April 22, 2004

Almaden's Erma Bombeck
Author shares “Caffeinated Ponderings on Life, Laughter and Lattes” in new book

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

Dubbed by those who read her columns as the “fresh perked gal who put the froth in funny,” Almaden's Shana McLean Moore has landed on the literary map with the release of her first book, “Caffeinated Ponderings on Life, Laughter and Lattes.”

Raised in Los Altos, the former Los Gatos High School Spanish teacher decided that after eight years of juggling a teaching career with the needs of her growing family, it was time to heed a new calling. The path she took was inspired innocently enough by her annual tongue-in-cheek Christmas letters, which unlike their typically long and often monotone counterparts, left friends and family begging for more.

She is certainly no stranger to writing, having won her first contest while in fourth grade, with a Mother's Day entry that landed them in the local pet parade as its grand marshals, followed by a pancake breakfast in their honor and a trip to Tahoe for the weekend. “I think that really gave me the bug right there and then,” she claims.

More recently, her work has been published in The San Jose Mercury News, The Almaden Times and several online publications, including Parenthood, Sanity Central and Silicon Mom.

Her witty and lighthearted literary style parallels that of the late Erma Bombeck—the queen of homespun philosophy. And like Bombeck, she has found a palatable way to use her daily observations of career-driven, multi-tasking, human shortcomings to blend a little humor into a stress-filled world. “At first I thought no one was writing like that and someone needed to fill the spot she left,” says Moore, who admits she was both intimidated and inspired after attending the Erma Bombeck Writer's Conference two years ago. “I found out there are many, many more people trying to do that!”

In an effort to pursue the popular “slice of life” style of writing, Moore sought out a perspective that would make her writing more unique. “It occurred to me that I mentioned coffee in several of my pieces,” she explains, admitting that her most creative moments always follow a latte. “I was standing in line at Starbucks with 10 other people who looked a lot like me, so I thought I might as well tip my bartender and write it at that angle.” Her dream now is to see her books sold in the trendy coffee establishments around the country.

Enticing chapter heads, from “Marital Mishaps: I don't remember ordering a drip” and “The Perils of Parenting: The add a shot years” to “The Plight of an Aging Bean: Pick me before I'm compost” shed new light on everything from the shark-like threat of a husband's “freshly shined” female co-worker to being reminded at a concert that you could in fact be Enrique Iglesais' mother.

“I had a few things to say about my poor husband—some that I never wrote about and still may,” she jokes, but she admits most of her material comes from her kids. “I always feel a little guilty about my kids. They wanted to start reading the book when it came out and I thought no , I couldn't let them do that. People will know they have a blankey—and that they still like it and they'll never forgive me.”

Moore doesn't mind using her own failings as humorous anecdotes either, and details an incident where she burned her neck with a curling iron, only to have friends question whether it was instead a trip down memory lane to the backseat of her parents “steamy-windowed van.”

Admittedly, she says that many of the ideas for her columns can be traced to the blacktop at Los Alamitos Elementary School, where moms meet daily to discuss everything from double-digit pant sizes to possessing enough training in domestic peacekeeping to secure federal employment.

“My experiences are the same as everyone else's,” she exclaims. “I'm on the blacktop every day, but my mind must work a little differently. People always seem to laugh at the way I express the same things they're going through.”

“Shana Moore writes with energy and originality about the curious things in a mom's life that makes one think, ‘Why is it that...?'” says Almaden resident and editor of the Siliconmom.com Web site Alison van Diggelen. “Whether she is writing about Super Bras or envying the neighbor's lawn, she'll tickle your funny bone.”

“Why is it that…Shana Moore is such a funny writer?” asks Doug Powers, columnist for the World Net Daily. “Maybe it's because she takes human foibles, habits and complexities, and makes sense of them while at the same time being incredibly entertaining.”

Indeed, Moore's whimsical yarns will delight readers who have a propensity to overindulge in caffeine, wonder why more men don't sue Victoria's Secret, or question why the Jones' grass is always one shade greener than our own. “Caffeinated Ponderings” is a perfect companion to a warm and savory brew, packed with enough foam to tickle the memories of life's most embarrassing moments.

Shana Moore will appear at Almaden Roasting Company on April 29 from 7 to 9 p.m., where she will read and sign copies of her new book. Dessert will be provided at the “buy your own coffee” event, which is open to the public.

A second book signing and school fund-raising event will be held at Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Almaden Expressway May 19. For more information, call Mike Koller at 979-0613.

Moore also publishes a monthly online newsletter called Fresh Brew. Free subscriptions are available by logging on to www.caffeinatedponderings.com