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Time Warner Bookmark presents

New York Times Deputy Sunday Style Editor Ilene Rosenzweig
Talks about "today's woman"

October 21, 1999

New York Times Deputy Sunday Style Editor Ilene Rosenzweig, co-author of "Swell- A Girl's Guide to the Good Life," talks about guys, fashion, and how today's woman can live life to its fullest.

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TWBookmark: Welcome to TimeWarnerBookmark! Today, New York Times Deputy Sunday Style Editor Ilene Rosenzweig, co-author of "Swell- A Girl's Guide to the Good Life," talks about guys, fashion, and how today's woman can live life to its fullest. Welcome, Ilene!

Ilene Rosenzweig: Swello! Hello.

TWBookmark: Explain the title of "Swell" -- and how you came to write this book.

Ilene Rosenzweig: The title is our philosophy of living large, how to add imagination and style to all parts of your life. It's about how to be a bon vivant. Live life with gusto! A little Frank Sinatra, a little Audrey Hepburn, a little Lucille Ball. That means you live your life with a little swagger, a little grace, and plenty of mad cap adventures. Now, let's get this party started!

Phoenix1: Who should read your book?

Ilene Rosenzweig: Swell fellas, girls, guys -- anyone looking to add joie de vivre to their life, and not just French people! (Though they're welcome, too!)

Vernond: How is your book selling?

Ilene Rosenzweig: Knock on wood, so far so good. We're Top-100 in Amazon -- help us get to the Top 10! They quadrupled our print run already, and today is our publication date, our birthday. Happy birthday to us!

Bigreader: What is the main premise of "Swell”?

Ilene Rosenzweig: It offers a little know-how, spirit, how to navigate life's curves; to find a way to see the bright side of the situation, make awkward moments smoother. It's basically about finding your own style and using that to make your light seem brighter. Sometimes it means archiving moves, sometimes it means finding new moves, a new way to turn any situation into a fun time, even the bad times. For example, at awkward moments at the dinner table, you're the one who knows the right joke to get people laughing. If your host forgets to make the reservations, you're the one who knows how to get the maitre d' to get that best table, or just go to the corner table at the bar where you always have a good time and start a darts marathon!

Dee Dee: So this book will make me more successful, more popular, more 'with it'? Any examples of how it will do this?

Ilene Rosenzweig: Basically, the book is about getting confidence, confidence to come up with your own idea of cool. Dating confidence, for example. Our philosophy is just because it didn't end up at the Elvis Chapel doesn't mean it wasn't worth the trip to Vegas! Love the crap shoot, baby! It's not a race to the finish line, you're supposed to have the confidence to have fun all along the way, from the first flirt to the ring-a-ding fling of a lifetime. If you're flirting, if you really have the confidence, you're not going to try some crazy strategy to get they guy. You're going to be yourself. Do the impression of a mime when you descend the staircase to refill his bevvy. Treat him to dinner. Send him some flowers, not because it's a strategy, but because it feels right and it's something you want to do. The one with the confidence is the most attractive one in the room. When it comes to love, if you've got the confidence, you can use your imagination, so even if you're already in a relationship you can keep it fresh, without resorting to the age old clichés of what is romantic. Come up with your own ideas -- maybe it's not roses, or point A or B in Romanticsville, all those International Coffee moments -- it could be just a detour off the road at the No-Tell Motel! 58 channels, magic fingers -- you see how long it takes to run out of supplies.

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