Straight Up and Dirty: A Memoir - Hardcover

Klein, Stephanie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060843276 ISBN 13: 9780060843274

Publisher: William Morrow, 2006

Synopsis

"I did have my own friends, my own salary, my health, and TiVo: all the important things we're likely to take for granted. Still, when it hit that I'd now have to date again, I panicked. Dating meant nightclubs, heels, and black. It meant, 'No, thank you. Really, I'm full.' It meant matching bras and underwear. Clothes with the micro used to describe them. Because until you date again, people will hiccup lines about getting back on horses. So you invest in an Agent Provocateur whip and a subscription to an online dating service. . . ."

--from Straight Up and Dirty

She had every girl's dream: the perfect marriage to the perfect guy in the perfect apartment on the Upper East Side. Marriage fit Stephanie Klein like a glove . . . but unfortunately it fit her husband like a noose. And then, just like that, Klein found herself "divorced when you're firm, fashionable, and let's face it—fetching."

Celebrated bloggist, photographer, and freelance writer Stephanie Klein lets it all hang out in this juicy tell-all tracing her jump back into single life following her divorce. On the dating advice of her therapist, Klein attempts to keep "a pair and a spare" of men always on hand and has lots of bawdy fun along the way. But when the anniversary of the devastating breakup from her "wasband" forces her to revisit what happened, she finds herself wanting more than her therapist's recommended gimmick to keep her emotionally safe.

Straight Up and Dirty demonstrates that the true measure of success isn't what's crossed off life's to-do list. It's having the grace and fortitude to move through change, curls intact and smiling

About this title

About the Author

Blogger and author Stephanie Klein was born and raised in New York. She now lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and children.

Review

“Stephanie Klein is so gut-wrenchingly honest that it’s embarrassingly entertaining to read her oh-so-real stories, even if you haven’t experienced what she’s gone through--from divorce to hating tuna fish to attending weddings alone (”Something to really look forward to, you know, like a Pap smear”).” (Jane)

“Beneath the wisecracking tales of solo supermarket shopping, phone therapy and Hamptons houseshares, the raw emotion about her divorce and nightmare mother-in-law rings true. Plus, any girl who can pen such gems as, ‘I wanted to verb his noun’, deserves respect. (Marie Claire (UK))

“Stephanie Klein’s hilarious Straight Up and Dirty is perfect beach-blanket reading.” (New York Post)

“Masterfully intertwines the breakdown of her marriage with postdivorce dating exploits...Her confessional, intimate writing style has a magnetic and often voyeuristic appeal that transcends the gloss of her Sex and the City-style escapades.” (Daily News)

“Stephanie Klein’s raw account of divorce at age 29 is refreshingly honest and funny, without delving into cheesy chick-lit territory. You’ll easily relate to Klein—even if you don’t have a “wasband.” (Marie Claire)

“Klein’s sense of humor is downright wicked...a great, fun read.” (Publishers Weekly)

“Nothing, it seems, is too private not to share with . . . Ms. Klein’s legions of followers. And that is exactly how they like it. . . . [She is] the Carrie Bradshaw of New York bloggers.” (New York Times)

“Fearless. . . . Her adventures take her from Soho to the Hamptons—looking for love, with a cocktail in her hand.” (The Independent)

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0060843276
• ISBN 13: 9780060843274
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304