EEBuzz(2): Geek Girls Edition

Elizabeth Edwards had an amazing Rocktober with her book tour. (Last year, JRE had one with the Opportunity tour). I'm going to report what I've read from the various blogs and online news from the past couple of weeks, as most of the posts were from women and they are geeks too! (photo credit: Enoch Choi, via Citymama blog)









One Voice, aka Carolina Girl, and Iddybud posted on the OAC blog about their experience in meeting Elizabeth at the book signing in Charlotte. Both of those bloggers had some great takeaway moments.

I also enjoyed seeing Elizabeth's response to fellow blogger Anonymoses' question about the OAC blog, as recorded by Iddybud (and posted with NCDem's assistance) on Youtube this week.

And if that weren't 'nuff, Elizabeth was at the Converge South conference, one that Sue P actually was kind enough to find me a home host, but alas I couldn't go due to increased air fares. But it looked to me that Elizabeth rocked the place with her talk on building online communities. Elizabeth is a natural teacher, and does her homework/lesson plans ahead. When as when she talked to Maryam Scoble about weight loss, Elizabeth shared with Maryam that she had lost 40 lbs after going off steriods for her cancer treatment, and had read Maryam's blog about her own weight loss. How cool is that? Maryam recently added about her encounter with Elizabeth:

"I met Elizabeth Edwards at ConvergeSouth and she touched my heart. I expected to meet a well polished politician and lawyer and get the party line from her. Instead I met a real woman who talked to me from the heart, a mother who has survived the death of her son, who is also a cancer survivor, a best-selling author and well involved with her husband's political career. She is an Internet and web veteran and has been involved in building and contributing to online communities for many years. Interviewing her was one of those proud moments in my life that I will remember for long time to come. "

Elizabeth also stayed for the whole morning, listening to others on steps of the room, rather than just in a chair. Dang, I wish I could have been with her and met the others, including Iddybud and Anonymoses, who also attended.

Anyway, at lunchtime, she did an interview with the Scobles, the ultimate geeks, that is finally up on the Podtech. I've read mainly positive reviews of the interview, only one or two who didn't think it was that great, but due to the technical aspects, not the content.

Then there was the fisaco with the Ladies Home Journal last week. How insipid. Elizabeth was trying to point out that her choices were different from Hillary Clinton's, mainly that children gave her the greatest joy, whereas Hillary wanted political power. Nothing wrong with either choice, but when Elizabeth saw that she was being misquoted, she called Senator Clinton to explain. Why this conversation got in the press is beyond me. But I guess Senator Clinton's aides were so eager to leak the information. As someone at BlueNC pointed out, Elizabeth learned a quick lesson on being more careful what one says, and to apologize when necessary. But I did write a LTTE at the NYT. As it didn't get printed, I can repeat what I wrote here:

Last night the AP released a story about Elizabeth Edwards calling Senator Clinton concerning some misquotes from a Ladies Home Journal luncheon for Mrs. Edwards this week. The Times chose to run the story.

I am appalled that the Times chose to publish this story and nothing else about Elizabeth Edwards' book tour, which commenced in NYC on October 2. There was no article about that event. There is no book review either even though "Saving Graces" is on the Times' best selling list for nonfiction. Her book has touched women who can relate to the loss of a child, and how Edwards persevered during a battle with breast cancer.

If this one story about a conversation between Mrs. Edwards and Senator Clinton is all that's fit to print, then the Times seems to already be showing favoritism towards Mrs. Clinton's possible run for the presidency in 2008.

Still haven't seen a book review on NYT. But the Washington Post did one last Wednesday.

Elizabeth did a midwest gig last week. In Chicago, she was eclipsed by Barack Obama's book signing, but she did an interview with WGN's John Williams and there is a podcast available (you have to dig for it, sorry). Elizabeth was also in Des Moines, as reported on the OAC blog.

Elizabeth had a good week this week in California. She met with the Silicon Valley Moms' bloggers group. They were blown away from their meeting with her. City Mama read Saving Graces before meeting with Elizabeth, and had this to say about her book:

But the most striking thing about the book is that she seems to remember every single person in her life that sustained her, supported her, helped, and inspired her along the way, through good times and bad. She remembers the names of servers, janitors, supermarket baggers, her first teachers, neighbors, friends and colleagues, and she seems to have named them all in her book. Saving Graces is part memoir and part one big, huge thank you letter. It is probably the kindest, more generous book I have ever read. In writing it, Elizabeth Edwards is teaching us all a thing or two about how to be gracious. About how to be a genuinely good person. We can all learn from the example she sets.

To read other SV Moms' reports, go here but also here to read another CJ on Spot-on blog.

Last night, she was at Univ of Washington, but haven't found a report from that event yet.

More buzz l8tr...

Tags: Elizabeth Edwards, Saving Graces, Iddybud, Anonymoses, book tour, Silicon Valley moms, Benny's World