Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Loneliness in the Guardian
An article about my experience with long-term loneliness is in this weekend’s Guardian. I’m thrilled! You can access the full article here.
What’s the worst advice you’ve ever been given?
I’ve been on vacation in Toronto for the past few weeks, and on the plane home, I was wondering why lonely people get such awful, awful advice. I mean, depressed people don’t get told to volunteer at soup kitchens, do they? Nor are they told to troll the Internet and meet up with strangers at cafes (which was the No. 1 piece of advice I was given).
I’m curious to hear what other lonely people have been given by way of advice. If the spirit moves you, send me a quick note, and share the single worst piece of advice you’ve been given. You can also let me know if you tried to follow that advice. I’ve done it all–from soup kitchens to online dating–and I’m curious to hear what others have been advised to do.
The New Yorker likes Lonely!
The New Yorker online provides an interesting commentary on the notion of “passive socializing.” Passive socializing is what a lot of lonely people (though not all) miss — which is the simple presence of another person. I discuss this much more fully in Lonely — it’s great to see a big site like the New Yorker picking up the idea.
Smart new review of Lonely in Post-Gazette
Mackenzie Carpenter has provided a really nice overview of Lonely and loneliness in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Carpenter makes a point that I fully agree with, which is that the Internet is pulling us further apart, not bringing us closer together.
Hello to the UK
The reference in the headline to madness is perhaps not what I would have chosen (I am a lot less dramatic, as a rule), but it’s great to be introduced, in a sense, to a whole new country. You can view the Daily Mail piece here. (And no, that’s not me in the photograph.)
Some people have written to ask where they can buy the book. I don’t yet have a UK publisher, so the only route is to go to amazon.co.uk and order it online. I realize this is pricey, and I’m working on finding a UK distributor so that the books are available more quickly and more cheaply. More information to follow!
Many thanks to those who have written in
I’d like to thank everyone who has sent me notes and messages over the past few weeks. After working in isolation for several years (yes, writing is lonely work), it’s wonderful to hear from people, and to know that the book is making a difference. If you’ve written in (you know who you are!) thank you for your message.
Good morning, America!
Lonely is officially launched in the US as of today, March 9th. I won’t be touring, but I’ll post details of US radio interviews as they materialize.
Interview about Lonely on CBC’s The Next Chapter
My conversation with the wonderful Shelagh Rogers aired on Monday, March 8th, on CBC Radio One. You can listen to the podcast by visiting The Next Chapter.
Lonely is now out in the world!
Lonely was released just three days ago in Canada. Am keeping my fingers crossed for good reviews and positive feedback!