If you have ever wondered what goes on behind closed penthouse doors on Park Avenue, you must pick up a copy of The Manny
Unlike some of the characters in her book, Holly is not just another Park Avenue mom with endless days of lunching and shopping, she was a Producer at ABC News for ten years where she won an Emmy Award for Best coverage of a Single Breaking News Story and a Press Club Award for Diplomatic Correspondence. She then wrote for Tina Brown’s Talk magazine for three years as an Editor at Large and is currently a Contributing Editor at Newsweek magazine.
In between her busy schedule, I caught up with Holly this weekend and asked her to share some of her favorite memories with Bag Snob readers:
Favorite childhood memory: Sneaking downstairs on Christmas Eve and watching my parents wrapping all the presents and pretending to be surprised the next day.
Greatest Accomplishment: Playing a full game of Monsters Inc. Version of Sorry with my five year old, being sent back to the beginning dozens of times so I have to start over, and not having a nervous breakdown.
Most Memorable Experience as ABC News producer: Telling the Executive Producer of the show that I was four months pregnant with my first child. Saying how much I just knew that nothing was going to change and I wanted to be treated the same and to continue producing all the important breaking news stories, and trying to act all mature and clinical. Then I burst into tears and maybe she wasn’t convinced.
Inspiration for the Manny: I have always hired male babysitters for part time work in the summers or after school. I thought the term “the manny” was so funny that I could wrap a whole book around it.
Style Icon: Aerin Lauder. She is the Babe Paley of my generation. I see her at nursery school pick up and marvel at her style. Then I go home, put on cool jeans, a medium good sweater, and my sheep skin slip on merrill’s sneakers and say to myself, “Aerin would never wear these.”
Flats or Heels: If I am in the mood to make my thighs look half descent: heels. If I don’t care: flats.
Favorite Bag: My Gucci snakeskin huge shoulder bag with a bit.
Biggest fashion mistake (other than the flaccid birkin): Sheepskin Merrill’s sneakers with the Gucci snakeskin bag. Another favorite is my Dr. Scholl’s with strawberries painted on the wood sole with that Gucci bag. The Park Avenue girls move to the other side of the street when I do that.
Dream Bag: Snakeskin, python anything. It goes with everything (except sheepskin slip on merrill’s and Dr. Scholls)
What’s in your bag: mints, contact rewetting solution from 1990, dried up mascara, an eye pencil I use as my pen, 40 bank deposit and withdrawl receipts that I hope some year to make sure show up on an actual statement, nail file from 1983, advil from 1984, a tampon without the wrapper that has half way blown up…just in case I ever am really really desperate, a wallet bursting with receipts, change, credit cards, and $3.
Featured on the cover of Amazon.com
You must also check out this hysterical rap video about “The Manny” produced by Holly’s cousin with appearances from some of New York’s most well known social girls.
That is really funny. I think I recognize some of the girls from Vogue and the social pages! I just ordered the book, can’t wait to read it.
Thanks for the heads up. It sounds hilarious, and Holly appears to be as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I’ll get this book read before next month’s onslaught of HP.
I saw this in the NY times this weekend and it seemed interesting.. thanks for reminding me that I need to pick up a copy!
Holly sounds hilarious, the birkin article was cute, and I’m going to order the book. I didn’t really think the video was funny though…
i need to buy that book, sounds funny
luv
x0x0
Su
My favorite part was the Manny
Why didn’t he get more screen time?!
That HOT manny should have gotten more screen time instead of those obnoxious girls with hair extensions.
Holly seems so much smarter and beyond those girls,,,,
I cannot wait to pick up this book! It sounds exactly what I’ll need to be reading on my summer travels, Hardback be damned!
As for her flaccid Birkin, I can see myself making that same mistake, (sigh) too bad she didn’t ask Tina and Kelly first!
Like I always do, xoxo Tina!
good to see karen duffy, have not seen her in ages. she looks well. the book sounds fun, male nannies make perfect sense to me for adolescent boys whose fathers are not always around.
You are so cute Melanie. And yes, YOU always. get. the. memo.
I’ll make sure Holly gets it from now on too
You’re going to love the book, having all those kids and a husband that travels often, a manny is the perfect answer! haha
xoxo
As I read the article in office I struggled not to laugh out loud! OK, I am promptly getting on Amazon and getting the book.
It makes sense to me too.
Can’t wait to read it. My brother in law was a male nanny during college for an aristocratic family in Europe and he’d take the kids skiing, play sports, etc. They still ask him to go on trips with them even though he’s married with his own children!
The Kennedy family had a male nanny for every sport. There was a football manny, a soccer manny, a tennis manny, and so on.
But they called them Governors. haha
I ordered The Manny from amazon.uk, so I could read it faster this summer! (I live in Japan, but am going to the UK next week) We are taking our kids on a Disney cruise, and I now have the perfect antidote to Mickey and friends!
IF I can wait that long!!!!!
I’ve read the book. it’s below average. weak at the end. but an eyeopener on Park Avenue women, that does have the ring of truth!
I am surprised you’d say that, I just read it and I think it is fast paced and fun to read. I actually like the ending, it leaves much to the imagination, like the old Hollywood movies.
very good book … want to recommend to all those interested in this issue
Holly! I went to Brearley with you- email me!
I picked the book up on a whim and I’m so glad I did. I meant to read it during my work outs, but I could not concentrate on a good cardio while reading this because it’s that good.
The video is hilarious!!!
very good … want to recommend to all those interested in this issue