was Whack a Mole sitting on the coffee table. It has a purple cover. One of the Cheetahs is wearing purple pajamas. Coincidence or a photographer's art direction? The photo is on my web site!

6. How long have you been writing?
I have been writing since fifth grade. I have been getting paid for writing for about 25 years, having spent a great many years writing commercials for ad agencies up and down Madison Avenue.

7. Why did you pick the Jersey Shore as the setting for your novels?
I thought it would make a great setting and allow me to have all sorts of people drifting in and out, bringing their troubles and passions with them. I didn't want to do a mystery series where the friends and neighbors of the sleuths kept getting bumped off -- although, sometimes, that happens in Sea Haven, too!

8. We're big dog lovers here at Down the Shore With Jen. Who is that handsome pup you your site? And does he like the beach, too?

That's Fred! Fred was a rescue from up in the Bronx. He was saved from the gas chamber by famed animal trainer Bill Berloni who put him into the Broadway cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. When the show closed, Fred was available for adoption and we were the lucky ones to take him home. He and I go running together -- about four or five miles. He also takes me for long, contemplative walks where I can dream up what happens next in my mysteries. We've never taken him to the beach. I'll bet he'd love it. But, he'd want to lick every face on every beach blanket.

Read more at www.chrisgrabenstein.com

Digg this

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Checks and Balances

This summer, I tried to train for a half marathon. Yes, this would be the same summer that I wrote the Shore book. Why I thought this would be a good idea, I don't know. Superwoman complex? Mega type-A? Whatever the reason, I couldn't do both at once, so I dropped out of training and finished the book.

I didn't completely stop, though. I run three to four times a week to stay in shape (and to clear my head -- running is great for that). I quit because running stopped being a mental relief and started being another job, not something I needed while trying to write my first book. Still, I couldn't read last Monday's Philadelphia Inquirer, which was chock full of articles about the Philadelphia Marathon. It was too much a reminder of what I didn't achieve.

Why post this now? Because today I ran Haddon Township's Turkey Trot 5K, and I placed second in my age group. I ran almost as fast as I ran a 5K when I trained with a running coach for a magazine article. I was shocked to see my time, and even more stunned when I was called up for a medal.

Even though I didn't run the half marathon, and even though I didn't win, I'm darn happy with how today went. I have to remind myself that perfection is not always an option (something that I'll need to keep in mind when the book comes out and people start pointing out what I didn't include). I was so happy with how this morning's results that I couldn't taken the medal off. I wore it as vacuumed the house. I still have it on. Why not? How often is it that you win a medal?

This would also be a good time to point out that there are loads of races down the shore every spring, summer and fall. I hope to be part of a lot of them, especially the annual Tim Kerr 7 mile run, which spans Avalon and Stone Harbor. The Ocean Drive Marathon will be held on March 30, too. I won't be training for that one, but I'll probably sign up for a shorter version of the race. Who knows. Maybe I'll win medal #2.

Digg this

Friday, November 23, 2007

What's your favorite shore town? Via Facebook

I just started a discussion on my "Down the Shore with Jen" facebook group about favorite shore towns. Care to chime in? Click here. And while you're at it, friend me!

What I'm listening to: Silver Storms by The A-Sides

Digg this

Monday, November 19, 2007

Down the Shore with Jen and Em


This weekend, I did something I've never done before: brought my dog to the shore.

Yes, I spent a lot of time at the South Jersey shore this summer, but the house I'd rented did not allow pets. So friends, family and a dog walker took care of Emily, my (almost) six-year-old Jack Russell Terrier, while I was gone (something she thanked me for by pooping in the spare room -- lovely!)

I adopted Emily about two years ago, and in that time, I'd never taken her to the shore and, as far as I know, she'd never seen the beach before. The Billmae Cottage (1015 Washington Street, Cape May) isn't just dog friendly but dog WELCOMING (they're the folks who host Yappy Hour), so I packed up the pup and made the two hour drive to Cape May.

