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Clueless from page 63

author graduated
from
Hobart/William
Smith College in
upstate New York and
went on to Cornell
University, where she
earned a master of fine
arts in creative writing.
Today, Bank divides her
time between Manhattan —
where she has "a wonderful
boyfriend named Todd, who
lives in my building" — and a
log cabin in East Hampton.
This is a very New York-orient-
ed book. The author
assumes her readers will
understand the implica-
tions of living at 119th
Street and Broadway ver-
sus the West Village. And
Jewish ethnic references
are everywhere, although
Bank, like her heroine, is
disaffected from tradition-
al religious observance.
"My family belonged to
a Reform synagogue like
the one in 'Boss of the
World' — (the first
episode in the book) —
and I didn't like going
there Bank said.
"It may have to do with
an overall resistance I have Melissa Bank: Much of The Wonder Spot
to groups or clubs — and is autobiographical, "not necessarily
this one represented conven- factually but emotionally?'
tion to me more than any
form of spirituality. I wish I
specific subject matter and
had more. religious feeling, but I
appeal. There's no 'Straight White
don't think it's something you
Man's Literature."
can will to happen.
"But I don't mind at all that my
"While I'm not observant, I do
readers are mostly women:' Bank
have a sense of my Jewish identi-
added. "I'm thrilled and grateful
ty — whenever I experience any
that I have readers." LI
anti-Semitism and also whenever
I'm in Europe, where I spend a
lot of time
After two novels, both classi-
Novelist Melissa Bank
fied as "Chick LC Bank is some-
joins fiction writers Alice
what reconciled to the term.
Mattison (In Case We're
"Though `Chick Lit' probably
Separated) and Karen
began as a snappy idea in a mar-
Tulchinsky (The Five Books
keting department, it does seem
of Moses Lapinsky) as part
now to have a denigrating conno-
of "Lunch with the
tation, both to writers and read-
Authors;' noon Thursday,
ers of fiction about single
Nov. 10, at the West
women," she said.
Bloomfield JCC. $20 per
"But even the classification
person. Reservations: (248)
`Women's Literature' — like 'Gay
432-5577. Bank also
Interest' or 'African-American
speaks at the West
Literature' — seems to be a way
Bloomfield Township
of saying that a book is limited in
Public Library's Main
scope — it doesn't transcend its
Branch at 7 p.m. (free).

call 248.354.6060

64

October 27 2005