GOLDMAN, Jane 1970-

PERSONAL: Born 1970.

ADDRESSES: Home—London, England. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.

CAREER: Journalist and author.

AWARDS, HONORS: Woman of Tomorrow award, Cosmopolitan, for achievement in journalism.

WRITINGS:

Thirteensomething: A Survivor's Guide, Puffin (London, England), 1993.

Sex: How? Why? What?: The Teenager's Guide, Piccadilly (London, England), c. 1994.

For Weddings, a Funeral and When You Can't Flush the Loo, Puffin (London, England), 1995.

Sussed and Streetwise, illustrated by S. Rugen, Piccadilly (London, England), 1995, reprinted as Streetsmarts: A Teenager's Safety Guide, Barron's Educational Series (Hauppauge, NY), 1996.

The X-Files Book of the Unexplained (two volumes), Simon & Schuster (London, England), 1995, HarperPrism (New York, NY), 1997.

Dreamworld (novel), Pocket/MTV (New York, NY), 2000.

SIDELIGHTS: London-based journalist Jane Goldman has written a number of books, among them several guides for teens. Joan Hamilton Jones, writing in School Librarian, noted the humor in Thirteensomething: A Survivor's Guide, and called Goldman's points "valuable." Sex: How? Why? What? is written for the older teen and discusses sexuality, attitudes, and physiological changes, all with emphasis on avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, particularly AIDS. Times Literary Supplement contributor Mary Gribbin found the guide to be "dull" but "worthy." Books for Keeps reviewer Val Randall described it as "extremely thorough." "A major strength of this book is its demolition of the sexual stereotypes purveyed by the mass media and insistence on the wonderful variety of human equipment and potential attractiveness of every human being," wrote Jane Inglis in School Librarian.

Etiquette is the focus of Goldman's For Weddings, a Funeral and When You Can't Flush the Loo. She covers all the awkward situations that can come up while dating, eating, socializing, partying, and communicating. School Librarian reviewer Valerie Caless called it "excellent," and thought Goldman's advice was "down to earth." Sussed and Streetwise, reprinted in the United States as Streetsmarts: A Teenager's Safety Guide, is a practical guide to threatening and unpleasant situations that can arise while traveling and dating and in environments that are usually thought of as safe, such as home or school. It is for boys as well as girls, and addresses the particular risks of alcohol and drugs. Goldman notes that so much emphasis has been put on the possibility of risk that pleasure and enjoyment are sometimes diminished. A Junior Bookshelf contributor called the guide a "useful book for teenagers." "It's not preachy but full of common sense," wrote Ann Treneman in the Times Educational Supplement.

Goldman's The X-Files Book of the Unexplained was published in two volumes in which she documents the themes and topics of the popular television show. Skeptical Inquirer contributor Gordon Stein noted that "journalists can rarely be jacks of all trades" and felt the book "is a piece of journalism that reads well, but seems incapable of properly evaluating the often conflicting evidence for or against the paranormal." Stein praised the layout and design, calling it "a superb piece of popular printing."

Goldman's first novel, Dreamworld, is set in an Orlando, Florida, theme park. Sylvia Avery is a security officer whose job includes maintaining the illusions presented by the park. Her job is made more difficult when two bodies are discovered and she is called on to help with the investigation. She finds that Dreamworld has been conducting research using experimental drugs, with the goal of creating the ideal entertainment experience. A Publishers Weekly reviewer wrote that Goldman presents the park as "a kind of Twilight Zone . . . where public relations supersedes justice....Her tale guarantees that readers may henceforth regard theme parks with a dash of suspicion."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Books for Keeps, January, 1995, Val Randall, "Facts for the Teenage Life," p. 20.

Junior Bookshelf, October, 1995, review of Sussed and Streetwise, p. 1995.

Observer (London, England), December 15, 1996, Scott Bradfield, "X Terminate, X Terminate," p. 16.

Publishers Weekly, February 28, 2000, review of Dreamworld, p. 60.

School Librarian, May, 1994, Joan Hamilton Jones, review of Thirteensomething, p. 77; February, 1995, Anthony Hamilton Jones, review of Sex: How? Why? What?, p. 35; August, 1995, Valerie Caless, review of For Weddings, a Funeral and When You Can't Flush the Loo, p. 120.

Skeptical Inquirer, May-June, 1996, Gordon Stein, review of The X-Files Book of the Unexplained, p. 45.

Times Educational Supplement, March 10, 1995, Mary Gribbin, "Talking about Sex," p. R4; February 9, 1996, Ann Treneman, reviews of Sussed and Streetwise and For Weddings, a Funeral and When You Can't Flush the Loo, p. 13.*