Writing Personals

Offbeat characters, sexual proclivities of seniors, and acerbic comments on the publishing world are the backdrop to this story of a working woman’s quirky quest for love. Sylvia Weisler is under contract with a small publisher to write a nonfiction book about personals advertising. Focusing on the middle-aged and older group who tend to utilize print media, she places a wanted ad for a man of average height, well-muscled …with more body hair than a baby’s behind but less than a gorilla. Through a variety of interviews, Sylvia accumulates material for her book–only to discover that some of these characters have become enmeshed in the plot, as well as in her private life. Raunchy, intellectual, and utterly charming, this quick-witted tale takes aim at contemporary mating practices, middle-class values, and marriage for love as the glue of society.