Cape May has a wonderful shopping district called the Washington Square Mall, so soon after dropping off my stuff at Billmae, me and Emily took a walk into town. It's under construction right now, it's not as picturesque as usual (the trees are gone for now). But everywhere Emily went, she attracted attention. I took her into a few stores, too, and no one blinked an eye, though she did get a lot of pets from strangers.

Then it was beach time. Even though it was about 45 degrees outside, Emily headed right to the water. She tried to bite the ocean, and she peed on the sand. She barked at birds, at fishermen, and at the water (again). I wish I could have let her run off leash, but I'm too scared that she wouldn't have come back (which is why these pictures have a big black line in them -- that's her leash).

After our beach adventures, we visited Jay and Mary Ann Gorrick, who own the Inn at the Park (1002 Washington St., Cape May). This is one reason why I love Cape May. Most people are so incredibly friendly. I stayed with the Gorrick's in the spring, and after about five minutes of chatting, they'd given Emily two treats, invited me to their cocktail hour AND dinner. I accepted the cocktail hour invite, and went with the Gorrick's to the tree lighting. Emily had a good time. She barked whenever people clapped. The old girl's got great timing.

By the time we got back to our room, Emily was ready for bed, and she walked right into her travel crate. I stopped in at both Congress Hall (215 Beach Ave., Cape May) and the Ugly Mug (426 Washington St., Cape May), the first for a drink and entertainment, and the second for food (I forgot that the Brown Room is drinks and dessert but not dinner food). I ended up sitting next to the guy who played Santa earlier in the day. Wasn't a late night, but a fun one.

The trip must have wiped Emily out because, after a Sunday morning beach walk, she was ready for bed again. She slept the whole way home, and most of of Sunday afternoon. It's strange -- I like having an active dog, but complain sometimes about her spunkiness (right now, she's trying to hop onto my lap). But whenever she's sluggish like that, I worry that she's slowing down. She does have gray hair, after all.

I was impressed with how busy Cape May was for a November weekend. People were out walking, in the restaurants (I had trouble finding a seat at the bar in both Congress Hall and the Ugly Mug), and a lot of the B&Bs had up the "no vacancy" signs. I hear that the only real dead month is January, which makes sense since it's cold and it's after the holidays. But things pick right back up around Valentine's Day. Most of the people were couples, which made me feel a bit out of place. I even saw a just-engaged engaged couple at the Ugly Mug (with a bottle of champagne, mind you). Still, I had a great time. It was nice to get away and not worry where my dog would stay because she was exactly where she belonged: right by my side.

The "Down the Shore with..."series will return shortly. This week's interviewee is in Africa, so we're on a bit of a delay!

What I'm Listening to: Soundtrack to Le Divorce

Digg this

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Emily Goes Down the Shore...


...and pees on it.

I'll write a longer post soon about the adventures of Jen and Em in Cape May, but that picture was too cute to pass up. So's this one:

Digg this

Friday, November 16, 2007

On the Way to Cape May

Yes, it's November. And, yes, I am headed down the shore. I'm packing up the pup and headed to Cape May to do a little Christmas shopping and work on an article. I've never taken Emily, my Jack Russell Terrier, to the beach. Should be an intersting trip!

Digg this

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Some bizarre stuff happening in Atlantic City this week. First, there was a stand off outside the Showboat.

Then there's that illegal gambling ring that was being run out of the Borgata.

On a positive note, the new Harrah's tower is coming along.

The Washington Street Mall in Cape May is getting an upgrade.

Strathmere is still trying to break away from Upper Township.

Still think buying a shore house it too expensive? I do. But CNNMoney says that tide might be turning.

Who doesn't love a good college newspaper article? Here's one from The Quad, West Chester University's paper, about road trips to New York and Atlantic City.

What I'm Listening to: Gimme Fiction by Spoon

Digg this

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Down the Shore with...Lord Whimsy

I debated for quite some time about to introduce Lord Whimsy. I interviewed him when his book, The Affected Provincial’s Companion, was first published, and I've been delighed by his wit ever since. So instead of trying to put that in my words, I'll let the man do it himself.

