By JAMIE WETHERBE Special to the Daily Press
For women who are the victims of recent break-ups, a pair of local authors have some advice for them — dream up how to get even while eating ice cream in between naps.
“The process of healing can be wonderful... like the feeling after a really good pee. So satisfying,” begin authors Janice MacLeod and Marni Kamins in their first book, “The Breakup Repair Kit.”
The authors will have a reading and signing tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 1201 Third St. Promenade.
Though MacLeod, 29, and Kamins, 27, lack professional counseling experience, they say their 176-page romp of own break-ups and encouragement could help a broken heart heal. And the $14.95 price tag would likely beat out a psychologist’s bill.
The book — geared toward 20-and 30-something women — describes what to expect post-boyfriend and the eight stages of a break-up, including shock, denial, fear and acceptance.
“These stages are normal parts of the healing process so the healthiest thing for you to do is let them run their course rather than using your energy to try to fight them off,” the book reads. “Or, if you want, you can ignore all your feelings, push them away, keep dating the same type of loser over and over, and sit in your own crap. Your choice.”
The authors also encourage revenge fantasies, naps and Chunky Monkey ice cream as women prepare to move on to more fish in the sea. And to avoid drastic behavior like shopping sprees, tattoos and haircuts.
The book isn’t about ex-boyfriends, it’s about the healing process, MacLeod said.
“As you heal from your breakup, you will develop useful tools you will have for the rest of your life.”
As for authors’ ex-boyfriends, “I still talk to some of them. In fact, I spoke with my very first boyfriend recently. We dated for six days in the ninth grade,” MacLeod said. “I think we held hands twice during our entire courtship, and the lone kiss was gross.”
Both MacLeod and Kamins are now single, “but we’re taking applications,” MacLeod said.
As for dating in Santa Monica, she added that “it’s a town of egos, but there are really sweet people out their... We quite enjoy dating California boys.”
The duo first met at a book signing, later forming their friendship while hiking in Malibu.
“We had both recently broken up with our boyfriends so we talked a lot about how we were dealing with our new singlehood,” they say. “We made each other laugh so much that we decided to write it down.”
And so they began the book about their healing process, mostly in their pajamas.
Kamins, a self-proclaimed magazine whore and believer in fairies, grew up on the Malibu shores and now resides in Venice. She holds an English degree from Tufts University and a master’s degree in spiritual psychology.
MacLeod — originally from Clear Creek, Canada — says she has always wanted to be a writer.
“I have always been attracted to pens and paper. Even as a child, when I walked into a department store I went to the office supply section. I loved the potential of the newborn pads of paper, the rainbow of pens and the potential flight patterns of envelopes.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 20, 2004. Read the original PDF.