As a long-time publicist, Aline Weiller is an experienced champion for the dreams of other creatives. To produce FUN: Essays on a Life Embraced she notes, “I had to root for myself and make the book a priority, as publishing it was my own dream.” That dream came true in January, with the publication of her essay collection celebrating the everyday experiences that connect us.
“The goal of writing FUN,” Weiller says, “was to share all types of stories that would resonate with readers, both inspiring and messy, that ultimately convey a message of hope.” Appropriately to her goal, she began working on the collection during the lockdown of 2020. In the suspension of time, she found the space to put the collection together, which features both award-winning essays previously published and those penned specifically for this collection.
Taking inspiration from music albums, Weiller sought to create a balanced and cohesive collection that blends humor and pathos and spans different phases of her life and her roles as sister, daughter, wife, mother, writer, and stand-up comedian. From her large body of work, forty-two essays made the cut, each chosen for its ability to invite readers in. To select the final arrangement, she and her editor wrote each essay title on a Post-it note and lined them up on a bulletin board, moving them around until the flow felt just right. In a nod to her musical inspiration, each essay ends with bonus content in the form of brief ‘liner notes’ or ‘fun facts’ that provide a coda on the events described. Weiller gives family members a voice as well: Several essays about them are followed by Q&As with them.
Collectively, the essays weave back and forth through time, revisiting capstone childhood experiences, adventures of young adulthood, and the poignancy of adulthood proper, with its many long goodbyes. Consistently across the collection, the playful and the poignant walk hand-in-hand. Nostalgia for Weiller is not so much about longing for the past as for capturing it in vivid detail so as to salute it and acknowledge its beauty.
“My aim is to communicate that all of life’s stages should be appreciated,” Weiller explains. “I write essays of family’s significance, of pop culture’s influence, of hard-won lessons.” The collection features essays that flow from a yearning to entertain, to share, to connect so readers can relate or laugh or cry.”
Both laughter and tears inevitably feature in our lives; thus for Weiller, it was vital not to sugarcoat difficult experiences but to allow joy and sorrow to play counterpoint. Essays like “The Crusader” about her father’s unexpected death at 61 and “The Comeback Kid” about her son’s anaphylactic reaction to pistachio nuts sit alongside “Pen Pal” about her favorite TD Bank pens and “A Fanilow is Born” about coming to appreciate Barry Manilow in concert. The hilarious “Hairista,” a tribute to her hairstyles across the decades, is followed by the poignant meditation “In Transit,” in which traveling through Grand Central invites memories from across her life, ending with her finding a forward-facing seat in which to ride home.
Each mention provides an opportunity, as she observes, “to transport the reader back to a specific moment in time.” Whether it’s the impact and influence of Mary Tyler Moore, the tragic passing of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds days apart, or connecting with her son over their shared love of the band America, Weiller celebrates pop culture’s staying power and its capacity to create bonds across generations. As she observes, “It speaks to all of us—like a keepsake leaving its indelible imprint, sometimes years after its heyday.”
When asked which essay best represents her writing, Weiller chose “Center Stage,” which she describes as “a snapshot of my childhood.” The essay describes her mother’s drama school, which she ran out of their family home, and her stagings of The Sound of Music. The essay also serves as a tribute to her mother, who, Weiller says, “made us feel like stars” and who instilled from an early age a love of play and performance for the purposes of connecting. These gifts find fulfillment in her moving and funny collection.
“Ultimately,” Weiller says, “I want FUN: Essays on a Life Embraced to evoke emotion and have readers see themselves in my tales. It’s my hope the book brings forth wisdom, light, joy.”
Connect with the author via her website https://www.alineweiller.com/ or on social media: Facebook @alineweillerauthor; Instagram and X @AlineCWeiller; and YouTube @alineweiller9262
Contact the author by emailing info@alineweiller.com