What is Anna Mitchael reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Anna Mitchael, author of Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am, a memoir that details her twentysomething experience living and working in cities across the country.

Her entry begins:

The real answer to your question? Right now I read lots of things I’d rather not spend so much of my time examining…like ingredient lists on the back of oatmeal boxes to make sure there’s no MSG (or other chemicals and additives I shouldn’t eat while pregnant) included, and pregnancy books with long, exaggerated lists of ALL THE THINGS THAT COULD GO WRONG IN PREGNANCY – SO BE PREPARED, and it also seems like every time I am in a public restroom I find myself reading the ‘It’s advised not to drink while you are pregnant’ sign for the eight bajillionth time.

Yeah, I already got that memo but thanks for reminding me of it a-gain. And come to think of it, the reason I feel like taking this sign off the wall and ripping it to shreds could be due to the fact that I haven’t had a glass of wine in eight months. ‘Attention restaurant patrons, if everyone could just ignore the pregnant lady in the bathroom who’s relieving stress in the only way that’s left to her and continue with your meal it would be much appreciated.’ (Let’s face it, once your unhealthy additives, caffeine and alcohol are gone – all you’re really left with is destruction of property).

The other real answer to your question is that in between my sign-shredding, and time spent promoting my new book, Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am, I’ve been stealing minutes here and there to read Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. Yes, I know...[read on]

Among the early praise for Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am:

“Worlds away from her small-town roots, Anna Mitchael spent most of her twenties pretending she wasn’t from the South. In this engaging memoir, a reluctant belle finds peace in her past and reminds all of us that it’s not only okay to bloom where you’re planted, but sometimes it’s the very best decision you can make.”
—Celia Rivenbark, author of Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny With A Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits

“Mitchael’s twentysomething survival story will strike a nerve with young women who can’t wait to ditch their home states and parents’ values, along with their pastel sweaters, in favor of the black uniform of big city life. She encounters inevitable heartbreaks and hilarious awkward moments, but her progress toward self-acceptance is at the heart of her tale. Her analysis of “cohabitation crime” is not to be missed! Patient parents and grandmothers can take heart that their wisdom is not perpetually ignored.”
—Prudence Mackintosh, Texas grandmother and author of the Sneaker trilogy: Thundering Sneakers, Retreads, and Sneaking Out

A reformed nomad, Anna Mitchael has now returned home to Texas. She will tolerate y’all but reserves the right to raise hell when anyone calls her ma’am. You can read the daily chronicles of her life (with a side of extra-spicy jalapenos, please) at her website and blog.

Writers Read: Anna Mitchael.

--Marshal Zeringue