Diary of a Public Radio Slave

by Kerri Wood Thomson

When Sloan Kennedy is handed a pink slip from her employer and her fiancé, she has to find a way to pay the mortgage on a new house and cancel all of her wedding plans. After a minor breakdown (she allows herself a week long pity party), Sloan applies for an administrative assistant position at the local Public Radio station. The position is a step down from her former job as an announcer, but Sloan is desperate, and at least it's in broadcasting. While filling out the application Sloan meets Horg (his goth name), a student employee, who is perfecting his British accent, with hopes of one day working for the BBC. Also lurking in the lobby is Gladys, the station's 85-year-old busy body. Gladys has worked at the radio station since War Of The Worlds was broadcast, and she knows all the gossip regarding the station's employees and volunteers. Marjorie, the Fundraising Director, interviews Sloan, in a cluttered conference room, disappearing at one point to blend herself a wheat-grass smoothie. Marjorie hires Sloan, and promptly disappears, leaving Sloan to get accustomed to her new job on the front lines of a public radio station. Sloan quickly realizes that while the majority of her new coworkers, and many of the radio station's listeners are bizarre, her new boss Marjorie is her nemesis. Gladys describes Marjorie as "flakier than a bowl full of dandruff" and the description is accurate. During a marketing campaign gone awry, Marjorie designs jumbo postcards to be mailed to all the listeners, but instead of highlighting public radio listener's superb intellect with the slogan "Survival of the Fittest" the postcards are mailed out proclaiming "Survival of the Fattest." Sloan is left to deal with the backlash of phone calls from irate listeners. The station is gearing up for a pledge drive, which will include a visit by Sebastian Kohler, a preeminent public radio personality, ala Garrison Keeler. While Sloan navigates the daily duties of an administrative assistant (making vats of coffee and answering the recurring question, "Who is in the bathroom?") she must also deal with the delicate psyches of her coworkers and locate all the items on Mr. Kohler's Green Room list, including a specialty breathe mint, rumored to help squelch Mr. Kohler's notorious halitosis. Amidst a blizzard the pledge drive begins. While it's bitterly cold outside, too cold for many of the decrepit volunteers to venture out of their homes to answer phones, inside the station it's sweltering. The heater has gone on the fritz, forcing staff to strip down to long johns and tube tops. Cliff, the station engineer, who still hasn't learned how to send an email, is no help in remedying the problem and can typically be found napping on the lobby carpet. The only person not sweating is Vivienne, the germophobic office accountant/announcer, who despises anyone sharing her air space, but especially Marjorie. Marjorie and Vivienne quickly lock horns over the color of paper used in the printer, causing a tense show-down. And on the day that Mr. Kohler arrives, with a line of fans stretching around the building, tension between Marjorie and Vivienne boils over and the two grown women lock themselves in a bathroom together, refusing to come out. It's a stand-off that leaves Mr. Kohler unattended, and no one to interview him. Knowing that she could lose her job, but determined that the show must go on, Sloan takes charge, going on-air to interview Sebastian about his latest book. Product Details

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Comedy, Contemporary

142 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 2011

Reviews

[Lucy McCoskey · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the perfect fun fluff to read right after finishing two Serious Books. the characters are delightfully delineated, described, demented.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and fun. Quick read!

[Karen Haynes-Dvareckas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a very funny book, if you are a fan or at least familiar with Public Radio. Sloan Kennedy has lost her job, her boyfriend, and is teetering on losing her house. So why not apply for a job at the college's Public Radio station? She is hired as a glorified go-fer, translation: Administrative Assistant, and she ultimately becomes the Saviour of the Pledge Campaign. If you are a PBS listener, you know how quirky programming can be- every topic you can think of pronounced with a British accent. Thus begins the hilarity: the Goth-looking errand boy is practicing his accent so that one day he might be promoted to the BBC.

Easy to read and humerous, this is a great read for a beach day. Enjoy!

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've ever worked in a public radio station you will get quite a few laughs out of "Diary of a Public Radio Slave" by Kerri Wood Thomson. While I know from personal experience that people who work at TV stations are special, and I've heard that the people who work at typical radio stations are rather special too...the folks who work at a public radio station are a special breed all to themselves. Thomson captures the fun quirkiness that inhabit the halls of a public radio station, and with her main character manning the front desk we have a front row seat to the hilarity!

Recommend.

[Victor Muthoka · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be very fun, a light and enjoyable read. Sloan loses her job & is dumped by her fiancé Ben, leading to a turn in life for her.

She looks for work to keep up w/ the new apartment's mortgage & the madness begins. She gets a job as an administrative assistant at a campus NPR.

Writing in a relaxed, friendly manner, this book is her account if the time immediately after she takes up the job. Meet the craziest of characters & some whacky jokes by the author as she tells her story.

Recommended for a light, relaxed, humorous read.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

A couple oddball characters that go nowhere. I'm not inclined to dislike Sloan the main character, I don't really see much happening to her in the story. She has a few adventures and comes out the exact same as does everyone else in the book.

I picked this up as a free kindle book and did manage to read through to the end. I don't think it was worth much more than free.

[Underwhelmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg. Everyone should read this book. Well, everyone of a certain age that also finds Christopher Guest movies hilarious and relevant. I found the author's blog when I finished this book and it made me like her all the more.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was funny, especially since the main part of the story takes place during their fund drive. And, lo and behold, I get in my car and NPR is having a fund drive. It was a fun read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere about a 3.5 for me. A satirical peek into the world of public radio: making fun of a few thinly disguised celebrities, plus some cynical profiles of the stereotypical listeners, supporters and employees. The humor was done in fun and affection for the medium.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think you have to work in Public Radio to enjoy this book. Good writing, quirky characters and great visuals. I finished it in an afternoon and I'm hoping we get to see more by Kerri soon.

[Julie Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, light read. The sort of book you'd want to take on vacation. I won it as a Goodreads giveaway. The characters are all very relatable and make for an enjoyable read.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://legalmamareviews.blogspot.com/...

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Public Radio has slaves ? Yes..that was the hook. Fortunately the book delivered..
See my review on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3286VF3...

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a quick, funny read for fans of npr.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fluff if you are a Public Radio fan.

[Myria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just ok

I read it on a plane. Didn’t have much of a plot. Fine way to pass the time while traveling.

[Alison]

kindle 140

[Michael Falkner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light and quirky, but bogged down by numerous proofreading errors.