MOUNT VERNON — Author-singer-songwriter Celeste Friedman claims that after two marriages and a few boyfriends, who temporarily played the role of Mr. Right, she has been far more successful living alone. Over the years, she has journaled her experiences in and out of relationships, unleashing common principles and basic truths in her book, “Single 101: 101 Reasons to Celebrate Being Single.”
“Everything in the book came from personal experience,” she said. “I meet so many different people and whether I’ve been married at the time, or single, I usually start a conversation and one thing leads to another. I will tell them I am writing this book and they start telling me a whole lot of stuff from their personal life and a lot of things you don’t really need to know.
“Sometimes these things take on a life of their own and tell you where it wants to go. This book did that very thing. From page to page, it might be funny or fun or delightful, then it could be sad or emotional.”
Friedman wants to make clear that even though her book comes from the experiences she’s had with the men in her life, it is not about male bashing.
“I wanted to be sure I had as much in there for men as well as women,” she explained. “This is by no means a man-bashing book at all. There are 101 reasons to celebrate being single and with each reason there is a little vignette. Each has a little revealing story from my experiences or the experiences of others.
“For instance I was talking to a guy once who told me he wished his wife would accept the fact that he rides a motorcycle. And that illustrated one of my facts. Guys can keep their toys when they are single,” she said.
Friedman has been well known for her singing and songwriting. Since opting to fly solo, Friedman has been nominated for a Grammy Award and two European Indie Artist of the Year Awards; scored for a Pulitzer Prize nominated play; received several awards in music and education; nominated for two Pat Weaver Awards for contributions in television; and her work has been featured in the Ottawa International Animation Film Festival, as well as Festival de Cannes in 2008.
Friedman will be at Paragraphs Bookstore on Saturday for a book signing of her latest work between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
