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Elizabeth Benedict

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Elizabeth Benedict

Goodreads Author


Born
Hartford, CT, The United States
Website

Twitter

Genre

Influences
Virginia Woolf, James Salter, Michael Ondaatje, Philip Roth

Member Since
December 2007

URL


Me: Lots of books, zillions of essays and articles. This season: REWRITING ILLNESS: A VIEW OF MY OWN. A very serious and kinda funny take on how my lifelong fear of illness collided with actual illness in 2017. I survived. I had time to think about doctor-speak, patient-speak, death, health insurance, CANCER, my husband, my friends, did I mention CANCER? I love this blurb: "As though Nora Ephron had written a book called 'I Feel Bad About My Tumor.'" --Thomas Beller.

I'm the author of the novels ALMOST and SLOW DANCING, and of THE JOY OF WRITING SEX: A GUIDE FOR FICTION WRITERS, and editor of three anthologies: ME, MY HAIR AND I: 27 WOMEN UNTANGLE AN OBSESSION, the NYTIMES bestseller, WHAT MY MOTHER GAVE ME: 31 WOMEN ON THE GIFTS THAT MATTE
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HOPEFUL ... BEST ... SURVIVORS

This letter just arrived from a reader of REWRITING ILLNESS:

"This is the best and most hopeful book for anxious cancer survivors--which is pretty much everyone I know! I will be recommending to the gang in my Wednesday night [support] group."

Want an audiobook? Listen to me read the story -- 6 hours and 12 minutes -- on Audible. Or read it on your screen or in your lap.

Coming soon to a book group Read more of this blog post »
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Average rating: 3.58 · 4,578 ratings · 687 reviews · 15 distinct worksSimilar authors
Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-...

3.45 avg rating — 1,055 ratings — published 2015 — 5 editions
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Almost

3.23 avg rating — 1,039 ratings — published 2001 — 9 editions
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What My Mother Gave Me: Thi...

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The Practice of Deceit

3.58 avg rating — 587 ratings — published 2005 — 23 editions
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The Joy of Writing Sex: A G...

3.76 avg rating — 356 ratings — published 1996 — 10 editions
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Mentors, Muses & Monsters: ...

3.87 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 2009 — 13 editions
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Rewriting Illness: A View o...

4.45 avg rating — 73 ratings4 editions
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The Beginner's Book of Dreams

3.91 avg rating — 74 ratings — published 1988 — 8 editions
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Slow Dancing

3.39 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 1985 — 15 editions
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Safe Conduct

3.32 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 1993 — 3 editions
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Drive Your Plow O...
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Elizabeth’s Recent Updates

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I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
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Go Gentle by Maria Semple
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Lucien by J.R. Thornton
Lucien
by J.R. Thornton (Goodreads Author)
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A fast-paced skillful academic thriller--what will it take for the poor narrator be corrupted by rich idiots at Harvard?--this is a fun book to read (in my case, listen to). As someone who helps kids get into college when not writing my own novels, I ...more
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Imposter by Cait Levin
Imposter
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Last Seen by Christopher Castellani
"Last Seen is a masterpiece of tension and stakes, beauty and heartbreak. The brilliant, unconventional form drives the action forward, backward, and sideways. The multiple narratives and points of view defy convention, weaving seemingly disparate sto" Read more of this review »
Elizabeth Benedict and 1 other person liked Christy's review of Last Seen:
Last Seen by Christopher Castellani
"Writing a novel must be incredibly difficult. It takes a level of talent and dedication that I truly admire — which is exactly why I always struggle when it comes to writing a negative review. Authors put so much into their work, and I genuinely appr" Read more of this review »
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Strangers by Belle Burden
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The gossip was expected. The calls to finance managers and brokers--not so much.
This Explosive Memoir:
UPDATE: March 26. The news is out. This book has very long legs. Gwyneth Paltrow will pay Belle Burden in the upcoming movie of Strangers.

The last
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Rewriting Illness by Elizabeth Benedict
"This very finely wrought and exquisitely written work is about so much more than illness. It is about the resilience and courage that the human soul is capable of, even in the face of fear and despair. It is also about the gifts of deepened understan" Read more of this review »
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Last Seen by Christopher Castellani
Last Seen
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Rabbit Moon by Jennifer Haigh
Rabbit Moon
by Jennifer Haigh (Goodreads Author)
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Quotes by Elizabeth Benedict  (?)
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“What gives value to travel is fear. It breaks down a kind of inner structure we all have.”
Elizabeth Benedict

“There is an exquisite irony - a perfect relationship storm, you might say - between daughters and mothers. Because girls and women are judged by appearance, mothers want their daughters to look as attractive as possible. But any suggestion for improvement implies criticism. And therein lies the irony: for mothers, the person to whom you most want to offer helpful suggestions is the one most likely to resist and resent them; for daughters, the person you most want to think you're perfect is the one most likely to see your flaws - and tell you about them.

-Deborah Tannen”
Elizabeth Benedict, Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession

“And if I didn't fret about my hair, something else would take its place. I believe we are born with a cup of affliction and it is our destiny to keep that cup filled at all times.

-Patricia Volk”
Elizabeth Benedict, Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-seven Women Untangle an Obsession

Topics Mentioning This Author

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The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Completed Tasks: Do Not Delete Posts 2625 601 Aug 31, 2014 08:59PM  
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Mount TBR 2016: Alanna is determined to reach the summit 15 21 Oct 24, 2016 01:04PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: How Many Pages? - 2016 384 242 Mar 10, 2017 09:24AM  
Pick-a-Shelf: Moving Mountain - 2017 Ed 161 195 Dec 31, 2017 02:31PM  
The Seasonal Read...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Completed Tasks: PLEASE DO NOT DELETE ANY POST IN THIS THREAD 3383 283 Aug 31, 2021 09:00PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Book Title Chain, part 2 1502 167 Nov 25, 2023 05:29PM  
Crazy Challenge C...: Jelly Belly Jelly Beans 3251 489 Nov 12, 2025 09:29AM  
“Writers aren't born, they're made--from practice, reading, and a lot of caffeine. And sometimes tutelage.”
Alexander Chee

40134 'Box of Lies' with Mark Laflamme — 7 members — last activity Mar 23, 2022 01:13PM
November 9, 2010 to December 09, 2010...
37905 National Book Critics Circle — 332 members — last activity May 04, 2021 06:29AM
The National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature.
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