1. What do you consider 'your' shore town?"
I have a complicated relationship with the shore, a lot of mixed feelings. I grew up in Somers Point, but the Great Egg Harbor Bay area in general—Ocean City, Longport, Strathmere--is the area that was home, at least until the bay was ringed by condos that obscured the view for anyone who wasn’t paying for it. Over the past twenty years the area towns all became Cherry Hill-by-the-sea. All of the wonderful character and texture has been stripped away: the bait shops and little houses abutting the fisherman and clammer’s docks, all gone. It’s heartbreaking to see what has happened, because even though the people could be small-minded and mean, I loved that little bay town with all of my heart—the seafood restaurant kitsch, the boats, the history, the sights and sounds, the wooded lots, the living things, all of it. You’d have to be a millionaire there now to live like we did when we were kids. We would spend entire months outdoors, sleeping in the backyard. Woods, marshes, bay, beach—it was a Huck Finn existence, and I absolutely lived for the summertime, when I could go crabbing, fishing, beachcombing for shells, collecting bugs and butterflies, building tree forts--all for which I’m paying now in close calls with skin cancer, but I wouldn’t trade a moment of those memories.

The presence of the ocean was something vaguely mystical, because it was an absolute but nebulous part of the landscape—the horizon said "here, and no further". I remember taking my surfboard or inflatable raft way out past the breakers in the evenings, and look back at the Ocean City boardwalk, which looked like this slender string of color, noise and light suspended in glistening, black void. I would visit the old bait shops that were stuffed with photos of bizarre animals the old men had yanked out of the deep waters out off the lip of the continental shelf. They were like astronauts to me. I would sit on the rickety docks and listen to the boats pull their lashings through the rusty pulleys as they bobbed in the slips, which gave off an eerie singsong ambiance all along the bay. They’re all gone now. I’ll never hear that sound again.

Barring a couple exceptions, most of the things I loved about Somers Point have either been paved over or torn down. Even the huge fallow field that I used to spend entire summers rooting about for lizards and strange insects became victim to a particularly cruel irony: it’s now a garden center.

2. Tell us about the work you did for the casinos?
I worked for an ad agency that worked almost exclusively for casinos. I was fresh out of Stockton, and it was an opportunity—in fact my only opportunity—to learn the trade. The casinos at the time were in a fifteen-year time lag behind the culture at large. Blondes in red dresses and high heels emerging from Ferraris were the epitome of sophistication, as far as the marketing departments were concerned, which were manned by local “talent”. Working for them was like living in 1981 for ten hours each day; I went home thinking that I would see PM Magazine if I flicked on the television. I was miserable most days because the exuberant non-design I was forced to make was even more confining than if I was doing bleak, clinical ads for pharmaceuticals: the type treatments were always clunky, shrieking pink and purple on everything, and die cuts and foils were on every surface. Thanks to my art director Jay, I did learn a lot about production; I did everything from doll designs to swizzle sticks. However, unless Rip Taylor started a design studio, I couldn’t use any of it in my portfolio; I’d get laughed out of every studio or agency north of Hammonton. So I worked late at night on my own projects—some freelance, some made up. I designed Apogee, a typeface that was included in a major design exhibition at The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York. I couldn’t eat for three days before the opening. Like a true South Jersey rube I had a hard time finding the museum, finally got there only to stand around looking overwhelmed and completely out of my depth, went home—and got up the next day to paste up bus ads for Trump Taj Mahal. Later on though, that little feather in my cap came in handy, along with my side projects. It helped me move on to better things, as did all my pathetic stumbles in those early years. Took a couple false starts over seven years, but I finally got loose.

3. And how did that influence what you do now?
I suppose living near the sleaze that was Atlantic City in the 80’s really set me against that kind of empty, garish frivolity for a long time. I’ve always loved kitsch—the shore is full of it—but there’s kitsch that’s so bad it’s good (Lucy the Elephant, doo wop architecture), and there’s the other kind that’s just tawdry and plain awful from every angle (casinos). That said, I love the goofy overstatement and showmanship of cabaret and camp, and I can now look back and laugh about the godawful projects I used to work on. Sequined billboards! Where else would they go to that level of excess? In that sense, I was strangely fortunate.

