What attracted you to the This Day book series?
I’m a writer and an observer by nature and I’ve always been fascinated by why people do what they do (what was she thinking?!). I’m also enormously curious (nosy) so when Joni told me about her idea for the book project, I immediately signed on. There was no way I could say no to a project that would let me ask anyone – anyone! - what their day was like. Not only was I able to satisfy my curiosity, but it was also an absolute gift to be able to immerse myself in these women’s lives and to share their day with them.

Why are you doing Water Cooler Diaries?
We had a blast working on the first two This Day books and were thrilled at the reader response. It was tremendously satisfying to discover that other women were also captivated by the intimacy and addictive qualities of the day diaries. After turning in the second book, we were both intrigued by the idea of focusing specifically on jobs for the next book. Over the years, I’ve lived vicariously through Joni, finding out what it’s like to be a copy writer, editor, free-lancer, fiction workshop leader, mom of two little girls, and mortgage-owner. On the flip side, she’s gotten a look at university fund-raising, early retirement, writing fiction in obscurity, temp jobs, part-time work, and the occasional small-town date (some hideous and some not so much). We wondered, what is it like out there for other women in the American workplace? What really goes on in cubicle-land? Or on that search-and-rescue squad? Or down on the farm?

What’s the value of exploring a day on the job?
By collectively sharing the reality of our working lives, we satisfy our curiousity about a diversity of life paths. What is a day on the job really like for a forensic investigator, a teacher, a bounty hunter, a UPS driver, a soap star, a prison warden, a CEO…? In sharing first-person perspectives, in the moment, in each woman’s unique voice, we hope to spotlight misconceptions and stereotypes related to gender and job, to see beyond the confines of our our cubicles, virtual or otherwise, and discover points of interest and connection. And get to the heart of what it means to be a working woman today.

Why do you think people will be interested?
Because people are curious! I know I am. Who wouldn’t want a behind the scenes, fly-on-the-wall, walk in her shoes look into the nitty-gritty of a particular job? I love the idea of vicariously taking on a series of jobs, and immersing myself in a diversity of careers that I could never actually accomplish on one short lifetime. What would it be like to slide into a fire-proof suit, put a protective helmet, and strap myself into a race car? Would I go insane tightening bolts on an assembly line? Or dripping cultures into a petri dish? Do I have what it takes to ask a potential donor for $5 million to name a building? Or to chop off heads in a chicken factory? In addition to the curiosity factor, there is the chance to explore the path not taken: what would my life have been life if I had…gone to medical school? taken that court stenographer class? applied for that management training class? After all, who wouldn’t be interested in the reality of women’s working lives, whether that represents a career choice, a dream job, or just a paycheck.

Will Water Cooler Diaries be an official treatise on the state of the American workplace?
By no means (and while I didn’t have to look up ‘treatise,’ it did give me pause). The This Day books are not academic; we’re not out to prove hypotheses or debunk theories about American women. These are first-person perspectives, written in the moment by a diversity of women all on the same day. While our pool of day diarists averages approximately 500 women per book and is admitedly selected somewhat to satisfy our curiosity, we do make a concerted effort to reach out across socio-economic, geographic, cultural, and experiential boundaries. In doing so we have found that trends do emerge, themes are shared across day diaries, and an overall snapshot develops of what it means to be an American woman at that moment in time.

In focusing on the workplace in Water Cooler Diaries, we anticipate that in addition to finding out what women really do at work, we’ll get a ringside seat as these women grapple with issues of balance, pay equity, and gender roles. As for what we – collectively and as individuals - can ultimately do with that information, well, the possibilities are endless…

Are there any other questions you hope will be answered by this book?
Are we working to live or living to work? I have been obsessed with this question ever since I discovered that most Europeans take four weeks of vacation every year while most Americans barely take their allotted two weeks. Are we indispensable? Worried about job security? Incapable of unstructured down-time? Unable to afford a vacation? Allergic to hammocks? I’m hoping to find out!

Whose on the job day diary would you like to read?
On my way to work every day, I pass two figures that were chainsawed out of blocks of wood (Pig and Wolf). I wonder, does the artist chainsaw wooden creatures every day? How did she get started? I need to know. I’m also curious about emergency rescue squad members, Muzak compilers, sanitation workers, casino cocktail waitresses, record producers, belly dancers, food show hosts, charity ball organizers, pet sitters…

What job can’t you imagine doing?
Chopping off heads in a chicken factory.