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Forever, Erma: Best Loved Writing from America's Favorite Humorist »

Authors: Erma Bombeck, Donna Martin (Foreword by), Alan McDermott
ISBN-13: 9780836236736, ISBN-10: 0836236734
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Date Published: August 1997
Edition: (Non-applicable)

Author Biography: Erma Bombeck

Beloved for her wry yet warm look at family life, Erma Bombeck was America's favorite humorist at the time of her death in 1996. Ten of her 13 books, including Forever, Erma, appeared on the New York Times best-seller list. She claimed her first fiction writing was the weather forecast in the Dayton Herald. Her favorite food was pasta, and her hobby was dust.

Book Synopsis

New in paperback, this bestseller is a collection of columns dating from her first, in January 1965, to her last, in April 1996.

Publishers Weekly

The housewife columnist whose gently subversive humor has won her a prominent niche in American culture is commemorated in this collection of over 120 of her most popular and memorable essays. Bombeck, whose bestsellers include All I Know About Animal Behavior I Learned in Loehmann's Dressing Room, died in 1996. Trained as a newspaper reporter, she honed her skills into a unique blend of humorous social commentary based on the quotidian passage of domestic life and an empathy with women in their relations with the larger world, including spouses and children. Much honored, quoted and sought after for advice, Bombeck had an infectious sense of human absurdity that is highlighted in this collection celebrating her 25-year career as a low-key enforcer of the positive in the face of adversity, whether it be her own terminal illness, or "missing socks, promiscuous hangovers and other unexplained phenomena" that were grist for her reporter's mill. (Oct.)