4. Most readers might not 'get' what it is that you do. Care to share?
I’m a writer, illustrator and designer who’s turned his tools on himself. I’ve written a book called The Affected Provincial’s Companion, which is loosely based on the life I’ve lived in New Egypt for twelve years with my wife. We rented a drafty old four-room army barracks that we crammed full of art, plants, books, and a Victorian highwheel bicycle leaning against the wall. We were young and poor, and wanted to start a small illustration and design studio, which we did. The cheap lifestyle and vegetable garden helped a great deal. We couldn’t have done it if we had to pay the kind of rent our friends in New York were paying. They were happy years.

The book is a collection of fragments, a kind of tongue-in-cheek “Poor Richard’s Almanac.” There are satirical charts, nonsensical poems, and essays on inconsequential things. I wrote, edited, typeset, designed and illustrated the entire book myself. The book had to be a physical expression of the ideas inside, which center around how to live beautifully, and the joy of appreciating living things. The cover is leaf-green and silver, and the inside endpapers are a hot pink—it’s meant to suggest the mouth of a Venus Flytrap. It’s a strange book. The book is very funny, but it is also a critique of our current age, which to my mind has become harried and toxic. It offers another way by saying “These things still matter.” I like to think it offers some degree of hope; after all, any twit can whine about the current state
of affairs.

The other news is that Johnny Depp’s production company has bought the rights to the book, a director and screenwriter have visited us over the summer, and a first rough draft of the film script has been finished. The film and book allowed us to finally buy a small house. We now have plenty of room for our terrariums, bog garden, and odd
antiques.

You can see more here: www.lordwhimsy.com

5. Why do you think people either assume that you're British or gay? Or both?

Hah. Probably because they don’t know any British or gay people, but mostly because I don’t dress in sweatpants, which has become a kind of uniform these days. Want to confuse people? Dress up. People think they’re being “authentic” by dressing like slobs when all they’re doing is being lazy—and an eyesore at that. It isn’t a matter of cost, either—sweatpants can cost more than a perfectly nice pair of trousers. Grown men shouldn’t dress like five year-olds, with space sneakers and baseball caps. It’s juvenile, and gives our part of the state a bad reputation--like we’re all a bunch of fat mall-waddling mouth breathers. Are we really all so special that we don’t see the need to put any effort in our appearance? Think of the poor guy that has to look at you at the supermarket! I’m not saying everyone has to dress like me—not everyone wants to risk a bloody nose when they step out of their door--but a little effort would be nice. It’s not snobbery—it’s civic consideration.

6. What should people visiting the shore know about terrapins?
They should do what they can to help diamondback terrapins, especially in early summer. People should volunteer at the Wetlands Institute outside of Stone Harbor. They are extremely vulnerable animals; all they want is to get across the road to lay their eggs and perpetuate their kind, which is far more important than someone getting to the beach.

Snapping turtles are an incredibly old species; they’ve been around since the Triassic, and eighty percent of all turtle species living today are descended from them. I pulled a sixty-pound snapping turtle out of the road this summer down in Cape May; she must have been fifty years old. Did it all in my best linen summer suit. I had to be careful--things can take off your fingers, but I’ve been handling them my whole life. You have to pick them up by the base of their tail, with the plastron (belly) towards you. Their jaws are much less likely to reach you that way. Keep the turtle far from your body, as they are fast and mean. Set them down gently on the other side of the road they were heading, otherwise, they’ll just try to cross again. Do this, and you can take pride in having done a selfless, kind, and decent thing.

7. And what do you think most people don't know about the shore environment, but should know?
That it is a very rare environment. Very few healthy temperate marshlands remain in North America, and the Pine Barrens is even more of a natural treasure, rich in history and folklore. There are some species of frogs or plants in the pines that are more rare than emeralds, and infinitely more precious. They should be regarded with love and respect. It is these things that make this region truly unique, not our boardwalks and casinos. They can put that stuff anywhere.

