It Books and HarperCollinsCanada Acquire Book by Superstar Blogger Kelly Oxford
It Books and HarperCollinsCanada, imprints of HarperCollins Publishers, have just jointly acquired a book by blogger and Twitter superstar Kelly Oxford. The book is scheduled to be published in the summer of 2012.
Oxford is a wife and mother of three who lives in Calgary. A blogger since the 1990s, she has a wide and growing following on Twitter, and her vocal fans include Roger Ebert, Jessica Alba, Jimmy Kimmel, Tony Hawk, Diablo Cody, Kevin Nealon, Susan Orlean, Ann Curry, Adam McKay, Mindy Kaling, Steve Nash, and Jonathan Ames. In March 2010, she performed alongside Ben Stiller, Ashton Kutcher, Will Ferrell, and other celebrities in A Night of 140 Tweets, a fundraising event for Haitian earthquake relief in LA, which brought together the biggest names on Twitter. Her Tumblr has received more than 2 million hits in the last nine months alone.
Last month, Oxford sold a sitcom based on her life, to be called The Mother of All Something, to CBS Studios with Jessica Alba and Jhoni Marchinko (Will & Grace) both attached to produce.
Oxford’s book will tell her story through a series of side-splitting essays touching on episodes throughout her life, from her childhood (when she wrote her first play in grade school, a classmate screamed, “DO YOU THINK YOU’RE THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD OR SOMETHING?”), to her days as an aspiring model (“I was 5’6″ and 80 pounds. Up to this point my middle school fame had mostly come from my Steve Urkel and Kids in the Hall “Chicken Lady” impressions”).
Much of the book will be devoted to her life today as a wife and mom, familiar to her fans through the blog posts and tweets that have made her famous (“Had my son’s hearing tested because he’s always yelling. Turns out he’s just an asshole”; “When my daughter was three I told her where meat comes from: ‘I love piggies so much more now that I know they taste like bacon’”).
Legendary film critic Roger Ebert has said of Oxford, “She’s bitingly funny, but everybody knows that. Didn’t the man write in the play, ‘We laugh, that we may not cry?’ That may provide insight into why she’s funny.”
“I couldn’t be happier that my book is coming out before the Mayan Calendar ends,” said Oxford. “I hope it’s the last thing everyone reads.”
Tina Fey’s Top-10 “30 Rock” Moments
Last week, Tina Fey opened up to the Daily Beast and shared her favorite moments from her hit TV show “30 Rock.” The list is entertaining, illuminating, and, at times, surprising. Check it out for a window into the mind of the creator of the best comedy show in TV history….or at least to help you procrastinate til you’re able to get your next “30 Rock” fix tonight!
