Even if you’re James Franco, Stephen King, Andrew McCarthy—you never forget your first crush. CRUSH, edited by Cathy Alter and Dave Singleton, is a star-studded collection of essays that explore the euphoria and heartbreak surrounding that universal phenomenon. These writers and many more contribute tales of the first time they swooned over a rock star, imagined their wedding to a television character, or, miraculously, met their idol.
The crushes they reveal are eclectic and sometimes surprising, from Howard Cosell and River Phoenix to Speed Racer. Readers will identify with the sometimes whimsical, sometimes cringe-worthy moments that come from falling for the unattainable.
Featured everywhere from People Magazine and Elle to O, the Oprah Magazine, Cosmo to Vogue.com, The Millions to Refinery 29, CRUSH has charmed everyone. Swoon-worthy and unforgettable, this poignant collection of essays will leave readers laughing, make them cry, and keep them enthralled—just like their first celebrity crush.
And CRUSH is helping to open up a new dialogue about past love, love lost, love sought, and what love today means. In an interview the conversation continues with topics such as:
•Is it true that our first celebrity crushes are formative experiences in understanding how we live/love as adults?
•How far would you go to meet your celebrity crush – and would it be worth it?
•Is there such a thing as a weird or inappropriate crush?
•Bromances are nothing new – these platonic crushes have been around for year…why are we just learning about them now?
•What if you spot a certain celebrity – what DO or SHOULD you do when you happen to have a crush on him/her?
•Looking back, how do you feel about your childhood celebrity crushes as adults?
Contributors Include:
Amin Ahmad * Cathy Alter* Jessica Anya Blau * Michelle Brafman * Anna Breslaw * Jamie Brisick * Yesha Callahan * Jason Diamond * Shulem Deen * Larry Doyle * James Franco * Roxane Gay * Emily Gould Barbara Graham * Shane Harris * David Housley * Jill Kargman* David Keplinger * Caroline Kepnes * Stephen King * Richard McCann * Andrew McCarthy * Kermit Moyer * Kimberly Dawn Neumann *Carolyn Parkhurst * Jodi Picoult * Julia Pierpont * Joanna Rakoff * Hanna Rosin * Janice Shapiro * David Shields * Dave Singleton * Larry Smith * Karin Tanabe * Tony Tulathimutte * Sam Weisman * Marion Winik * Nicola Yoon
About the Editors:
Cathy Alter is a popular author and writer whose feature articles, essays, and reviews have appeared in local and national newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, TheAtlantic.com, The Huffington Post, The New York Daily News, Jezebel, Glamour, Self, McSweeney’s, Six-Word Memoir, SMITH Magazine, Urbanite, and Washington City Paper. Her book, Virgin Territory: Stories from the Road to Womanhood was released in 2004 and her memoir, Up for Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over was released in July 2008. She has appeared on television and radio programs such as The Today Show, PBS Author Author, and NPR. Cathy received a B.A. from Colgate University and a M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, where she is a faculty member and a nonfiction advisor. She lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband and son.

Dave Singleton is the author of three nonfiction books, The Mandates, Behind Every Great Woman, and the new memoir anthology CRUSH, Writers Reflect on Love, Longing and the Power of Their First Celebrity Crush. His honors include the Media Industry Award for Outstanding Exclusive Coverage, GLAAD Award for Outstanding Multimedia Journalism, and two NLGJA Excellence in Online Journalism awards. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, PBS’s Next Avenue, AARP Media, Yahoo, MSN, the BBC, Washingtonian, Harper’s Bazaar, and OUT. He’s a Caring.com columnist and teaches at The Writer’s Center in Washington, D.C. Visit his website www.davesingleton.com and follow him on Twitter @DCDaveSingleton.