Foreword	xi
Paint Tint Caper--September 4, 1965	1
Birds, Bees and Guppies--January 6, 1966	2
Good Neighbor Policy--May 16, 1966	3
Waking Up Momma--July 4, 1966	5
When Last Child Goes to School--September 5, 1966	6
Surviving Motherhood--September 1966	7
Costume for the School Play--May 29, 1968	8
Outgrowing Naps--August 14, 1968	9
A Mother's Eye--August 18, 1968	11
Confirmed Shouter--March 5, 1969	12
Youngest Child Tries to Tell a Joke--May 23, 1969	13
No More Oatmeal Kisses--January 29, 1969	14
"Are We Rich?"--June 3, 1971	15
When God Created Mothers--May 12, 1974	16
Motherhood-Love and Laughter--September 1974	18
How to Communicate with Toddlers--December 1974	19
The Twelve Days of School--September 1975	20
"Things My Mother Taught Me" Assignment--September 28, 1975	21
A Baby's Bill of Rights--November 13, 1975	22
Happiness and Motherhood--April 24, 1980	23
Disposable Diapers--February 8, 1990	24
Spit--March 18, 1990	26
Children Cornering the Coin Market--January 5, 1965	28
My Son, the President--October 30, 1965	30
"I Don't Want to Go to Grandma's"--May 1966	31
Going Deaf from Rock `n' Roll--January 23, 1967	32
Daughter Learning to Drive--July 18, 1969	34
Phone Messages--October 22, 1969	35
Working Mom's Telephone Crisis--May 28, 1971	36
I've Always Loved You Best--July 20, 1971	38
Mike and the Grass--May 1973	39
Live-in Neighbor Child--September 30, 1973	40
Kids: Life's Greatest Mysteries--July 29, 1975	41
I Loved You Enough to	--January 6, 1976	42
Parents Get Apartment--June 6, 1976	43
Children Are Like Kites--May 15, 1977	44
Summertime Blues--August 3, 1978	46
Local or Toll Call Girlfriend?--February 1, 1979	47
Marching to a Different Drummer--November 3, 1979	48
Parenthood Is Worth the Risks--September 2, 1980	49
Favorite Child--May 10, 1981	50
The First Day of School--September 3, 1981	51
Third Child--November 5, 1981	52
Mother-Son Dialogue--January 13, 1987	53
Different Mother for Each Child--June 26, 1990	55
Soap Operas--June 1, 1965	56
Lost identity--September 18, 1965	57
When the Memory Starts to Go--June 9, 1967	59
Subversive Window Washer--September 29, 1967	60
Sewing-Basket Blues--November 21, 1969	61
Ironing--June 10, 1971	63
The Mother Who Drives--June 11, 1972	64
Making Paycheck Stretch--October 1972	65
A Housewife's Prayer--October 1974	66
Mom Last to Get Cold--October 16, 1975	67
"I Was 37 Years Old at the Time"--August 7, 1976	69
Dumpy Paper Dress--March 31, 1977	70
Handbags--October 25, 1977	71
Bizarre Accidents--November 29,1981	72
Turning into Mother--June 1, 1989	73
Get Well for Mom--April 3, 1966	75
Cleaning Out the Attic--December 28, 1966	76
Interpreting the Checkbook--April 24, 1967	78
Men Have a Six-Word Limit--July 23, 1969	79
Car Hits a Tree--January 24, 1971	80
Daytime Husband, Nocturnal Wife--March 22, 1971	81
Keeping Track of Valuable Papers--June 1972	83
Husband Born Late--October 8, 1972	84
Husband Dreads Hammering Nails in the Wall--November 23, 1972	85
My Husband the Prince of Darkness--February 20, 1973	86
Husband Has Clothes for All Occasions--May 8, 1979	87
Jim Is Retired--May 19, 1985	89
My Social Life--November 3, 1985	90
Clippers--April 26, 1987	91
Car Heater--December 11, 1988	92
Husband Reads at Night--March 14, 1989	93
Husband Preempts His Christmas Gifts--December 10, 1992	95
Household Hints--September 11, 1965	97
The Home Handyman--January 18, 1966	98
The American Clothesline--April 20, 1967	100
Getting Locked Out--July 8, 1968	101
No Pencil in the House--February 17, 1969	102
The Husband Who Prunes--September 15, 1969	104
Garage Sales--June 6, 1971	105
Relaxing with "Country Gardens"--October 26, 1975	106
Working Wife/Maid Communication--September 28, 1982	107
VCR--January 24, 1985	108
"What Time Is It?"--November 2, 1986	109
Boston Fern--November 13, 1986	111
Repairmanese--March 3, 1988	112
Eyeglasses in Every Room--June 27, 1989	113
Weekends--March 15, 1990]TC1	114
Changing of the Closets--May 1, 1990	115
Swinging Was Respectable on Front Porch--September 22, 1994	117
Martha Stewart--September 27, 1995	118
When God Created Fathers--June 17, 1973	120
Consolidating Cereal, Ice Cream, Cookies, etc.--December 8, 1974	121
Stepfather--January 6, 1980	122
Daddy Doll Under the Bed--June 21, 1981	123
