The Devil We Knew
A Survival Guide to the Great Outdoors and the Toxic Bosses from Our Past
I once told the author of The Devil Wears Prada, Lauren Weisberger, that I didn’t like her very much. I was on stage to interview her for a “Girl’s Night Out" event at the W Midtown Hotel, and I could hear the embarrassed gasps piercing through the room. I explained that I was speaking for most magazine editors at the time who didn’t like her because she wrote the book we all wanted to write. We were jealous, because we knew that a peek behind the curtains at our “glamorous jobs” sold books and inspired a hit movie. We failed because we were lazy, and she beat us to it.
After a few giggles and sips of champagne, she forgave me and enjoyed a giddy evening full of doting fans. I can’t help but think it was this nostalgic beat that prompted a double date to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 last night before the movie’s official opening day. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that if you toiled in the city before HR took over the wheel, this movie might bring out the “back in the day” flex. Use it wisely.
After the movie, we stood outside and agreed that today’s kids would never understand the true toxic boss. I recalled the time my boss at Harper’s Bazaar swooped into my space wearing the Prada version to my Gap imitation — perfectly pressed white button down + black leggings. Not only was it the casual Friday uniform, but beloved by pregnant editors who didn’t want to share their secret, and others who masked their ignorance of how many calories existed in the just-launched Frappuccinos the intern brought up every afternoon at 3pm. (I know, it’s hard to imagine that menus used to list what you could order, without every ingredient or warning label attached.)
She swung her freshly Garren’ed** hair around and teetered into her office, demanding that I change my outfit. Colleagues looked away with disdain, trying not to catch whatever fashion flu that had just struck me down to the seventh circle of assistant editor hell. My body flushed beet red, and I could feel the sweat stain creeping under my armpits. I ran to the closet, cursing under my breath, calming myself with the mantra that every girl who worked in the poorly-paid media understood. Never say no to free clothes, no matter how humiliating it is to accept them.
My friend Dema chimed in with a story about a former boss who made her employees cut out pictures of her in the media and attach them like paper dolls on a board in her office. They also had to make a clip book of her to place in the company’s waiting room. My husband offered his L.A. stories and referred to Matt Groening’s “Work is Hell” series, a fabulous example of the Simpsons talent before the world knew his name. “How DARE you duck when I throw things at you!” And yes, I once had a boss throw an empty pack of Marlboro Lights at me so I would run to the bodega before his next call.
Sound familiar? I’d love to hear your “bad boss” story! Drop me a note, and I’ll only spill if you let me.
What We’re Reading
You might think Belle Burden’s book about her shocking divorce, Strangers, would be a precarious choice on a 25th anniversary trip. But there I was at Brightside Bookshop in Flagstaff, Arizona, after surviving Cathedral Rock in Sedona with my husband, and I took a chance. Maybe part of me was still fuming that he failed to share that a “hike” was more like a “climb without a safety rope”. Am I the only one who clings to the rock, imagining the scene when one small slip leads to a slo-mo movie of your death spiral? Is it just me who looks at the kind gentleman offering his hand to pull me up and imagines he looks just like George Clooney only to realize he’s a mushy midwestern dad with two whiny kids in tow?
Whatever the reason, I devoured the book by the spa’s pool (husband was forgiven because he knows me so well). I won’t get into the backlash about not feeling sorry for Ms. Burden because I think it’s cruel. What I will say is that every woman’s story can be a rule book for someone else, and I am grateful she shared hers.
I also picked up Anne Lamott’s latest with her husband Neal Allen. She’s always been a hero of mine — Bird by Bird is required reading — and I highly recommend this as the perfect gift to your aspiring writer friends, or anyone who has to write an email.
Of course, there is nothing like browsing the Miami airport’s Books & Books and finding the absolute perfect title for your life, Sandwich, on the “Mother’s Day Gift Ideas” table. Between the aging parents and the soon-to-be high school graduate time of life that many of us are in right now. Catherine Newman captures this moment with enough comedic grace that I laughed and cried in all the right places.
This Just In….
Excited to announce that I will be speaking with Therese Anne Fowler, the New York Times bestselling author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, on Wednesday, May 6th at Zelda Dearest. It’s Zelda Week, and this super chic hotel has a slew of events to celebrate. If you haven’t been there yet, it’s worth a visit if only to escape your every day and time travel to a glamorous spot that has been winning lots of design awards since it opened in Asheville. Here’s the link to reserve your spot!
Summer Dreams
You know when you stumble upon a gem of something and you want to share with everyone? That’s how I felt after I watched my unbelievably talented friend, Lynn Llewelyn Penny, on stage as Stella in the Shakespeare & Friends production of A Streetcar Named Desire last Saturday night. It was a masterclass in acting, especially with the audience on stage sharing such an intimate performance. I admit it was my first time at the Tryon Arts Center, and I adored getting to know my seatmates. When they heard I had only been to the Equestrian Center, they shook their heads and said that was a tiny piece and so much more to Tryon. I can’t wait to go back this summer.
Speaking of summer, I was thrilled to visit with our favorite author friend Rochelle Weinstein at Books & Books in Coral Gables last week. She just handed in her 10th (!!) novel and promises to do an event with us when she’s up in the mountains. Stay tuned…
SAVE THE DATE
If you haven’t met the divine Elysze Held yet, here’s your chance. She’s got stories (hint: she worked with Iris Apfel, you can spot her in the movie) and she just moved to town. We’re going to host a little something on June 1st at Battery Park Book Exchange (aka the Champagne Bar) starting at 5:30pm. More details to follow, but you won’t want to miss this!
In the meantime, I hope to see you on Wednesday at Zelda Dearest.
Yours in Love and Lit,
Elizabeth xx
**Garren was the go-to hairstylist back in the ‘90s with a salon at Bergdorf Goodman. He was responsible for Linda Evangelista’s bob in 1995 and led to my bob story in the magazine that also featured Plum Sykes. My dad reminded her of that story when he met her at Books & Books years later.
I had many toxic bosses over the years and wrote about one of the most memorable in my recent post: Drinking on the Job at the Metropolitan Museum. Hope you enjoy!
https://thefilofaxdiaries.substack.com/p/drinking-on-the-job-at-the-metropolitan-museum?r=4mpi4&utm_medium=ios