Schorr, Melissa 1972- (Melissa Robin Schorr)

views updated

Schorr, Melissa 1972- (Melissa Robin Schorr)

PERSONAL:

Born 1972, in NY; daughter of Arthur (a finance manager) and Thelma (a music teacher) Schorr; married Gary Matthew Cohen, September 29, 2002; children: Alexa. Education: Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism, B.A., 1994.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Boston, MA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer, journalist, and novelist. Former member of editorial staff, GQ and Working Woman. Worked as a reporter for People, a staff reporter for the Oakland Tribune and the Las Vegas Sun, and as a health writer for ABCNews.com.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Knight Science Journalism fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2000; first-place award for feature writing, Nevada Press Association.

WRITINGS:

Goy Crazy (novel), Hyperion (New York, NY), 2006.

Contributor to magazines, Web sites, and periodicals, including Glamour, Allure, Self, Marie Clare, Bride's, In Talk, Esquire, San Francisco, National Geographic Traveler, Wired, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, San Jose Mercury News, Lifetimetv.com, WebMD, and Reuters Health. Former columnist, Las Vegas Sun.

SIDELIGHTS:

Melissa Schorr is a journalist whose debut novel, Goy Crazy, is based in part on an article she did for GQ magazine, "The Joys of Goys." In the article, the Jewish Schorr takes a humorous look at her experiences dating non-Jewish men. With Goy Crazy, Schorr tells the story of Jewish teenager Rachel Lowenstein, a sophomore at Riverdale High School in the Bronx. A "good girl" who considers her life boring, Rachel keenly feels all the pressures from her peer group to do things her parents would not recommend. Finally, she decides that she needs to liven up her days with a little sin and misbehavior. Prime among her newfound goals is dating a gorgeous blond Gentile boy, the Catholic Luke Christiansen. Knowing that her parents would disapprove, Rachel covers up her time with Luke by making up stories about dating Jewish neighbor and childhood friend Howard Goldstein. At first, Rachel is excited by the rush of teenage love and the thrill of rebellion, but as time goes by, dating Luke becomes a bad idea. He encourages her into misbehavior she is not ready for, such as getting a tattoo. She begins to feel guilty about deceiving her parents and for acting against her Jewish heritage. And, to top it all off, Luke is not even a very good kisser. Soon, Rachel begins to reconsider her personal values and her religious faith, and recognizes that her connection to both is very strong. Dating Luke may have been a fun way to try out a little teenage rebellion, but she knows it cannot be permanent. Howard Goldstein, on the other hand, has much to recommend him.

A Kirkus Reviews critic noted that Rachel's story is "droll and sharp with scenes that are comical, troubling, and poignantly sincere." Booklist reviewer Stephanie Zvirin observed that "Schorr does a lot right: dialogue is wry and funny, and Rachel, smart and sensitive." "This humorous depiction of first love offers a witty first-person narrative and situations to which all readers can relate," remarked a Publishers Weekly reviewer. The Kirkus Reviews contributor concluded that Schorr's novel is "well-written chicklit with a Jewish slant."