Speak "Thermostat"--December 19, 1982	125
New Generation of Fathers--June 21, 1987	126
The Instead-of Cookbook--November 4, 1965	128
Weight Watchers Dilemma--April 27, 1972	129
Burning Calories--August 18, 1974	130
Dinner Is Ready--May 24, 1977	132
Dieting Is a Losing Battle--March 21, 1978	133
Seven Days to Make Garbage--May 3, 1981	134
Thawing Hamburger--March 9, 1982	135
Fruitcake--December 11, 1986	136
Doggie Bags--August 25, 1987	138
Spices--July 26, 1988	139
Older People Only Talk about Food--May 24, 1990	140
Leftovers That Refuse to Die--December 17, 1991	141
Leftover Halloween Candy--December 1, 1994	143
Tooth Traps--June 4, 1995	144
Daughter Returns to College--January 28, 1972	146
Picking Up the Tennis Ball--July 24, 1975	147
Empty Nest Overrated--October 1,1978	148
Parents Covet Kids' Closets--August 9, 1979	149
"Not to Worry"--July 15, 1984	150
My Son's Answering Machine--June 22, 1986	152
Remembering Children's Names and Ages--June 14, 1987	153
Kids Show Up for Dinner--July 19, 1990	154
Parent-Child Bonding--January 13, 1991	155
When Grown Kids Come to Visit--December 20, 1995	157
Grandma and Funerals--November 20, 1968	159
Love Is a Grandparent--November 3, 1974	160
The Volunteer--June 24, 1975	161
Mother Earned Her Wrinkles--February 8, 1976	163
The Listener--February 26, 1977	164
Mothers of Disabled Children--May 11, 1980	165
Heroes--August 2, 1981	166
Caregivers--November 26, 1991	167
Mothers Who Have Lost a Child--May 14, 1995	168
Help Thy Neighbor--August 25, 1968	170
Men Never Ask Directions--August 24, 1969	171
The Last Family Vacation--June 1972	172
Parking the Family Trailer--June 1972	173
Showing Slides of Vacation--February 26, 1974	175
Continental Breakfast--August 17, 1975	176
Elusive Rest Area--July 11, 1976	177
Seeing America by Headlights--September 16, 1980	178
Eleven-Piece Vacation Wardrobe--July 21, 1981	180
Traveling with Tripod--July 27, 1982	181
Alaska Cruise and Smoked Salmon--April 21, 1987	182
Children of Christmas--December 25, 1969	184
Kids Are Sick	It Must Be Christmas--December 18, 1970	185
Family Christmas Newsletter--December 9, 1971	186
Christmas Chimes--December 23, 1976	187
Son Home for the Holidays?--January 2, 1977	189
Halloween Challenges "No Talent" Mother--October 30, 1979	190
Grandfather's Solitude--December 25, 1979	191
No One Diets on Thanksgiving--November 26, 1981	192
"Love Is" List for a Gusto Husband--February 14, 1982	193
Thanksgiving and Families--November 25, 1982	194
Memory Tree--December 22, 1983	195
Christmas Newsletter Winner--December 12, 1985	197
Undecorating the Christmas Tree--January 1, 1987	198
"Equal" Christmas Gifts--December 22, 1994	199
Entertaining--November 18, 1965	201
Mouse in the Pump Organ--January 13, 1971	202
My Husband Builds a Fire--December 1971	203
"Come Casual"--April 1975	205
Party Hostess Loneliest Person in the World--September 1975	206
College Reunion--November 3, 1977	207
Trip to the Rest Room--October 25, 1979	208
Pepper Mill Experience--December 18, 1983	209
Grandma's Grudges--May 1, 1984	210
Houseguests--August 6, 1958	211
Restaurant Conversation--October 20, 1985	213
Hors d' Oeuvres--December 5, 1985	214
Family Goodbyes--July 28, 1994	215
Planning Birthday Celebrations--November 8, 1994	217
Socks Lost in Washer--May 28, 1969	219
Girdles--May 18, 1970	220
Creeping Underwear--December 1972	222
Socks Still Lost in Washer--April 1, 1973	223
Pantskirt in the Rest Room--September 1973	224
Coat Hangers--September 18, 1984	225
No Luck with Pantyhose--November 10, 1985	226
Crockpot Sock--March 20, 1990	228
The Restless Car--October 1, 1995	229
Talent--June 6, 1966	231
Even Charity Has Its Bounds--January 2, 1967	232
Time--November 17, 1971	233
Women Are Financial Giants--February 19, 1980	235
Junk Drawers--January 17, 1984	236
Box Savers--December 20, 1984	237
I'm-Not-Going Syndrome--October 28, 1986	238
Fashion Trends Pioneer--October 11, 1987	240
Shoulder Pads--December 1, 1988	241
Comfortable Shoes--September 14, 1989	242
Seize the Moment--June 25, 1991	243
Brain Capacity Is Limited--July 4, 1993	245
Let's Face It, Not All Ruts Need Repair--April 17, 1996	246
Tributes	248

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