subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Sat, Aug 30 2008 

Published: March 23, 2007 03:58 pm    print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Calling all busy women: Find a few more minutes to tell the world

By MELISSA RAYWORTH
For The Associated Press

What will you be doing on Tuesday? Joni Cole wants to know. And if you tell her, she might just publish the details.

Cole is a co-editor of the “This Day in the Life” book series, which began in 2002 with the publication of “This Day: Diaries from American Women.” The concept of her books is this: Women from across the country submit “day diaries” of their thoughts and actions from a single 24-hour period, which Cole then compiles into a snapshot of the varied and often hectic lives of American women.

As she prepares the next installment, Cole has teamed up with Colgate to create the National Day Diary Project, which encourages women to post their diaries at www.my247life.com.

“Anybody across the country can pick a single day and she can go to the website and post it and read other women’s day diaries,” says Cole. The added bonus for those who choose Tuesday as their day to chronicle is that they may be included in Cole’s next book, due out in 2008.

The website, designed as a virtual community where women can connect over their similarities and marvel at their differences, also serves as an advertising vehicle for Colgate’s Lady Speed Stick deodorant. It offers tips on creating a successful diary, although Cole says there’s no wrong way to participate.

“Women should know, this is not a writing project. Every woman has a beautiful natural voice, the voice she hears in her head when she’s thinking,” says Cole.

So far, the site lists a few dozen entries, but Cole expects traffic to increase as more women hear about the project.

“I thought one of the biggest challenges when I did the book would be to entice women to participate,” she says. But she received a flood of submissions, ranging from the mundane (“At Walgreen’s drive-through picking up prescriptions. I’m actually surprised I remembered.”) to the philosophical (“What more can we ask of life than that we would be missed if we were not here?”).

In her most recent book (“This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America,” published in 2005), a mother of two from North Carolina writes about her older daughter: “One minute I adore her, the next minute she makes me want to get on a bus and leave town.”

Cole isn’t surprised by the honesty. “Writing as the day goes along almost nudges you to be honest,” she says. “It does get to what is really in our heads or really in our hearts. ... You don’t have time to edit or package yourself when you’re changing diapers or meeting that deadline.”

print this story   email this story   comment on this story  

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.



monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs

SALES OPPORTUNITY

The

...>MORE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
KVC
Behavioral
Healthcare
Princeton
Administrative
Assistant, must be 21 years old, with a high
...>MORE

SHOP FABRICATORS AND COAL PLANT MAINTENANCE
Dewar of Virginia, Inc.
is seeking
Shop Fabricators and Coal Plant
Maintenance
Personnel.
Dewar
...>MORE

MAINTENANCE MECHANIC
Gemark Services of West Virginia

Maintenance
Mechanic

Conducts, maintains, tests and repairs
...>MORE

VB DEVELOPER
VB Developer
Electro-Mechanical
Corporation,
a well-established
Southwest Virginia
Corporation,
...>MORE

EXPERIENCED PLUMBER
Experienced Plumber
An experienced plumber needed. Clean driving record required. Please call 276-979-1577 or email
...>MORE

CNA'S
Bland County
Nursing and
Rehabilitation Center
12185 Grapefield Rd.
Bastian, VA.
(276) 688-41
...>MORE

See all ads

Yard Sales

108 FOSTER ST. - PRINCETON
3 Family - 108 Foster St.
Princeton. Sat. 8/30
7:30 - 1:30. Clothes,
Nicknacs, Home Interior, baby item
...>MORE

See all ads

Premium Homes

TOWNHOUSE FOR RENT
Redden Realty
Ron Redden -
Broker
425-8331 or 320-8331
Princeton:
Townhouses under construction
...>MORE

CLAYTOR LAKE VA. CHALET FOR SALE
Claytor Lake, VA.
Meticulously renovated Claytor Lake chalet with stunning lake views
offers boat access,
...>MORE

See all ads

Hot Stuff

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

Online store Princeton Times