Sally Koslow

Sally Koslow, who was born and raised in Fargo, North Dakota, is the former editor in chief of McCall’s magazine. Married and the mother of two sons, she lives in New York City.

Her latest novel is The Widow Waltz.

From Koslow's Q & A with Amy Sue Nathan at Women’s Fiction Writers:

Amy: Novels are layered and complex. We know that as both readers and writers. But if you could impart one takeaway from The Widow Waltz, for its readers, what would it be?

Sally: Only one? That all of us are capable of handling more than we think. We can rise to the occasion and help can come in surprising packages. Also, that our families are a medley of people we love who love us back—they may be blood-links, but not always.

Amy: What do you think of the term “women’s fiction?” How would you define it? (Obviously it doesn’t bother me, but I know it gets under the skin of many authors)

Sally: Men have read and appreciated my novels; I see the reviews and Facebook comments. But I know most of my readers are women and as someone who happily edited magazines for female audiences, I’d be a hypocrite to spit on the concept of “women’s fiction.” I recognize that the subjects I have explored in my novels—working for the eccentric female celebrity editor of a magazine: reflecting on motherhood, infidelity, and complicated friendship; rebuilding your life after being widowed without resources—may resonate more for women than men. Fine. Certainly some amount of “women’s fiction” is sappy, overly dependent on clichés and product placement just as many suspense novels and thrillers marketed to men are poorly written. I like remind myself of authors like Margaret Drabble, Claire Messud or Elizabeth Strout, who often tell women’s stories. The real issue is that...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Sally Koslow's website and Facebook page.

My Book, The Movie: The Widow Waltz.

Read--Coffee with a Canine: Sally Koslow and Percy.

--Marshal Zeringue