Nora Ephron

The Guardian

I’m pretty sure that I’ve been living under a rock, because I’ve only recently discovered Nora Ephron. Gasp. I know. Well, to be fair, I have been a fan of her work for some years, but had no idea who she was or what work she created.

For those of you who have also been out of the loop, here are just a few of the things that Nora Ephron has done:

Screenplays:

• You’ve Got Mail (I know!)
• Sleepless in Seattle
• When Harry Met Sally (again,…I know!)
• Silkwood
• Julie and Julia

Theatre:

• Imaginary Friends

Bestsellers:

• Heartburn
• Crazy Salad
• I Feel Bad About My Neck

Seriously, this list strikes me as just showing off (smile).

I recently read I Feel Bad About My Neck, and other thoughts on being a woman, a book of essays. She wrote the type of essay where you nod your head through the entire piece. Yes, you can relate to that, and to that, and of course to that. As a writer, reading her work mades me think that I could do that. I mean, all she was doing was recording everyday occurrences; easy as pie. Well, have you tried to make pie? Yeah, it isn’t easy (at all!) and neither is writing with such familiarity, such a connection.

What have I learned?

• She died when she was 71 of pneumonia caused by myelodysplastic syndrome (a pre-leukemia condition) that she kept secret from all but her closest family and friends. Wikipedia
• She was funny. Her stories made me want to sit down and have dinner with her, listening to all of the fascinating tales and lessons she had stored away.
• She was a doer. She was an essayist, novelist, screenplay writer, blogger, playwright, director, and producer. Plus a wife, mother, friend, sibling, daughter. Holy crap, eh.
• She was married three times. Yikes.

She has a fabulous collection of quotes attributed to her. Here are some of my favourites:

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.” 

“The desire to get married is a basic and primal instinct in women. It's followed by another basic and primal instinct: the desire to be single again.” 

“When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.” 

“I don't think any day is worth living without thinking about what you're going to eat next at all times.” 

And of course, the famous -- “I'll have what she's having.”

Were you already familiar with Nora Ephron? Or did this list of her accomplishments surprise you as well?