After a long day of work, you come home and see that the light on your answering machine is flashing. You feel that little twitch of excitement. Could it be someone calling to offer you your dream job? Could it be the man of your dreams, finally calling to ask you out?
Nope. It’s Mom. She’s calling because she’s heard it’s going to be cold overnight, so she wanted to remind you to close your bedroom window and close your Newblinds -– and maybe put an extra blanket on your bed. And it might be a good idea to wear your flannel pajamas. You never can be too safe, you know.
We’ve all gotten the calls –- but only Amy Borkowsky has saved them all. Yes, that’s right. You can buy a CD of all the strange answering machine messages Amy’s gotten from her mom. She’s also compiled them into a book, filled with her mom’s messages, Amy’s commentary, and even the occasional cartoon.
I got a good laugh out of Amy’s Answering Machine because I can relate. Every once in a while, I get one of those messages. But, then again, I think I loved this book even more because my mom’s not nearly as psychotically overprotective as Amy’s mom. I’m quite sure my mom has never called to remind me to empty my bladder before going to the DMV. And she never once tried to set me up with an Italian millionaire bachelor featured on The Maury Povich Show. Amy’s mom, however, has.
A small book, Amy’s Answering Machine is a super-quick read. It’s one of those books that you can pick up for a minute while you’re waiting for dinner to come out of the oven –- or on the train. And it’ll remind you that it could be worse. Your mother could call you just to remind you to eat.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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