New Fave Find: Winifred Gallagher

The perpetually whimsical but unfailingly sharp-minded and astute Ms. Winfred is my new fave writer find. She's hasn't written more books than years I've been alive, no. But, yes, she has superbly composed a relatively small - but exceptionally well-conceived and researched - collection. And she's no novice at rhetoric: before writing books for Harper Collins, she wrote for The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Atlantic Monthly focusing primarily on large-interest features. Now, if that means nothing to you, read on anyway, 'cuz all that's just another way of saying, "This gal's good."

Why do I think she's so good? In a book-flap tease: The topics about which she writes are the same areas I find my daily brain drifting always asking the same questions of "Why DO we do that?" and "Why DOES that matter to me, anyway?!"

Here's a list of my faves:

The Power of Place: How Our Surrounding Shape Our Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions

Just the Way You Are: How Heredity and Experience Create the Individual

It's In the Bag: What Purses Reveal - and Conceal

House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live

Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life

I started with Rapt simply because it was the gem I found first. In its pages, I discovered my frustration about all the "stuff" I forget has nothing to do with absent-mindedness or brain-power deficit nor could it be repaired with more attentive listening or a healthy dose of Gingko Biloba. Rather, I realized I was forgetting what simply never mattered enough to me in the first place. Now that's great to hear in matters of door-to-door solicitors or annoying remarks in the supermarket line. Not so much with pointless but nevertheless endearing anecdotes from my children or an early-morning request for ironing from my husband. Yeah. That was one of those equally punch-in-the-gut, prick-in-the-heart moments.

But I learned from reading that. I'm changing because of it.

And the purse one? Well, listen. Who knew a sociological explanation of the purse could be so enthralling? I learned mounds about my friend, Bee, for one thing. And found that my preference for messenger style satchels of yarns and earthy cottons slung over the shoulder really might say something about me...just as Bee's penchant for oversized, glossy, brightly-colored and embellished leathers say something about her.

And just when you think you know a girl...

Anyhow, that's what Ms. Winifred writes about. She starts with a question that poked at her in some way...such as "Why did you paint your wall that color?" and "How can you possibly be so smart and so dumb at the same time?"...and finishes with a pretty-darn good telling of the possibilities.

Not too bad for a mother of five, wife of one, and friend to good ideas aplenty.

Why not check her out? (Oh yeah, did I mention I found her at the library?)