A Conversation with Julie Klam

I met Julie Klam on Twitter. I don't even remember when, or how, but I had no idea at the time that she was a writer, let alone a recently published first-time author. It wasn't until after weeks of tweets zinging back and forth that I clued in to Klam's status -- and begged her to send me a copy of her memoir, "Please Excuse My Daughter."

Of course, then I panicked. What if this unknown blonde glamazon with whom I'd never even spoken on the telephone turned out to be a supremely untalented writer? Since we'd "met" on Twitter, we had several friends in common -- some of whom I do know "IRL" (In Real Life). What would I tell them if I hated Julie's book?

We'll never know, because I loved it -- absolutely loved it. Klam is very, very funny, as befits someone who won an Emmy nomination for her writing on VH1's "Pop-Up Video" show -- but she's also thoughtful, unpredictable, loyal to a fault, and fiercely proud of those nearest and dearest to her. If she were simply funny, her book would be worth reading. But since she's also all of those other things, her book is worthwhile reading. Klam may not have been prepared for life when she was young, but now? She's ready for anything.