Forums: Jim Beaver Board: Jim Beaver's Memoir

Hi guys ~

I hope it's okay to post about this here ... Anyhow, I wanted to let folks know that Jim Beaver's forthcoming book, "Life's That Way," is due out on April 16th. This is his memoir chronicaling his wife's tragic battle with cancer, and his subsequent journey as a single father. He drew from the daily emails through which he informed family and friends of his family's travails, and from this has drawn a true story that has already gained positive critical review.

I have not seen the book, of course, but I am a follower of his blog on MySpace, and I can tell you that this man's gift for the written word is little short of wonderful. He has a deft way of touching reader's hearts and finding the simplest truth in even the darkest of times. Anyone who's met him at conventions knows what a great guy he is. I know this book is going to be a treasure and a gift to everyone who has enjoyed Jim Beaver, the actor. Here at last is our chance to see into the heart of Jim Beaver, the man.

"Life's That Way" can be purchased through his website, here: http://www.lifesthatway.com/

Jim needs his fans to help out, so please spread the word!
Cheers ~

Erin

Hey, fellow SPN fans!

You saw my previous note about Jim Beaver's upcoming book, "Life's That Way," chronicling his beloved wife's battle with cancer, and the subsequent journey of himself and his daughter, Maddie.

FIRST! Heather and Lindsay of http://www.supportsupernatural.com/ have the OK to interview Jim Beaver about his book ... and right now they do not have enough questions! They need more questions! Bear in mind - these should be *book specific.*. All submissions should be in by 12 noon EDT, on Tuesday.

Contact Heather and Lindsay through email on their website, http://www.supportsupernatural.com/.

Let's go, kids! Make this interview a good one. We'll be helping Jim AND supporting Supernatural. Plus it's free. *G*

SECONDLY! Fans are working together to get Jim on some major talk shows, including Oprah Winfrey, Regis and Kelly, and Bonnie Hunt. With that in mind, we are starting a letter-writing campaign. As my friend Jane urges, please see the sites below for a way to send a quick, respectful, thoughtful note to Oprah and the gang encouraging them to bring Jim on the show. We can do this, folks! We just need your help! Any questions, please give me a holler!

Thank you SO much, guys!

ABC-TV (The View, Jimmy Kimmel, etc.)
http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT

20/20
147 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023

CBS EARLY SHOW:
Click on this link:
(http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml) and then choose 'contact us' all the way at the bottom of the page. Then choose 'CBS Early Show' in the pop up window.

CW Source:
cwsource@gmail.com

Ellen:
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=1

GOOD MORNING AMERICA:
http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good%20Morning%20America

Bonnie Hunt:
http://www.bonniehunt.com/show/respond/?PlugID=50

KTLA Los Angeles, the Morning Show:
http://www.ktla.com/contact_storyideas
http://www.ktla.com/contact_morningviewermail/
http://www.ktla.com/contact_entertainment

LA Times:
readers.rep@latimes.com

Live with Regis and Kelly:
http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/special/askregiskelly/#formSendTextMessage

Morning Show with Mike and Juliet:
http://www.mandjshow.com/contact/

New York Times:
news-tips@nytimes.com

NPR:
http://help.npr.org/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5670&task=ticket

Oprah:
https://www.oprah.com/ord/plugform.jsp?plugId=216

People Magazine:
editor@people.com

Rachel Ray Show
showcomments@rachaelrayshow.com

Today Show:
TODAY@nbcuni.com

USA Today:
Fred Meier, Media, Books, Marketing
fmeier@usatoday.com

Variety Magazine:
news@variety.com

Supernatural fans should buy "Life's That Way" through the Amazon link here: http://www.thewinchesterfamilybusiness.com/
All extra revenue gained through that link go to Jared Padalecki's official charity, "A Dog's Life Rescue," if you buy it through that site. Support two good causes with one throw!

