AMES, Iowa -- Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal columnist and the coauthor of the international best seller, "The Last Lecture," has written a new book about the lifelong friendships among 11 women from Ames. He will introduce his book and the women who inspired it at a presentation at Iowa State University. "The Girls from Ames" will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. It is free and open to the public.
Zaslow used scrapbooks, diaries and interviews to uncover the story of the ordinary girls who grew up together in Ames and built an extraordinary 40-year friendship. The book illustrates how close female relationships can shape every aspect of women's lives and carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, and illness and death. A moving tribute to female friendships, the book captures a lifetime of memories in common.
Ten of the 11 friends are returning to Ames to attend Zaslow's presentation at Iowa State.
Since 2001, Zaslow has written "Moving On," the Wall Street Journal column about life's transitions. He previously wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times from 1987-2001. From 1994-2002, he also wrote a column for USA Weekend, the Sunday supplement in 550 newspapers.
In 2000, Zaslow received the Will Rogers Humanitarian Award, given to a newspaper columnist who exemplifies the ideals and public service work of the noted humorist and columnist. In 2003 and 2005, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists named Zaslow's Wall Street Journal column the best general interest column among newspapers with more than 100,000 circulation. In 2008, he received the Distinguished Column Writing Award from the New York Newspaper Publishers Association.
Zaslow's TV appearances have included "Oprah," "Larry King Live," "60 Minutes," "The Today Show" and "Good Morning America."
Zaslow is a 1980 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, where he majored in creative writing.
The lecture is cosponsored by the Ames Public Library and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Student Body.
