Their love was so very true — this amazing memoir is, too
ON AIR
“My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me” by Jason B. Rosenthal (Harper, 229 pages, $26.99)
On March 13, 2017, Amy Krouse Rosenthal died at home in Chicago. The cause: ovarian cancer. She was only 51. She had been in hospice care. Her husband, Jason, was at home with her.
Are you familiar with her work? Amy was a prolific writer and filmmaker. She wrote bestsellers. Her memoir “Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life” is probably one of her best-known titles. This dynamic woman wrote popular books for children, more than 30 books in just a dozen years.
Ten days before her death she published an essay in the very popular “Modern Love” column of the New York Times. The title of it was “You May Want to Marry My Husband.” In that piece, she announced to the world that she was dying and that she loved her husband very much and hoped that he could find love again after she was gone.
Millions of people read that essay. Jason Rosenthal recently published his memoir, “”My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me,” and it catches us up on what his life has been like since Amy died — but first, it fills us in on how they initially got together and what their marriage was all about.
They met on a blind date. “I’d never met anyone like her. It turned out she wasn’t just super cute, tiny, full of energy, and easy to talk to. She was also smart, revealed a curiosity about pretty much everything, and possessed a contagious passion for life.”
Amy knew on their very first date that Jason was the one, the guy she wanted to marry. It took him a bit longer to make that same realization but once that occurred they were married shortly thereafter.
He discovered he had chosen someone who was a compulsive list maker.
They made a list of ideas and goals they wanted to achieve. The first item was “have lunch together at least once a week.”
Jason married into an incredible, loving family. He adored Amy’s parents and became especially close to his father-in-law. Early in their relationship they faced a crisis; Amy had been
You can hear my interview with Jason Rosenthal at 10:30 a.m. today on WYSO (91.3FM). offered a really great job in Portland, but Jason was just starting his career as a lawyer in their hometown of Chicago. Would they stay or should they go?
They became the parents of three wonderful children. Amy’s career had taken off. Life was great. They had all sorts of plans for the future.
Then she got sick. She wrote that column, then poof, her life was over.
After all that love and fun and laughter, there was sadness and sorrow as Jason worked his way slowly through the grieving process. And all along his tearful journey there’s the impact of that essay she wrote in which she encouraged him to find someone else to love. What a generous woman.
Vick Mickunas of Yellow Springs interviews authors every Saturday at 7 a.m. and on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO-FM (91.3). For more information, visit www. wyso.org/programs/booknook. Contact him at vick@ vickmickunas.com
Sharon Short
Last week in this space, I began sharing what noted local authors are reading during these shut-down times. This week, we continue with asking what’s on various Dayton-area writers’ reading lists. Here you go:
Dave Essinger (www. dave-essinger.com; “Running Out” )— “I’m currently rereading Rosellen Brown’s “Before and After.’”
Erin Flanagan (www. erinflanagan.net; “The Usual Suspects”)—“I’ve been waiting the whole pandemic for someone to ask me this! I’ve had a hard time reading beyond what I have to for work, but long walks in the sunshine with audio books have been just the ticket. I have fallen in love with feminist romance novels, and could not be more soothed during this time to know a happy ending is coming, at least in these books. The ones I like best are set in contemporary times, big on consent and agency, and feature a wide range of sexualities, races, abilities, and body shapes. And the sexy bits are super hot! They make this Midwesterner blush. Some favorites include ‘The Right Swipe;’ ‘Get a Life, Chloe Brown;’ and ‘Red, White, and Royal Blue.’”
David Lee Garrison (www.wyso.org/people/ david-lee-garrison, “Playing Bach in the D.C. Metro”): “Willa Cather, “One of Ours.” About a Nebraska boy who goes off to fight in WWI. The texture of the language is so beautiful I found myself reading slowly to savor it. Jane Kenyon, “Collected Poems.” Reads a bit like a diary as the poet finds the lyrical in everyday things. Her poem “Let Evening Come” is one of the greatest poems of the 20th century.”
Megan Hart (www. meganhart.com; “After All I’ve Done,” forthcoming November 2020, writing as Mina Hardy): “I’m currently reading ‘Dark Places’ by Gillian Flynn. My mom, sister and daughter are all reading, too. It’s our second quarantine book club choice, so we’ll read it and then get on a video chat to discuss it.”
J.E. Irvin (www.janetirvin.com; ‘The Strange Disappearance of Rose Stone’): “‘Phantoms’ by Christian Kiefer really impressed me. I also read ‘Patsy’ by Nicole Dennis-Benn. I’m currently almost through ‘Say Nothing,’ about the Irish Troubles in the ’70s and ’80s and just finished ‘In An Instant.’ There are more, but I’ll stop there!”
Katrina Kittle (www. katrinakittle.com; “Reasons to be Happy”): “I just read ‘Hollow Kingdom’ by Kira Jane Buxton and can’t stop thinking and talking about it. I’ve been forcing people to listen to me read passages aloud! It’s an apocalypse story narrated by a domesticated crow, about the animal kingdom navigating a world without the hollows (what they call us humans). The most original, provocative, hilarious, and moving book I’ve read in a long, long time. I also read ‘The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls’ by Anissa Gray and loved the story of family, forgiveness, and the reminder that strong women need to take care of themselves before they can take care of anyone else.”
Lorie Langdon (www. LorieLangdon.com; “Olivia Twist”): “I’m reading a lot. For me, it is a better escape from reality than television because while I’m reading I’m too focused to think about everything else! Here are my recommendations.
“The City of Brass” and “The Kingdom of Copper” (The Daevabad Trilogy) by S. A Chakraborty. If you’re looking for a fresh take on fantasy with unpredictable twists and turns, look no further than the critically acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy. This rich tale, set in a fictionalized Middle East, centers around an 18th century Cairo thief with magical healing abilities, a trapped vigilante prince, and a terrifyingly powerful djinn warrior. The first two books in this series entirely consumed me! And happily, the conclusion, “Empire of Gold,” releases June 2020.”
Other literary news:
Thursday, May 14, 6:308:30 p.m., Word’s Worth Writing Connections (www. wordsworthdayton.com) — Online class — “Craft A La Carte: Character,” led by Katrina Kittle via Zoom. Register by Wednesday, May 13, 5 p.m. Visit website for details and registration.
Friday, May 15—Deadline to submit fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, photography and artwork to “Flights,” the literary magazine published by the Department of English at Sinclair Community College. Learn more at https:// flightsscc.wordpress.com.
Tuesday, May 19, 6:308:30 p.m., Word’s Worth Writing Connections (www. wordsworthdayton.com) — Online class — “Craft A La Carte: Description,” led by Katrina Kittle via Zoom. Register by Monday, May 18, 5 p.m. Visit website for details and registration.
Sharon Short writes historical mysteries under the pen name Jess Montgomery. Send her column ideas, book club news, or literary events at sharonshort1983@gmail.com.