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Elaine Soloway
Elaine Soloway is the mother of Jill and Faith Soloway, and the inspiration for Shelly Pfefferman (Judith Light) on Amazon Video's Golden Globe winning series, Transparent. She is the author of four books: The Division Street Princess, She's Not The Type, Green Nails And Other Acts Of Rebellion: Life After Loss and most recently Bad Grandma and Other Chapters In A Life Lived Out Loud.
Elaine is a public relations, marketing, and tech consultant; and was previously the Director of Communications for the Chicago Public Schools and a press aide to former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne. She currently writes The Rookie Caregiver, The Rookie Widow and The Rookie Transplant blogs.
Elaine's website is elainesolowayconsulting.com and her email is elainesoloway (at) gmail.com.
The first thing I placed in the shipping box was a container with his ashes. It was lightweight because scoops had already been removed and scattered. One batch of my second husband's remains went to Jackson Park where Tommy got a hole in one. Another was spread among the plantings outside the YMCA, his longtime gym; and one more in the park where every morning for 12 years we walked our dog. Sitting outdoors on a perfect Chicago summer day coaxes my mind to travel backward to other unforgettable places where I have perched. And like a jigsaw puzzle whose picture only emerges when all of the parts are snug in place, I add the characters who help create a picture of my past. more »
As I'd watch each [friend] enter her kitchen, pull a mug from a cabinet, and pour her hot drink, I felt as if I had been reunited with a long-lost sister. But it wasn't DNA that matched us, simply years of traveling together through life's joys and sorrows. A trio of these friends had known me through first marriage and divorce, and all cleaved to me through my second husband's illness and death. We'd bring each other up-to-date on the goings on during the nearly five months since I departed from my longtime home. And even though I chat frequently with these friends, and view Facebook status reports, these early morning kitchen conversations were as precious as an heirloom. more »
Elaine Soloway writes: I have turned to therapy a handful of times. My slim record is not because I disdain the practice or am reluctant to reveal my secrets. Fifty-five minutes focused on me, a sympathetic witness to my angst, a collaborator in my version of the story; who wouldn't relish the experience. Because I had not lived in the same city as my daughters for 25 years, and since I was unfettered in Chicago (no husband, house, dog, car, debt), I thought the time was right to jump into their world. But, instead of considering this decision an abandonment of Los Angeles, I'll add Bi-Coastal to my labels and have the best of both worlds. more »
During our 30-year-marriage, the two of us constructed a wall. Tiff-by-tiff, the bricks grew taller and more impenetrable with each year, until it toppled in divorce. My second marriage was a pleasure cruise. We sailed along watching the same TV programs, walking our dog, taking occasional vacations — and on the rare instances we argued, it was always Tommy who said, "Let's not be mad at each other. Let's talk about it." A few words, maybe a tear from each of us, hugs, and then it was over. more »
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Elaine Soloway's Rookie Transplant Series: Packing; Balconies, Stairs, Stoops, and Folding Chairs; Imposter
Elaine Soloway's Rookie Transplant Series: Sleeping Around, Woof and Best of Both Worlds
Elaine Soloway's Rookie Transplant: Therapy, Best of Both Worlds and ... Packing
Elaine Soloway's Rookie Transplant: Sleeping Around; YMCA: Then, Now; How to Fight
