“What inspired you to write this book?
“Music and Reaganomics for Hackenbush. Iraq, Chechnya, and the Bush junta’s war-n-terror machine for Electriland.”
Ginger Mayerson interviewed at SellingBooks.com, August 23, 2010
“‘Direct from the middle class, the fabulous Dr. Hackenbush…’ Baritone ukulele-playing bandleader, singer, dancer, dictaphone temp, Mabel Hackenbush stands easily with everyday heroes in favorite books. William Gibson’s Chevette Washington, Martin Amis’ Mike Hoolihan, Robert Heinlein’s Star from Glory Road. Strong female leads are rare; thoughtful, unapologetically opinionated, get it done women are rarer still. Dr. Hackenbush has moxie enough to thwart a bus driver trying to speed away from a late boarder, to perform a little dance for the unseen homeless warming in the building lobby, to do what’s necessary when it’s critical, and to stay the hell away from another woman’s man. She can snatch the limelight from an arrogant boss with a microphone and a good high-heeled sprint, wear sensible shoes or spandex with equal ease, and balance her checkbook. Hackenbush is smart, savvy, sexy and sensible. She can carefully skim ‘along the safer part of the truth,’ and knows it’s ‘never good to owe anybody too much.’ Mayerson’s book chronicles a life like any other, without the falling down, whiny, “why me” frailties wedged in to move a typical plot along. Dr. Hackenbush can carry a tune and a novel, thank you very much, and I’m glad to know her.”
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job, review by Linda Robinson, Amazon.com
This review was VERY helpful to me. Thanks, Linda!
“The book is set in the 80s and, of course, some things have changed in the past 30 years, but it is still a current tale, highlighting some of the struggles and tensions between artists and the business world, between men and women, and even among people of the same social groups.”
Fidelity in the Tome Tomb, July 19, 2010
“Employment is one of the most frightening things that can happen. ‘Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job’ is the story of Jazz singer Mabel Hackenbush as she faces her situation of being a secretary as her ideal life is derailed. Not without her adventures in spite of this delve into the status-quo, ‘Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job’ is a fine read that is well worth considering.”
MBR: Small Press Bookwatch, July 2010
Right to the point and spot on, too. Yay!
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job review by the fabulous K Moseley! Yay!
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job reviews at GoodReads.com
and
Thanks, Linda and Georgiann!
Good news for those of you who’d like to support the Wapshott Press and independent booksellers. Well, now you can do both in one mouse click:
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job at IndieBound.com
All the Wapshott titles are there, too. Yay!
Full disclosure: I have less of a problem with Amazon these days than I used to. Wapshott runs books through Createspace, which is Amazon’s POD arm. I do this because it’s the absolute best way to do this I’ve found so far. For example, Wapshott books are on IndieBound.com w/out so much as lifting a finger beyond what I normally do at Createspace. For what I’m doing at Wapshott at this time, they’re good; I hope they stay that way. And if they don’t there are already almost as good alternatives, Baker & Taylor, for one example. Lulu just got too expensive a while ago and their cover quality isn’t as good as Createspace.
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job by Laurel Sutton, May 31, 2010
Yay!
Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job review at I Spy With My Altered Eye on May 24, 2010
“Self-discovery is part of the journey in ‘Dr. Hackenbush Gets a Job: Sexual Harassment and Class Warfare’ (Wapshott Press, $12) by Ginger Mayerson. Set in the ’80s, the novel finds Mabel Hackenbush between gigs, her baritone ukulele in ruins and her car in the shop. She takes on a day job, working to get back to her real calling as a jazz vocalist. South Pasadena resident Mayerson wrote music before turning to books.”
Author highlights stair-filled walks in Southland, by Michelle J. Mills, Whittier Daily News, May 16, 2010
Wow, when did I move to South Pas? Not that I’d mind if I didn’t live in Lincoln Heights.
“I was enthralled by this book. After hitting the bottom of the first page I never looked back. I was pulled into the world of Dr. Hackenbush and her endeavors to deal with life on her own terms. Forced by the untimely death of the transmission of her Karmann-Ghia and the destruction of her baritone ukulele to return to the world of industry, she takes a job with a temporary agency. Complications ensue.”
More of this review at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