Oh yes: Mary Treat, the amateur naturalist from Vineland who helped Darwin in his research on insectivorous plants should be known by every child in South Jersey over the age of twelve. She’s a more admirable historical figure than that so-called “hero” Emilio Carranza, who used to strafe Mexican Indians in his airplane--and yet he’s the one with the monument on the Batona Trail!

Digg this

Monday, November 12, 2007

Best Face Forward: The Down the Shore With Jen Facebook Group

Got a Facebook account? Then join the Down the Shore With Jen group! You can access it here.

Check it (and me) out!

Digg this

Hey There, Ocean City

If you're like me and make sure to watch ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition with a box of tissues in hand, you were bawling after last night's episode about the Marrero family. They were living in a run down home in Camden, which is America's second most dangerous city. It also happens to be the town next to mine. Plus, I went to graduate school at Rutgers University-Camden and write about Camden for Rutgers Magazine, so I have seen how bad Camden is really is. I pass through the heart of Camden every time I take the PATCO high speed line into Philly, and it's not a pretty sight.

But that's not why I'm writing this post. I'm writing because the intro to last night's show was flimed in Ocean City, NJ. Never mind that OC is over an hour ride from Ocean City to Camden. It looked like a whole lot of fun. I'm guessing they were at Wonderland Pier based on the rides, and their positon on the Boardwalk. I might have even been in OC the day they filmed. The only thing I remember about the week that Extreme Makeover was in town (since it was covered in local media) was that it was hot as hell. Not the best time to be building a house. Then again, based on how the Marrero family seemed transformed by the show's help, any time was a good time to be pulled out of poverty.

What I'm Listening to: News and Tributes by The Futureheads

Digg this

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Update from Atlantic City's "sitcom" government: the mayor is guilty of cheating Veterans Department.

Here's an interesting article on the growing population of Asians gambling in Atlantic City.

Well, this isn't good -- more trouble within the Sea Isle City police department.

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's almost time for Ocean City's Quiet Festival.

Vegan? Check out The Healthy Voyager's report about her trip to Cape May.

I'm not as shocked about this as I should be: gangs in Cape May County. I'd heard about this back in the spring.

Don't pick up the horseshoe crabs! And this rule isn't in place because they're dangerous -- they're not. The Delaware Bay is the world’s largest spawning grounds for horshoe crabs, which explains why the Jersey Shore has so many. The Delaware Estuary is also the largest staging area of shorebirds that travel the Atlantic Flyway, largely due to the horseshoe crab — they eat the horseshoe crab eggs. Horseshoe crabs can also save your life, indirectly. According to the Ecological Research and Development Group, extracts of blood from horseshoe crabs are used to make sure that items like intravenous drugs, vaccines, and medical devices are bacteria-free. So leave 'em alone.

Update on the potential buy out of Trump Entertainment Resorts from Forbes. Summary: doesn't look like it's going to happen.

What I'm Listening to: Preston & Steve on 93.3 WMMR

Digg this

Monday, November 5, 2007

Another Level of "Done"

I just sent an email to the copy editor assigned to my book. This was not just any email. Attached to it was the Cape May chapter -- the last chapter in my book. Over the last few weeks, I have re-read my book from cover to cover, approving the changes the publisher wanted while also clarifying and correcting anything that need to be clarified and corrected.

This is not the last time I'll see the book before it goes to press, but it's the last time I could make any major changes. So if any more casinos expansions want to catch on fire, restaurants decide to fall into the water, or shore towns opt to use digital beach tags, could you please wait until after my book comes out?

I feel a little sad letting that last chapter go. Right now, I'm sitting in my office with a crick in my neck and an empty feeling all over. It's a lot of information, and I poured, so far, almost a year of my life into creating this book. I guess when I started I never thought ahead to this point, just like when you're 17, you can't imagine what it would be like to be 27. But, sure enough, I'm 27 now, and the book is almost published.

