By Ann Levin, AP Book Review
Book Review: "Heather, The Totality" (Little, Brown and Co.), by Matthew Weiner
At 134 pages, Matthew Weiner's "Heather, The Totality" is best consumed in one bite like those exquisite pastries that line the cases of the French bakery/cafes on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The kind of people who patronize those tony joints, especially for Sunday brunch and often with their private-schooled kids in tow, take center stage in Weiner's suspenseful debut novel.
Best known as the creator of "Mad Men" and a writer on "The Sopranos," Weiner writes with maximum economy. The book practically reads like a screenplay, down to its eccentric capitalization. Characters are sketched in quickly, with just the right amount of detail to delineate a type.
Mark and Karen Breakstone would appear to be among society's winners. He has a job in finance, earning enough so she can be a Manhattan-style, stay-at-home mom. Although they don't have a child until relatively late in life, when they do, Heather, the namesake of the book, becomes their totality.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hudson River, Bobby Klasky is growing up with a heroin-addicted mother whose lowlife boyfriends like to wake him up in the middle of the night to use him as "a punching bag or a parlor trick." By the time he's old enough to join a construction crew renovating the Breakstones' apartment building, he's done time for assault and committed far worse crimes.
By then, Heather has matured into a beautiful, idealistic and rebellious teenager; Bobby has become obsessed with her; and mild-mannered Mark senses danger. Needless to say, the two men are headed for a showdown, and the ending, which is shocking, violent and morally ambiguous, comes swiftly.
Describing the inspiration for the book, Weiner wrote, "I walked past this beautiful schoolgirl going into a building under construction, and I saw a man working there stare at her with threatening intensity. I don't have any daughters, but what I wrote down was, 'What if her father saw that?'"
"Heather, The Totality" is his answer. Beyond its chilling portrait of America's social and economic divide, the novel raises a number of thorny questions: whether a "good" man could be a killer. Whether a "bad" man might be transfigured. How everyone, rich and poor alike, is complicit in their fate and trapped in their delusions. And how no one ever gets off scot-free.
Mike Pierantozzi joins Movers+Shakers as exec creative director
Creative agency Movers+Shakers has appointed Mike Pierantozzi as executive creative director. In this new role, he will help guide the creative direction of Movers+Shakers’ socially-native campaigns. Pierantozzi will report to co-founder and chief creative officer Geoffrey Goldberg.
With nearly two decades of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and multi-platform storyteller, Pierantozzi brings a wealth of knowledge from his work with major brands including Kraft, Unilever, IBM, and Walmart. He has led the creation of award-winning campaigns for agencies like Red Tettemer, Ogilvy, The Brooklyn Brothers, TAXI, Saatchi & Saatchi, and most recently, Vayner, where he spearheaded culturally iconic work for Planters including “Death of Mr. Peanut.” He led the National Down Syndrome Society and Luvs account, whose “First Kid. Second Kid” campaign was awarded by the Effies, ADC, Clios and LIAs.
Outside of the office, Pierantozzi practices what he teaches brands. He’s gone viral multiple times on his own TikTok account, featuring comedic interactions with his son and a trombone. He’s accumulated 15K followers on TikTok.
“Mike brings a rare and awesome combination of deep social and platform experience, a keen eye for excellent storytelling, and a humble and kind approach to leadership,” said Goldberg. “Mike’s got a knack for turning brand stories into cultural movements, making him the perfect fit for Movers+Shakers. He’s got the kind of bold vision and attention to culture that fits perfectly with our mission to push creative boundaries and drive industry firsts. Plus, as a creator himself he has the innate ability to make people stop, laugh, and share--which is exactly what we’re about.”
“I’ve... Read More