As of today I've received ten essays from authors contributing to EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING A GIRL I LEARNED FROM JUDY BLUME. And let me tell you, they're awesome. I've been laughing out loud, pausing thoughtfully at the poignant moments, and cringing with recognition.

Last night as I read Stephanie Lessing's opening line, "The first thing I learned from Judy Blume was that God is the wrong person to ask for bigger breasts," I knew her essay was going to be great. And it was. I love Stephanie's sense of humor (which is why she and I are always shooting little one liners back and forth to each other late at night).

When I read Laura Zeises' "The M Word," I was thinking, hmm, what word is that? And then I almost went blind when I read a few lines and found out. Melissa Senate's amazing essay starts out remembering the summer of 1977, when Son of Sam was wandering the streets of NYC, and ended up tugging at my heartstrings. And Alison Pace's essay made me smile when I read about her sixth grade crush, the one who wore the green rope fisherman’s bracelet - the kind that shrank to your wrist.

I am so thrilled, and lucky, to be working with such fabulous women. Can't wait for this collection to be all put together.

Way back when, before a slew of chick lit books hit the book shelves, there was Melissa Senate (hope that doesn't make her sound too old, she'll hate me). Her SEE JANE DATE launched Red Dress Ink back when it was just a glint in Harlequin's eyes. Now Melissa's latest book, THE BREAKUP CLUB, is out. Melissa and I sporadically email eachother about such important things as meeting up for drinks, bitching about the industry, and the essay she's writing for the upcoming Judy Blume-inspired anthology (which is due in three days, Melissa!).

In any case, it's time for you to meet the reluctant members of THE BREAKUP CLUB:

Lucy Miller-Masterson: Superwoman Lucy finds her husband’s list of New Year’s resolutions and there’s only one: Leave Lucy.

Miranda Miller: Lucy’s younger sister has been pining for her ex for six months. Which beats trying to figure out what to do with her life at age 29. But then she inadvertently makes the love of her life propose to another woman….

Christopher Levy: Lucy’s new boss (why’d he get the promotion, anyway!) and a recently separated dad with weekend custody of his one-year-old, he has no clue how to navigate his new life as a single father, but the sanctimommies at the playground are full of annoying answers.

Roxy Marone: Twenty-five and dating her fiancé since first grade, winner of the Miss Traditional pageant goes on a life-changing job interview instead of to her own wedding.

These four co-workers with nothing in common find they have a lot to talk about . . .

I love this picture of Betty Friedan. As a graduate of Friedan's alma mater, Smith College, I've probably read more about Betty Friedan (and her feminist counterpart Gloria Steinham, another Smith alum) than the average person. But I never read THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE. When she died on Saturday, her 85th birthday, I decided it was time I bought this seminal piece of feminist writing. I'm curious to see how much the world has or hasn't changed since the book was first published in 1963.

But regardless of how much has changed (or how much hasn't), I'm thankful to Ms. Friedan for helping to pave the way for people like me and my friends, to make it okay for women to pursue careers and interests outside of our homes and families without feeling like we're somehow cheating our husbands and kids. Or even to stay home and make a mean pot roast, if we so please. Although, in my case, given my track record in the kitchen, my family would probably opt for dinner out.