Eileen Flanagan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE:

When to Make a Change–and When to Let Go

BY EILEEN FLANAGAN

On sale: September 17, 2009

                                   

CONTACT: Kelli Daniel-Richards;  

212.366.2536

Kelli.DanielRichards@us.penguingroup.com

 

“The Wisdom to Know the Difference is about being able to change. What is important is that we can make a change and transform ourselves into better, happier people.”

—His Holiness The Dalai Lama

 

Whether we are seeking a life partner who hasn’t arrived yet, trying to hang on to a job, or simply fretting over imaginary scenarios, we are often plagued by the need to control the uncontrollable—particularly now, when so much is out of our control.

In THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE: When to Make a Change and When to Let Go (Tarcher/Penguin, on sale October, hardcover), Eileen Flanagan draws on her Quaker faith, as well as other religious and spiritual traditions, in order to help readers transform the things they can in their lives — and to understand when to let them go.  Focusing on the famous last lines of the Serenity Prayer, Flanagan guides readers to discover “the wisdom to know the difference.”

Recounting deeply personal stories from her experiences as wife, mother, and religious seeker -- as well as those from people hailing from a variety of backgrounds and faiths -- Flanagan reveals how various individuals understood when to take action and when to practice acceptance. These include:

• ·      The former director of Oprah’s school for girls in South Africa, who explains how sometimes the best teaching involves giving students the freedom to learn for themselves.
• ·      The mother of a soldier fallen in Iraq, who talks about the power of forgiveness and her work to end the war.
• ·      A family therapist, who shares what he learned about accepting the things he cannot change after a car accident left him paralyzed.

In this wise and insightful guide, Flanagan takes the reader by the hand and shows them how to better navigate their own challenging situations. Complete with questions and exercises, this practical book will help the anxious, the confused, and the overwhelmed lead a more peaceful and productive life.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Eileen Flanagan has spoken about spirituality on the radio, from the church pulpit, at national conferences, and on college campuses. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, among them Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers, the Pendle Hill pamphlet series, and Tikkun.  Although she holds a B.A. from Duke and an M.A. from Yale, her greatest education for The Wisdom to Know the Difference has come from caring for her two children and her dying mother, experiences that are woven throughout her writing.

 

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THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

When to Change – and When to Let Go

Tarcher / Penguin

Hardcover; $22.95

ISBN: 978-1-58542-716-1

On-Sale September 2009 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

CHESTNUT HILL’S FIRST ANNUAL BOOK FESTIVAL

Great Authors of Philadelphia July 10-12, 2009!

Media Contact:

Kate O’Neill, Chestnut Hill Business Association

215-247-6696     www.chestnuthillpa.com

 

 June 8, 2009 – Philadelphia, PA – Chestnut Hill is proud to announce its first annual book festival schedules for July 10^th, 11^th & 12^th, 2009.  This weekend-long event will feature over 50 locally and nationally recognized authors including  Eileen Flanagan, who will be discussing some of her recent publications, as well as her upcoming book, The Wisdom to Know the Difference. She will be part of two panels: Self Help–Expanding Your Personal Experience at 4pm on July 11 and The Inspiration of Non-fiction at 6pm. Both panels will be in the Magarity Showroom, 8200 Germantown Ave. 

The weekend will be filled with panel discussions, author readings and signings, writer workshops, a soapbox corner, fiction and singer songwriter slams, and dramatic readings of famous literary passages by local actors.  For kids there will be a costume parade led by a stilt man where kids dress as their favorite book character, a Cat in the Hat appearance, a Green Eggs & Ham Brunch, a storytelling concert and much more.

Meet your summer reading authors this year! 

Named by Forbes as one of the “top seven urban enclaves in the USA,” Chestnut Hill is truly Philadelphia’s favorite destination neighborhood. Located in the scenic northwest section of the city and designated as Philadelphia’s Garden District, Chestnut Hill combines its natural beauty with a variety of unique experiences for the day-tripper, out-of-town explorer and neighboring residents.  Chestnut Hill offers great locally owned shops with a variety of gifts for every need and budget.  Shoppers can also enjoy free parking in all nine parking lots.  For more information, please visit website www.chestnuthillpa.com. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Soft Skull Press 19 w. 21 st. suite 1101, New York, NY 10010
Publication Date: April 20, 2009
Contact: Abbye Simkowitz, Counterpoint
510.704.0230 x202         abbye.simkowitz@counterpointpress.com

Narratives by a racially and economically diverse group of women, who broaden the traditional notion of motherhood in the United States by discussing their unique experiences and perspectives.

