JMO - Jennifer Boylan

I had the opportunity to listen to Jennifer Boylan on tour for her latest book, "I'm Looking Through You: Growing up Haunted." And yes I bought the book (earlier at the store) and she signed it. If you don't have the opportunity to hear her in person, you can catch an interview with her on KGO radio.

Ok, so why should I listen to her or read her book? Besides being an excellent storyteller and a superb speaker - ok, it was a book reading, but she's a professor with a good sense of herself and audience, and she's witty, funny and authentic? So what's not to like and enjoy? And most of all, she's has a great story to tell, which she does with great ease and grace.

And why after that? It's an interesting book? Yeah, really. It's about her growing up in a haunted house and seeing a ghost, which later in her life shows up as herself. We can all relate to having ghosts in our life, and not always in the traditional sense but the personal sense of yourself. And what makes her life interesting is her history.

Her book, along with her other one, reminds me a lot of John McPhee's book in terms of style and ideas. John writes about regions of this country, or his books I've read, with stories about people and places, and along the way teaches you history and science. Jennifer Boylan does this with her life, telling stories about people and places, and bringing you along her life.

And she has an interesting life. And for that you should listen to the interview, or buy and read the book. And even better yet, get to a book reading. You'll not only be entertained, you'll walk out a little smarter and wiser about life and people. What's not to like about that?