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.