Author: Jen Doll

Dan Brown Is the Anne Hathaway of Authors

AP Photo/Seth Wenig

Allow me to present a hypothesis: Dan Brown is the Anne Hathaway of authors. Hard-working, serious about his craft (even if others aren't), with lots and lots of money to show for his work. And people love to hate him as much, and sometimes even more, than they love to love him.

By Jen Doll

Dec 31, 2012

Your New Year's Eve Etiquette Dilemmas, Solved

Just in time for the first holiday of 2013, here are all, or at least a few, of your most pressing New Year's Eve questions, and some answers, for the night ahead. You're welcome.

Comments | 2,648 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 31, 2012

The Secret Lives of Your 2013 New Year's Resolutions

At an unnamed bar somewhere in the middle of Anytown, America, in the late hours of December 31, 2012, a group of New Year's Resolutions were deep in conversation.

Comments | 2,841 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 31, 2012

The Words That Will Be Banished in 2013

"Fiscal cliff," "spoiler alert," and "trending" beware: Michigan's Lake Superior State University has issued their list for the 38th year in a row.

Comments | 11,802 Views

By David Wagner and Jen Doll

Dec 28, 2012

Year in Review

The Great Book Scandals of 2012

Books — staid and intellectual cultural artifacts that they so often are — were not all just staid or intellectual this year. Not nearly. There were, in fact, publishing scandals, dramas, and plot twists galore. Oh, and Philip Roth.

Comments | 5,145 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 27, 2012

American Parents Are Now Outsourcing Basic Parenting Skills

There's a piece in The New York Times today about the new-new parenting, i.e., teaching your children manners by hiring etiquette counselors instead of going the DIY route. Because why would you do it yourself?

Comments | 10,202 Views

By Alexander Abad-Santos and Jen Doll

Dec 27, 2012

Year in Review

2012: The Best and Worst 'Trend' Stories

As part of The Atlantic Wire's Year in Review, we've gathered our favorites from among all the ridiculous, kernel-of-truth in a popcorn-bowl-of-pleasure stories reported by the Times and beyond, and bestowed them with their own special awards.

Comments | 4,434 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 26, 2012

Find Dennis Lehane's Beagle, Become a Character in His Next Book

The author of Shutter Island, Mystic River, and Gone Baby Gone is also the owner of a rescue beagle named Tessa. Well, Tessa has gone missing, and Lehane has offered the sweetest sort of reward an author can give.

Comments | 1,110 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 26, 2012

10 Things to Do Before 2012 Ends

We are firmly, if temporarily, ensconced in that weird, limbo-esque time that exists between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Here are some things to do while we wait for 2013.

Comments | 3,541 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 26, 2012

In What World Is Credit-Score Dating Actually a Thing?

There's a piece on the front page of The New York Times today that's inspiring lots of "dating is hell" commentary from around the Internet, because from this piece comes the "decidedly unromantic question" of our time: "What's your credit score?"

Comments | 1,897 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 26, 2012

The Great Bespoke Comeback of Vermouth

Poor vermouth. It's long been "confined to dusty bottles in the depths of the liquor cabinet," ignored for its own merit, and only considered delicious when paired with others (like vodka, or gin). But times have changed.

Comments | 1,724 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 20, 2012

Media Diet

Jami Attenberg: What I Read

The Middlesteins novelist sleeps with her phone on the floor next to her bed, but leaves it at home each morning as she writes for an hour in a notebook without facing a screen. 

Comments | 1,628 Views

Newtown School Shooting: Live Updates

The latest info from the investigation in Connecticut indicates that Nancy Lanza may have left her son alone at home before the shootings, and begins to paint a clearer picture of Adam Lanza himself.

Comments | 415,851 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 19, 2012

What Kind of Holiday-Season Book Reader Are You?

We've compiled a (festive) diagnostic guide to various reading styles for your seasonal enjoyment, with book suggestions for each. Happy reading!

Comments | 689 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 19, 2012

Awkward Family Photos Are Out for the Holidays This Year

If you have or are part of something called a "family," you can bet that someone's going to want, need, and expect a photo of the two or three or five or 17 of you this season. And these days, they expect you looking cheery and doing something fun.

Comments | 2,386 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 18, 2012

Year in Review

An A-to-Z Guide to 2012's Worst Words

There is no better way for a semantic-minded person to remember the year than with those words we'd just as soon never write or see or hear spoken again. From "artisanal" to "curate," "gaffe" to "legitimate rape," and "meggings" to "ugh," here's our list.

