In 2004, Montclair's Amy Edelman put herself out there in a big way. A widow (her husband had died in 2004) and mom with two kids, Edelman had been through dating service hell, speed dating, J-Date and blind dates galore. So she sent an email to everyone she knew, with this offer:
"If you refer a friend who ends up marrying Amy, she'll spring for a free trip for two anywhere in the world, worth up to $3,000."
The e-mail found its way to Montclair's Corky Siemaszko, who works at the Daily News. On April 9, 2004, the story of Edelman and her contest, along with a photo, took up a full page in the paper. Edelman's life changed from the exposure and the experience inspired the book, "Manless in Montclair: How A Happily Married Woman Became A Widow Looking for Love in The Wilds of Suburbia."
Edelman writes the story as fiction. The character, Isabel Ackerman and her experiences (like the time when she tells a first date that the restaurants in Montclair are BYOB and the guy comes out of the liquor store with a bottle of Stoli) are a hoot. Yet through the funny writing, you get a sense of Edelman's own pain of losing a husband through Isabel.
You'll recognize the building Edelman/Ackerman lived in as the Rockcliffe, and there are other Montclair references. To find out what happens, pick up the book, which unfortunately has a cover with houses that make Montclair look like Crisco.
Comments (13)
Stoli's good vodka, no?
Thanks for the great review, Liz, but the book is not available until November 20th (although you CAN pre-order from Amazon). If you'd like an autographed copy, I'll be at Watchung Booksellers on November 29th.
PS Sorry for the shameless self-promotion (I'm a publicist...I can't help it!)
she tells a first date that the restaurants in Montclair are BYOB and the guy comes out of the liquor store with a bottle of Stoli)
So what was the problem with that? Either she was expecting Abolut or he forgot the orange juice.
she tells a first date that the restaurants in Montclair are BYOB and the guy comes out of the liquor store with a bottle of Stoli)
So what was the problem with that? Either she was expecting Absolut or he forgot the orange juice.
she tells a first date that the restaurants in Montclair are BYOB and the guy comes out of the liquor store with a bottle of Stoli)
So what was the problem with that? Either she was expecting Absolut or he forgot the orange juice.
BYO is only beer or wine
not necessarily-- at Mexicali Rose it used to be BYOT (tequila).
She should consider joining the JCC on Northfield. I think they used to have a Parents without Partners group. Maybe no longer? I would not know.
So what is there for singles in Montclair. Any singles groups? Good places to go to meet people? It seems like everywhere I go in MTC it's all coupled-up.
There's always Tierney's. That's where I found mine.
BYOB is no longer bring your own beer or wine. Tequila and vodka are perfect substitutes for beer or wine. Anything they cant offer you can bring. It is in poor taste to get shit faced in any restaurant that is not profiting from your indulgence, but by no means think its without class to mix a bottle of rum and their cola
however, states like Michigan only grant restaurants licenses for beer and wine only
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/CIS_Cis_LCC_lc510_27111_7.pdf
Send the guy with the Stoli my way. Far be it for me to pass up some good free vodka -- let's just say it's "free."