Jim's book is also available through: http://www.lifesthatway.com/

Let's go, guys! Let's help our guy out. :-)

ETA:
Jim asking us to PLEASE MAKE SURE our letters to the talkshows mention his work on Supernatural and Harper's Island. (Might not hurt to throw in Deadwood, as well.) And he'd really prefer it if we make sure to keep this *thoroughly* grassroots in our wording, so that it's coming from us, and not something directed or dictated by him. Sound like a plan?

The first review for Jim's book is in!

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2009/04/jim-beavers-moving-journal-of-loss-and-survival.html

You might recognize Jim Beaver as the actor who played Whitney Ellsworth on the HBO series "Deadwood"; that was all I knew of him before I picked up "Life's That Way," his memoir that hits shelves tomorrow. I cracked it open with all the skepticism I reserve for Hollywood memoirs, figuring I could toss it aside after a few pages. That would have been a mistake.

It's not just that Beaver has a powerful story to tell. It's that he writes with a frankness, immediacy and generosity that draws in the reader. It's that voice that compelled friends who got his initial e-mails to share them (the recipient list grew to 4,000). This book is an edited selection of those e-mails, which Beaver began sending out when his family got some very bad news.

Beaver's wife, Cecily Adams, an actress and casting agent and daughter of "Get Smart's" Don Adams, had endured difficult fertility treatments before the birth of their daughter. When the strangely withdrawn toddler was diagnosed with autism, the news was devastating. But things got worse: Six weeks later, they learned that Cecily was very sick. That's when Jim began sending the e-mails, as a way to keep their circle of friends up to date without having to repeat the news: Cecily, who'd given up smoking about 20 years earlier, had Stage 4 lung cancer.

Life is, I've discovered, much harder to live when you're afraid every moment. One still persists, perseveres, plods on into the light, but there's a dull sickness in the gut pervading the journey. One fights not just the cancer, but also the fear of cancer and the myriad other fears that seek to gain strength from their alliance with it. The operative term, though, is "one fights." We fight on.

This determination and anxiety carries through the first part of the book, every step that can be taken, every hurdle that can be surmounted. He is not ceaselessly cheery; he is overtired, overburdened, and calls on friends to pray (or hum, if they don't pray). And while struggling, he often cranes to see the long view.

With all the thousands upon thousands of people suffering from this disease, how can I find her pain and mine so surprising, so unexpected? How can we not all know about this stuff on a daily basis, if so many go through it? Are we really so isolated from the trauma and torment around us? ... How can I not have known what so many people have gone through? The only answer I can conjure is that a kind Providence keeps us blind to the intensity of suffering so as to keep us sane, until that day when the suffering is our own or that of someone we love beyond imagining.

He is, by turns, entirely open and aware of maintaining some boundaries. "I would never want any of this stuff I write to seem cloying or artificial," he writes on Nov. 12. "It might be cloying, to the observer, but there's nothing artificial about it." And then, less than two weeks later: "There are fears and imaginings and speculations and even hopes that pop up uncalled for in the night that you don't even voice out loud to yourself, much less share with the world. So in the interest of full disclosure, this ain't Honest John you're dealing with."

What comes after the jump is something of a spoiler. Proceed with caution.

It doesn't take much intuition to guess, from the inside flap or a glance at the preface, that Cecily loses her fight. It is a terrifyingly rapid decline. And her death comes as a surprise, perhaps because the narrative that Beaver told in those e-mails each night was, in part, a reinforcement of his best hopes.

But his narrative continues. There is more than half the book left to go. And this is what happens. There is still a special-needs child. There is still a house. There is still his work -- he kept acting all through his wife's illness. There are other family members who need his help -- an ailing father, a sick brother-in-law. There is his abject and utter loss.

And no matter how much he may, at times, have resisted giving voice to his darkest moments, it is a clear and real expression of grief and grieving.