Comments | 123,465 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 18, 2012

What Your Christmas Tree Says About You

The first question to ask oneself, right now, is "Am I a Christmas tree type of person?" If you are, read on! If you're not, read on, too, because you may find yourself becoming one.

Comments | 2,800 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 17, 2012

Newtown, the Monday After: Progress Out of Sorrow?

In a mysterious, confusing case, there are so far very few surprises, but there are already lessons worth learning.

Comments | 1,662 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 14, 2012

It's Time We Talked About Gun Control

Can we talk about this now that so many people have died at a school in Newtown? And if we can't, why can't we? Why haven't we already?

Comments | 17,153 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 13, 2012

A Guide to Secret Santa Gift-Giving Etiquette

Is there anything more difficult than buying an inexpensive gift for a coworker you don't really know that well? Yes, probably. But not much! Here's what you should and shouldn't give.

Comments | 9,177 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 13, 2012

Year in Review

The Books We Loved in 2012

Adult fiction and nonfiction were pretty phenomenal this year. Here, we celebrate 34 of our favorite reads from the last 12 months — with superlatives!

Comments | 14,138 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 13, 2012

Bedroom Style Has Become Street Style, Apparently

Guy Trebay writes of a horrifying new trend in the New York Times Thursday Styles: Woman are wearing slippers. Slippers out on the streets, in plain sight, in full view of members of the same and opposite sex!

Comments | 1,207 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 12, 2012

A Semi-Earnest Guide to Dining Ironically

In a wave of irony, it is O.K. to do things one otherwise wouldn't. Right? Because you're being ironic. Meet the newest foodie trend of ironic dining, as inspired by Pete Wells' review of Guy Fieri's restaurant, and find out how to dine ironically for yourself!

Comments | 2,384 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 12, 2012

12/12/12: A User's Guide

Don't worry that you'll never see a date like this again: worry about these 12 things you absolutely need to do on the only opportunity you're going to have to do things on 12/12/12.

Comments | 18,232 Views

By Jen Doll and Rebecca Greenfield

Dec 11, 2012

What Your Email Inbox Count Says About You

The pursuit of Zero Dark Inbox is a diligent movement to eliminate all unread messages, but what about the rest of us?

Comments | 39,657 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 11, 2012

The Art (and Science!) of Self-Gifting

Many of us are cutting to the chase and simply buying gifts for ourselves this season, according to the market research. 'Tis the season for getting yourself a little something, apparently.

Comments | 929 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 11, 2012

Inside the Controversy Over the Bible of Mental Disorders

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has just undergone a five-year revision process, and it was not as dull as it sounds. Not nearly.

Comments | 2,414 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 10, 2012

Year in Review

The Best (Worst?) Typos, Mistakes, and Correrctions of 2012

Which were the best—most amusing, most mortifying, funniest, most cringeworthy, and most interesting—mistakes of the year? Herewith, our favorites.

Comments | 78,628 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 10, 2012

A List of the Actual Worst Gift Ideas (Should Not Include Grapefruit)

Slate's Katy Waldman has cast a cold, malevolent eye upon grapefruit this mid-winter morn and declared it "disgusting," a gift you should never give to anyone you care about. But surely there are worse gifts. Like these.

Comments | 2,586 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 10, 2012

There's a New Kind of Baby Shower in Town, Apparently

How many baby showers can a person go to, really? Not to worry, there is a new type of baby shower in town. It is less elaborate, for second or third or fourth children: Fewer guests. Minimal decorations. A twee name of its own.

Comments | 2,048 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 7, 2012

Year in Review

The Y.A./Middle-Grade Book Awards, 2012 Edition

We honor the 33 books that mattered to us in this year's breakout literary genre, with a little help from some writerly and book-loving folks, including authors Eliot Schrefer, Ally Condie, Ruta Supetys, Andrea Cremer, R.L. Stine, and others.

Comments | 20,093 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 7, 2012

Would You Change Your Name for a Book?

In 2012, enough female writers are still changing their names to appear as men to merit a piece in The Wall Street Journal today. Which is to say, there is still a long way to go.

Comments | 1,552 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 6, 2012

'Lunatic' Removed from Federal Law, 'Idiot' Allowed to Stay

Here's your semantic government news that reads a bit like an Onion article of the day. But what's it all about, really?

Comments | 1,259 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 6, 2012

The Hipster Designers Who Sold Out the Hipster Design World

Do you like the "aesthetic of a rugged Americana lifted from a make-believe past [that] has gained dominion over swaths of New York, especially downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn"? You are a fan of Stephen Alesch and Robin Standefer.

