European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 22, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Men Are hardly in the fold of Romance by Robert Kerr Memphis commercial appear Prah and Phil thought they had told us everything it has Ever Cost men for keeping their feelings bottled up inside v the resulting loss of intimacy stunted emotional growth and marital conflict have All been More than Well documented. But what men done to know is that All those repressed feelings have shut them out of one of the richest markets in the publishing Industry. A men can do the plot the conflict the characters. But its the emotion behind it All where they have trouble Quot said Brenda Chin an editor with harlequin the worlds largest publisher of Romance novels. Romance novels account for almost half of All. Mass Market paperback sales. Harlequin alone soils More than 200 million books a year which comes to something like six Book sales second. But no matter who the publisher is virtually All Romance novels Are written by women. Quot probably fewer than than 10 out of 2,000 to 4,000 Romance writers Are men a said Harold Lowry author of 11 historical romances including Rose Fern and the upcoming Iris Lowry a former music teacher from Charlotte n.c., writes under the pen name Leigh Greenwood something his first publisher requested to enhance sales. Romance novel buyers Are mostly women and sceptical that a male author is Worth their Money. The reasons Why Are reflected in comments from Romance readers gathered at recent Book signings for several authors in Memphis Tenn. Quot men Are cold. They Don t want people to know their feelings Quot said Kathy Williams Quot i think there is something women know that men done to. Women Are More in touch with their feelings a agreed Alene Darnell. Quot especially in the South men Are taught not to feel. Its the Good old boy thing Quot added Laura Austin. A a a a a a -. And from Lynn Ralph Quot women get Down to the nitty Gritty. Most men keep it despite All that Lowry contends imagination is More important than gender. He notes for example that he published seven novels set in the american West before he Ever visited there. A Romance is perceived As a woman a genre especially by the readers. But 1 have always maintained the women writers feel free to describe How men feel so Why can�?Tt/1 describe How women feel Quot said Lowry whose wife got him started Reading romances and then dared him to try to write one. Lowry believes More men could write Romance novels if they tried. Quot however riot Many seem to be trying says Wendy Mccurdy a senior editor of commercial women a fiction with Bantam. Quot men Are just not writing Romance novels. Of All the submissions i Sec Only a tiny fraction would be by men. But on the other hand it probably does no to come naturally to them. And if they did try to Force it because the genre is making Money it would come off forced and formulaic. It be coming out of their she said that even when male copy writers at ban Tarn try to write the cover copy that summarizes Romance novels they invariably miss the Point of the Story. Quot i have noticed that Over and Over and Over. They just Haven to got a clue As to what the Hooks and the buzzwords Are a said Mccurdy. Mary Hussey an editor with Silhouette said male writers concentrate More on action than Romance even in bedroom scenes. Quot the submissions i get from men tend to focus on the physicality of the lovemaking. It May be sexy but its not sensual. Men think sexy is sexy but its not All the same Quot to women readers. Comedian and author Jerry Seinfeld is big on televisions Seinfeld but not bookstores. A baby Elaine Viets St. Louis Post dispatch. Erry Seinfeld loves bookstores. He said so in his Book Sein language. A i still can to believe this Book is in a Bookstore a he wrote on Page 1. A i love bookstores. A Bookstore is one of the Only pieces of physical evidence we have that people Are still so you would think when a Bookstore in St Louis asked him to Stop by for a signing head love it. Hell be in town anyway. He sat the Fox theatre june 10 and 11. Wrong. I talked with his a people a Jonas Public relations in Beverly Hills. The response is a a there a no Chance he will do the signing at the Jerry people Stop by your place All the time on your show can to you drop by and see us for once we be asked nicely. We be begged. Heck we be Grove led. A some 1,200 people have signed a petition to get Jerry Seinfeld to the Library Ltd. Bookstore. That a More than the whole population of Wibaux county which is in Montana which is nowhere near Missouri. But you get the Point. Lots of people Are begging you Jerry to show up for a few minutes at a place you say you love. How can you turn them Down especially after what people wrote in the Quot Why he should visit us part on the petition a because Kramer could t come a Fritz g. A we paid ungodly amounts of Money to see him in concert a Heather m. A because i can to afford a ticket to the show a Georgia h. Those ticket prices seem to be a sore subject Jerry. Did you know they re $36 and $51? believe me the petitions Are loaded with Praise. Look Here a a he a really Cool amp hot a Luke w. A i want to Bear his children Quot a Alicia. A i have borne his children a Janet. A a we love him a a Valerie and Paul. They love you Jerry. As much As you love bookstores. And if you want love you should see How the Bookstore staff feels about you. They re wearing a we want Jerry ribbons while they sell your a autographed books. It i heard one staffer take any classes on thursday nights so As not to miss your show. Nobody could Tell me exactly who this person was but its a Beautiful thought. This Seinfeld signing did no to Start As some big . Stunt even if it is now. Getting you there was actually the idea of one bookseller Lori Lammert. You should hear what Sweet shy Lori said when i asked her. Lori what will you do if Jerry Seinfeld does no to show up Ayou know what Lori said a a we la go after Howard stern.�?�. Page 24 sunday May 22. 1994
