Liberty, Anita [A pseudonym] (Suzanne Weber)

PERSONAL:

Born Suzanne Weber; married; children: one. Education: College graduate.

ADDRESSES:

Home—New York, NY. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer and entertainer.

WRITINGS:

How to Heal the Hurt by Hating (humor), Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

How to Stay Bitter through the Happiest Times of Your Life (humor), Villard Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author, with R.J. Cutler, of the screenplay for the short film titled Anita Liberty which was broadcast by Bravo and the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and screened at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Also author and performer of numerous one-woman shows, including shows Not Thinking about You, performed at the Home Box Office (HBO) Comedy Arts Festival, Aspen, CO, 1996. How to Heal the Hurt by Hating has been published in Greece and Great Britain.

SIDELIGHTS:

Anita Liberty is the pen and stage name of Suzanne Weber, a performer and writer whose first book, 1998's How to Heal the Hurt by Hating, is a comedic look at Liberty's breakup with her boyfriend Mitchell as told through a series of diary entries, poems, and advice. In an interview on the Gothamist Web site, the author explained how her book came about: "I always enjoyed writing, but my writing never really had a focus. When Mitchell dumped me on my ass, everything became clear. All I wanted to do was tell everyone what a jerk Mitchell was for pulling the rug out from under me." Liberty went on to note: "I had no idea that I would actually be able to build a career on humiliating my ex-boyfriend in public, but it just goes to show, if you really get passionate about something, other people will pick up on that." In her next book, How to Stay Bitter through the Happiest Times of Your Life, Liberty writes about meeting a new man, falling in love, and getting married. Once again the author uses poetry, as well as blog entries and to-do lists to tell her story. A California Bookwatch contributor noted the book's "caustic humor."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Liberty, Anita, How to Heal the Hurt by Hating, Ballantine Books (New York, NY), 1998.

Liberty, Anita, How to Stay Bitter through the Happiest Times of Your Life, Villard Books (New York, NY), 2006.

PERIODICALS

California Bookwatch, December, 2006, review of How to Stay Bitter through the Happiest Times of Your Life.

Entertainment Weekly, July 14, 2006, brief review of How to Stay Bitter through the Happiest Times of Your Life, p. 84.

London Sunday Times Magazine, November 8, 1998, "The Spurned Woman," p. 13.

New York Post, September 22, 1998, "Revenge, '90s Style," interview with the author.

New York Times, February 13, 1997, review of film Anita Liberty.

Time, September 14, 1998, "Let's Leg Go," includes brief mention of How to Heal the Hurt by Hating, p. 76.

ONLINE

Anita Liberty Home Page,http://www.anitaliberty.com (February 26, 2007).

Anita Liberty MySpace Profile,http://www.myspace.com/anitaliberty (February 26, 2007).

Girlcomic.net,http://www.girlcomic.net/ (February 26, 2007), brief profile of author.

Gothamist,http://www.gothamist.com/ (June 14, 2006), "Anita Liberty, Author and Performer."

New York Cool,http://www.newyorkcool.com/ (April 20, 2007), interview with author.