Comments | 3,657 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 5, 2012

A Subway Horror That Resides in Us All

This story is not just a story about a man and the person who pushed him to his death on the tracks of the subway. There are reverberations from that tragic incident that will continue to run through our minds for days, weeks, and maybe months.

Comments | 7,432 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 5, 2012

2012's Most Looked-Up Words Were...

Hark! Merriam-Webster has revealed another much anticipated word-of-the-year designation: the dictionary website's 10 most looked-up words of 2012.

Comments | 8,085 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 5, 2012

Hipsters Saved the Dinner Party

The New York Post's Sara Stewart reports that our mourning of the dinner party came too soon. It's not dead at all; it just changed locations, and its cast of roving characters.

Comments | 1,533 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 4, 2012

What We Really Think About When We Watch Reality Television These Days

What are we really doing when we're sitting in front of the TV laughing at yet another smackdown between the Real Housewives of Wherever? Sometimes it's simple, sometimes it's more complicated, and the truth of the matter is, it probably varies for each of us. We look at 10 shows.

Comments | 2,710 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 4, 2012

A Scientific Guide to Giving Gifts

Gift giving can be perilous! So, how do you give gifts the right way? There is some science to this, Sumathi Reddy writes in The Wall Street Journal.

Comments | 1,038 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 4, 2012

What Happens When Dads Buy Sexist Toys?

Fathers are doing more of the family shopping, and more of the caregiving, too. So are these new Barbie construction sets for girls, or for their dads?

Comments | 2,042 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 4, 2012

How Normal Are Royal Parents, Really?

On Day Two of the news, we are reminded that Will and Kate will do things differently. They are not the old-school monarchy of stiff upper lips and cold rigidity we used to know. They are adamantly modern, and their parenting style will be like that, too.

Comments | 1,162 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 3, 2012

Why America's Gone Royal Baby Crazy

Call it some sort of lapsed historical sentiment; maybe we sort of wish, in America, that we had our own royals, even as we attempt to replace kings and queens with Kennedys and Kardashians.

Comments | 2,759 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 3, 2012

To a Text Message, on its 20th Birthday

The text message is a real grownup now, turning 20 years old on this very day. How can it be?!

Comments | 2,413 Views

By Jen Doll

Dec 3, 2012

How Can You Not Like This Photo of Hillary Clinton and Meryl Streep?

It's pretty fantastic, this picture from the Kennedy Center Honors Gala dinner at the State Department last night: Meryl and Hillary are an itsy-teeny bit just like us! 

Comments | 11,097 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 30, 2012

The New 40 Is the Best 40 Yet

What does age mean when the contraints of being old are evolving every day? It means it's getting better all the time.

Comments | 2,180 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 30, 2012

We're Now Entering Total Replyallcalypse

What happens when one NYU student replies to 39,978 others? Things go nuts, on TV, the Internet, and the world, and so on. Now it's transitioned into a handy anecdote on the state of how to use email.

Comments | 1,804 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 30, 2012

Y.A. for Grownups

25 of the Most Wonderful Book Covers of the Year

In this week's Y.A. for Grownups column I'm paying special homage to the oft under-applauded but always important art of the books; specifically, the cover art that's appeared on books published for teens and middle-grade audiences this year.

Comments | 38,796 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 29, 2012

The Dinner Party Is Dead. Long Live the Dinner Party!

In this week's Thursday Style section, the New York Times presents a terrifying conundrum for the world in which we live: Is the dinner party, that elegant trademark of yore, in its final throes?

Comments | 2,586 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 29, 2012

The Path of the Lonely, Single Young Man (and What It Means for Women)

In his Salon piece, "I was a male spinster," Tim Gihring speaks to a feeling common to men and women of a certain age who haven't yet seen fit to do the proposal-and-ring thing in the time expected of them.

Comments | 7,931 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 29, 2012

Preparing for a World in Which No One Does His Own Work

Parents are paying tutors to do their precious offspring's work for them! Clearly, this is against the rules. But it's happening anyway.

Comments | 1,680 Views

By Jen Doll

Nov 29, 2012

The Neverending Weirdness of Yoko Ono

The nearly 80-year-old "petite poly-hyphenate" has stayed busy, doing talk shows and benefits and fund-raisers, awarding her Peace Price to the members of Pussy Riot, and more. She is also designing men's wear for Opening Ceremony, which... well, see for yourself.

Comments | 642 Views

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