**Edited by Yvonne Bynoe, with a Foreword by Rebecca Walker and an essay by Eileen Flanagan**

Unlike other “motherhood” books that focus exclusively on the experiences of affluent, married White women, Who's Your Mama? The Unsung Voices of Women and Mothers (Soft Skull Press / Counterpoint; Trade Paper; April 2009; $15.95; 978-1-59376-239-1) centers on the perspectives of a cross-section of American women who are actively engaged in crafting identities and family structures (including remaining single and/or childless) that speak practically to their personal beliefs, intimate relationships, and socioeconomic realities.

While most books about motherhood concentrate on the conflict between mothers who work and those who stay at home, Who's Your Mama? focuses on the voices, experiences, and complexities of women that are most often left out of this dialog. From the adoption process for a gay couple, a feminist juggling the roles of activist and mother to a mother's celebration of her own vibrant sexuality, the book explores the intersection between motherhood and the facets of the authors’ lives, which include race, class, sexuality, politics and personal tragedy. This collection of personal narratives will illuminate the female experience of parenting in our society and humanize a variety of social and economic issues that affect millions of American women and their families.

Quaker author Eileen Flanagan describes her efforts to avoid passing on racism to her white children. Lori Tharps, author of Kinky Gazpacho talks about raising bi-racial children. Marla Tevolia breaks down the traditional image of the stay-at-home mom; Amy Kalisher tackles the considerably less publicized but equally nerve-wracking task of becoming a stepmother; Kelly Jeske chronicles the long journey of open adoption that she chose to undertake with her gay partner; Sonali S. Balajee goes through with an unplanned pregnancy despite the wishes of her conservative and traditional South Asian parents; Liz Prato defends her decision to remain childless; and many other talented writers contribute their invaluable perspectives.

About Editor Yvonne Bynoe: Yvonne Bynoe is the author of Stand & Deliver: Political Activism, Leadership and Hip Hop Culture (Soft Skull Press) and the Encyclopedia of Rap and Hip Hop Culture (Greenwood Press). The co-founder and former president of the Urban Think Tank, the first Hip Hop generation policy organization, has been acknowledged as an expert on popular culture and politics by news outlets such as the New York Times, New York Daily News, Los Angeles Times. She has been interviewed on CNN, FOX, MSNBC and numerous national and regional radio programs. Her writings have been included in several anthologies, including We Got Issues: A Young Woman’s Guide to a Bold, Courageous and Empowered Life (Inner Circle), are used in numerous college courses and have appeared in the Chicago Sun Times, Washington Post, Colorlines, The Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, AlterNet.org, the Urban League’s Opportunity magazine and other publications.

About Foreword Writer Rebecca Walker: Aside from being the daughter of Alice Walker, Rebecca Walker is known for her transformative ideas about race, gender and sexuality. Time magazine recognized her as being one of 50 influential leaders under 40. She is the author of the original Third Wave primer To Be Real: Telling the Truth and Changing the Face of Feminism and the bestselling post-civil rights memoir Black and Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self, winner of the ALA’s Alex Award. Her critically acclaimed new memoir, Baby Love: Choosing Motherhood After a Lifetime of Ambivalence, was published in 2007.

Who’s Your Mama The Unsung Voices of Women and Mothers Edited by Yvonne Bynoe Aprl 2009; Trade Paper Original; 288 pages; $15.95; 978-1-59376-239-1  www.counterpointpress.com Distributed by Publishers Group West.

The Wisdom to Know the Difference: When to Make a Change–and When to Let Go by Eileen Flanagan is newly listed on amazon.com for advanced oder. 

Due for release from Tarcher/Penguin (New York, NY) on September 17, 2009, the book turns the Serenity Prayer into a practical guide to a more peaceful and productive life. Eileen Flanagan’s second book, it is already receiving praise. “Chocked full of Quaker wisdom and everyday stories that become parables in Flanagan's hands, this is one of those rare books that give us as readers permission to be–to fully and completely ‘be,’" says Phyllis Tickle, author of numerous books on spirituality. Suzanne Farnham, who founded Listening Hearts Ministries and co-authored Listening Hearts and Grounded in God, writes, “Down to earth with strong spiritual underpinnings. This book draws from actual situations of real-life people as they struggle to become their true selves.”

 

For more information on The Wisdom to Know the Difference, please visit eileenflanagan.com.