Anyway, this is not something to feel glum about -- it's something to celebrate, so I'm going on a run. While I'm at it, check out my bookaweekwithjen.blogspot.com blog for an update on how my "52 books in 52 weeks project" is going. I'm tempted to make my book #7 of 52 since I did read it within the 52 weeks. But I don't think my own work should count!

What I'm Listening to: Air Stereo by the Damnwells

Digg this

Sunday, November 4, 2007

Down the Shore with...Caroline Leavitt

This week's installment of "Down the Shore with" takes us to Ocean City with Caroline Leavitt. Not only is Caroline a big OC fan (of the town, not the TV show), but she's also a fantastic writer, counting eight novels, like Girls in Trouble and Coming Back to Me, to her byline, as well as numerous essays and articles in magazines you know and love.

Writers, listen up (or read up). She gives great advice to us ink stained wretches and aspiring authors.

1. What do you consider your shore town? Why?
Ocean City! Neither my husband Jeff nor I are really beach people (I didn't own a bathing suit until we started to go! I have parchment pale skin so I always burn, too, which makes the beach less fun) but when we had our son, we realized we couldn't deny him the experience of the beach. We chose Ocean City because we heard it was a family-friendly place, and because we heard it had a boardwalk! (One of our first dates was on the boardwalk of Atlantic City. We both love kitsch and ended up spending way too much money on figurines and snow domes!) We have both come to love Ocean City and go every year. I even buy new bathing suits and go in the surf and slather on sun block with a SPF of about two thousand! Every year we also hit the arcades and get one of those photo booth shots of all of us making silly faces. We have about ten of them framed at home to remind us how much fun we have at Ocean City.

I just love everything about it--the salty air, the arcade, the boardwalk, the food, the ocean. We're still not major beach people (we only stay four days and we usually limit our beach time to an hour and a half every day), but anyone who knows us always thinks it remarkable that we can't wait to come here.

2. A lot of people go to the shore just to eat. What's your favorite Ocean City hot spot?
Bashful Banana is FABULOUS. It's right on the boardwalk. They make incredible (and healthy) sandwiches, wraps, hot stuff, and even better is their banana whip, which is a frozen banana that they somehow puree with honey so it becomes this extraordinary dessert. Plus, the waitstaff is always really, really friendly.

3. Which do you prefer? Wonderland or Playland?
This is a question for my 11-year-old, since just looking at rides makes my head swim! He adores Wonderland and would rent an apartment in there if he could. However, I admit I love the LOOK of the place, especially at night when everything is all bright and shiny with lights, and we have taken a zillion photographs of it.

4. When did you start writing fiction?
As soon as I could hold a pencil. I made up books for book reports, I wrote stories instead of reports and I always knew I wanted to be a writer. Nothing seemed more fun than making up whole worlds! I didn't get really serious about sending things out until after I graduated college, though!

5. This blog is read by a lot of writers -- what advice would you give to aspiring fiction writers?
1. Never, ever give up. No doesn't always mean no when you approach agents or editors--and even if it sometimes does, remember a "no" is just one person's opinion.
2. Write every day if you can, or at least five days a week. Don't wait for inspiration. Instead train your subconscious to help you.
3. This one is the most important, next to number 1. Write what obsesses you, what you are most passionate about. Don't write for the market! That's a huge mistake because the market always changes and because if you just write what you think might sell instead of what you really care about, the work will be dry and flat.
4. Befriend other writers whenever you can because writing can be a lonely business and it helps to have the support of others who know what you are going through.
5. Read everything. Pay attention to how other writers solve problems about character or plot.
6. I repeat, NEVER GIVE UP!

6. Tell us a little bit about your Boston Globe column.
I started out writing part of their "A Reading Life" column, where I could talk about three books around a theme--for example, three first novels all about sky diving, or three books that all look at betrayal! I did that until they had a budget cut and then I simply reviewed for them. Recently they offered me a new column--about self-help books, but they told me I could write about the smarter, quirkier ones, such as titles by Annie Lamott or Peggy Orenstein or that wonderful book, EAT, PRAY, LOVE. I'm out to transform the genre! It's every other month, and so much fun. I'm originally from Boston, which makes the job all the more fun, plus it's truly a wonderful place to work. I also review books for Dame Magazine and People, teach writing through UCLA online, mentor writers, write novels AND I'm a professional namer! (I just named a brand of potato chips!)

