Author Name:
Linda Presto
Book Title:
Where’s My Wine Glass?! Getting Your Kid to College Without Losing Your Mind
Website URL:
www.collegecoachingwithcare.com
Link to book page on Amazon:
amazon.com/Wheres-My-Wine-Glass-Getting/dp/1954907524
Social Media Links:
What is your book about?
Where’s My Wine Glass?! Getting Your Kid to College Without Losing Your Mind is a fun collection of essays for parents of teens considering or getting through college. Stories and anecdotes bring the reader a wealth of experience from a long-time college applications coach Presto, but also remind the reader that teenagers are strange creatures and parents are not alone in their struggles with their child who decides the Olympic swimming pool is the best deciding factor in choosing a college (and they aren’t even in a swim club) or with a teen who declares “I must go to [insert college name]!” despite not having toured, researched, or otherwise inquired about the school. If you have a teenager who might embark on this insane journey, buckle up for a crazy and (sometimes poignant) ride. Also, get this book, a glass of whatever soothes your nerves, and stock up on your favorite flavors of ice cream.
What inspired you to write your book?
I have been a college applications coach for about 15 years and have my own business coaching students (and their families) through the process and madness of getting to college today. I wanted to share my stories and my knowledge to help parents manage on their way down this sometimes-winding road. Sharing stories of my many students and my own children during their journeys adds a humanness to the experience and makes parents (and their children) feel a lot better about it.
If you have a business related to your book, tell us about it:
College Coaching with Care is a private tutoring and coaching service for students preparing for, and going through, college. I have personally worked with hundreds of students during this time and assisted them in finding their goals and a purpose for their futures.
What is a typical day like for you?
Some days are teaching days, and I might instruct two or three writing classes as an adjunct instructor at my local community college or Centenary University. When I’m not teaching, I tutor privately online and in-person in the Humanities and college prep (which I guess is still teaching). I also spend time as a literary citizen: attending and arranging readings and ways for writers to congregate and discuss the craft of writing.
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I am one of those fortunate folks who have figured out that teaching can be an extension of my writing and vice versa; I am grateful for the opportunity to do both. My teaching inspires my writing and, I believe, makes me a better writer, while also allowing me to release a lot of what I’m thinking and feeling, which keeps my writing alive.
What are some favorite books you’d recommend to our readers?
I’m teaching a poetry class this semester so top of mind I would say:
Terrance Hayes’ American Sonnets for my Past and Future Assassin is a book filled with cool, contemporary sonnets
Mary Oliver’s A Poetry Handbook discusses poetry in terms anyone can understand and contains ideas and examples that generate a lot of practice and thought about the crafting of words.
But I would be remiss, I think, if I didn’t mention this surprise contender:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman was a lovely first-person novel of a young woman with a traumatic past who discovers her past and has to figure out what her own life will be. Honeyman is a compassionate writer teaching her readers what’s it like to live in Eleanor’s shoes with kindness and a bit of humor. Fun and inspiring to read.
What advice do you have to offer our readers?
I feel like anything I say will be some bad metaphor for “get back up on the horse!” or “believe in yourself!” but I think it’s more about allowing ourselves as writers to become. It might sound hokey, but for me continuing in my craft means I never stop learning about writing or stop reading other wonderful writers.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
My partner and I travelled across the country for a month, stopping in random towns and discovering America and those who live here. We are not so very different as we think.
Also, my partner and I (well, mostly him) are rebuilding a house we purchased last year. We completely gutted the inside and redesigned the home with a vaulted ceiling and open floor plan; neither of us has prior experience with building so it’s been an adventure! Currently, the walls are framed and electric and plumbing is going in. Once we move in, I hope to chronicle my personal projects on the house, like an open closet in the foyer, tile in the bath, or stenciling as trim, and share our experiences living in a home that is less than 800 square feet. More to follow on that!
What’s next for you?
I just returned from a post-grad writing conference and had some of my writing workshopped, so I hope in the next 6 months to spend time editing that work and the many other scraps of writing that are currently filling several notebooks. I hope to spend time cutting and rewording, crafting my words to fit the emotions (and the message) I want to convey. My next book is gurgling along in my brain; I have notes but nothing I’m ready to report. Nothing fully formed just yet, but the gurgles are becoming clearer.
Did you know we host a year-round Nonfiction Book Awards program? Check it out!