Like Joan Didion's "The Year of Magical Thinking," this book sticks to a year, one year of Beaver's trial and survival. But unlike Didion's -- which, while wonderful, was brittle with nervewracked intellect -- "Life's That Way" is visceral and genuinely felt, less an examination of what his experience was than an outpouring of the experience itself. If at times it is terribly sad to read, it is also cathartic.

Today I spent the bulk of the day playing catch-up with bills.... What that allowed me to do was to relive individual days of Cec's illness, purely in terms of what they charged us for those days. October 17, CT scan, $758... February 29, emergency airway inserted, $429. Dollars and pain and fear. Nothing in these papers reflected the love or generosity or bravery or any of the myriad wonderments we found in the midst of those times of suffering. No, just the suffering. And the cost. The little cost. The big cost isn't on anyone's insurance form or doctor bill. There isn't paper big enough to write the big cost on.

All through this, he writes. Each time he signs off, he includes the time: 12:58am, 3:00 a.m., 12:49 a.m., 2:27 a.m., 11:53 a.m., 1:26 a.m. Working, worrying, caretaking, he steps away into the dark and writes. If this is a testament to human survival -- which it is -- it is also a testament to the power of connection, to what it means to translate emotions and experience into words and then send them out in the dark.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

I'm popping by with another request from Jim, which he has posted on his Facebook page:

Jim says: "A note from my agent reminds me to ask everyone who reads Life's That Way to post a review on Amazon.com. Apparently those reviews really do help sell a book. (The good reviews, I guess. ;-) Thanks from the guy in the ill-fitting salesman suit."

So, even if you bought your book somewhere else, PLEASE drop by Amazon and leave a few lines there for his book. It would be a terrific and simple way to help. Thanks, guys! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin

Please, folks, if you're reading Jim's book, do leave a review on Amazon! There are only 8 (!!!) customer reviews, and I know more than 8 people are reading it. (Which I'm still in the process of reading, or mine would be up there.)

The feedback from readers DOES count and his publishers do notice! So please, even if you bought the book through some other outlet, pop by Amazon and leave a review. If you know of any other book review sites, please consider copy/pasting your review there, as well.

It would be a great help, and Jim himself has asked this favor. Thanks, guys!

Cheers ~

Erin

Hey all ~

Jim Beaver is signing "Life's That Way" at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Even if you don't live in California, PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Let's keep the news going and the good deeds flowing.

~ Erin

BOOK REPORT FROM JIM! This on his Facebook:

We had a great signing for LIFE'S THAT WAY at Book Soup in Hollywood last night. A big thanks to everyone who turned out. The store nearly sold out of books. A few more people and they would have!

The first sales numbers are in and they could be better, at least in terms of keeping the publisher interested in promoting and printing the book. So if you haven't bought your copy yet, or the gift copies you were planning on, PLEASE do so now if you can. The first few weeks of a book's publication make all the difference in whether that book gets the support from the publisher to make it a success.

And when you've read the book, PLEASE post a review on Amazon.com. That will be an enormous help.

Thanks to everyone who's been so helpful in spreading the word. I'm the world's least comfortable salesman, but this is a once in a lifetime happening for me, so I'm stretching my comfort zone. :-)

If there's someone you've been meaning to tell about LIFE'S THAT WAY, please do so now. And send them to my website, www.lifesthatway.com.

I'll be at the Newport Beach Film Festival tomorrow, hosting a screening of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and dropping by (unofficially, unscheduled) at the Barnes & Noble nearby in the same Fashion Island mall. I hope to run into some of you.

And Sunday morning, I'll be at the Book Soup booth at the L.A. Times Festival of Books at UCLA (in front of Royce Hall) at 11:30 to sign LIFE'S THAT WAY. If you haven't been to the Times Festival before, you should come. It's a terrific event, and I'm very excited to be there.

As to signings in other cities, nothing is planned for the moment. I'm still hopeful, but the publisher really needs to see enough sales to justify the expense of a nationwide tour. So don't wait for a signing to buy your book!

And finally, anyone with innovative ideas about getting the word out about the book during this critical period, please let me know. I'm delighted to hear from you!