7. What writers do YOU like to read?
I love Dan Chaon, Alice Hoffman, Robb Foreman Dew, Maggie O'Farrell is wonderful. Leora Skolkin-Smith, Rochelle Shapiro, Elizabeth Strout. I have a soft spot for new writers (Dean Bakopoulos' Please Don't Come Back From The Moon is astonishingly good) and I also love nonfiction about history and science.

8. What's next?
I just turned in my 9th novel, Traveling Angels, to my beloved agent and immediately started a new novel. It's set in 1950s suburbia so I am doing some research and in that dreamy stage, which is bliss. I am working with Leora Skolkin-Smith and a producer and director to adapt her novel Edges to the screen and am hoping to sell two other scripts I completed (both just got into the quarter finals of the Writers Network Screenplay competition, so my fingers are crossed so tightly, circulation is about to be cut off.) And I am trying to learn to knit socks so they come out properly!

Check out Caroline's blog at carolineleavittville.blogspot.com.

Digg this

Friday, November 2, 2007

Prep Alert


A welcome surprise from yesterday's trip to the shore: a new JCrew outlet has opened in Atlantic City.

JCrew is one of the more recent additions to Atlantic City's "The Walk" (Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City) and both the Walk and that JCrew are hard to miss if you're coming into town via the AC Expressway. I'm wary of outlets since I think you can find better deals on the sales racks in the regular stores. But I scored a few great sales on pants yesterday at JCrew, which is a major plus considering I'm updating my wardrobe (being back "on the market" and all). It's much easier to try out new looks, like winter-wear shorts paired with tights and boots as a "going out" outfit, at discount prices. I never though of trying that look until I found the pants for $9.97 at this JCrew outlet (and put in two months of serious running to get my legs back in the kind of shape where I could fathom pulling this off -- I rarely wore shorts this summer). And you know what? It looks pretty good -- much more interesting than my fall back of "jeans and a cute top."

Speaking of 'the market,' Saturday night I'll be at the Bridesmaids Ball, which benefits the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, with a few people who were in my Avalon shore house. I'll probably be the only woman wearing a ladies' tux (which is pictured in this post), so stop by an say hi if you happen to spot me.

Now, I didn't buy that outfit at JCrew, nor in Atlantic City. The tux was purchased a few years ago from a Guess? store in King of Prussia -- BUT there is a Guess? outlet at The Walk in Atlantic City, and I've seen a tux almost exactly like the one I'll be wearing on the outlet racks at an outlet price. It's an extremely versatile piece of formal wear -- I'm just glad I finally got rid of all my "testing every pizza parlor, Italian restaurant and ice cream shop at the Jersey shore" weight (thanks again to running) so I can fit into this on Saturday night!

Digg this

Thursday, November 1, 2007

News from Around the South Jersey Shore

Here's a Q&A with Sarah Silverman, who's performing at the Borgata on Saturday night.

This upcoming weekend is also the Sherlock Holmes weekend in Cape May. Yes, Sherlock Holmes weekend. Sleuth to your heart's content.

Studio Six, a legendary gay club in Atlantic City, has closed.

This doesn't look so good -- Harrah's is getting sued.

This summer, I interviewed the woman behind the "Where the Hell is Strathmere" bumper stickers. They've got a new one now -- a car magnet that says "Shhh." Why? Because they want to stay a sleepy shore town. Read the story here.

Ocean City is reporting that it had a great summer. And, no, I am not related the to the person writing this article. Unless my little brother wants to tell me something.

I'm headed down to Atlantic City this afternoon for meetings and maybe a bit of early Christmas shopping. Nothing too crazy last night for Halloween, though my dog had a flying good time:



Gotta love dogs in costume.

What I'm Listening to: Preston and Steve on 93.3 WMMR
What I'm Reading: The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web, and the Race for the White House by Garrett M. Graff

Digg this