Thanks. Everyone has been so supportive, and I'm very touched. Keep it up, gang.

All the best,

Jim

I honestly don't know if anyone reads this thread. I know this fandom sees lots of appeals for a bazillion worthy causes, and it's easy to become a little jaded to it all. We live busy lives, we've pressing things to do, and it's hard to take the extra time, even when we want to.

But Jim's memoir, "Life's That Way," bears special meaning to me, as a cancer survivor, and I'm asking people to please lend a moment of your time. Now, I know everyone who's read this book has told their friends and urged other people to read. Lots of people have done their bit to help promote the book. It's awesome, it's wonderful, and Jim loves us for it, but the fact is, he needs us to go just that little extra mile.

I'm nobody important, but along with other fans, I've been doing what little I can to help with promotions. He's aware of us out here kicking up dust on his behalf, and I can promise you, he's blown away. What we really need to do is keep it up. Reviews have been awesome - but there could be more. Sales have been okay ... but need to get a lot, lot better.

That's where it's up to us, his fans, to really put our shoulders to the wheel. Therefore, I'm asking folks to please help out some more. Jim is aware of and approves of our efforts! So, here's some things we can do. Nobody has to do them all! But if you just do what you can, it makes a difference.

1.) No matter where you bought Jim's book, PLEASE leave a good review on Amazon.com. His publishers sees those, and they do matter! Urge everyone you know who's read to do the same.

2.) If you live in or near a big city, ask your major newspaper(s) to consider a book review. If they permit reader input, send in your own. This is a new idea from Jim himself! Let's see what we can do.

3.) Write to your favorite talk show(s) and ask them to consider having Jim as a guest on their show. No need to write ALL of them - just pick two or three of your faves. All I did was write a one-size-fits-all letter, then copy/paste and edit to suit. *G* (There are a couple sites whose contact forms only permit like 500 characters, so think of it as a thumbnail appeal.)

Here are some to choose from:

ABC-TV (The View, Jimmy Kimmel, etc.)
http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT

ABC NEWS: To submit a story idea, write a single page letter including your name, phone number, and address. Include photocopies of backup information. (In this case, maybe just a photocopy of the book cover image.) On the outside of the envelope, write "Story Idea." If a producer is interested in your story, he/she will contact you:
20/20
147 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10023

CBS EARLY SHOW:
Click on this link:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/earlyshow/main500202.shtml and then choose 'contact us' all the way at the bottom of the page. Then choose 'CBS Early Show' in the pop up window.

CW Source:
cwsource@gmail.com

Ellen:
http://ellen.warnerbros.com/show/respond/?PlugID=1

GOOD MORNING AMERICA:
http://abcnews.go.com/Site/page?id=3271346&cat=Good%20Morning%20America

Bonnie Hunt:
http://www.bonniehunt.com/show/respond/?PlugID=50

KTLA Los Angeles, the Morning Show:
http://www.ktla.com/contact_storyideas
http://www.ktla.com/contact_morningviewermail/
http://www.ktla.com/contact_entertainment

LA Times:
readers.rep@latimes.com

Live with Regis and Kelly:
http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/special/askregiskelly/#formSendTextMessage

Morning Show with Mike and Juliet:
http://www.mandjshow.com/contact/

New York Times:
news-tips@nytimes.com

NPR:
http://help.npr.org/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=5670&task=ticket

Oprah:
https://www.oprah.com/ord/plugform.jsp?plugId=216

People Magazine:
editor@people.com

Rachel Ray Show
showcomments@rachaelrayshow.com

Today Show:
TODAY@nbcuni.com

USA Today:
Fred Meier, Media, Books, Marketing
fmeier@usatoday.com

Variety Magazine:
news@variety.com

Please, if you can help in any way, do. It's something we can do for a wonderful guy who has been nothing but lovely to his fans. Surely we can spare 30 minutes or an hour from our lives, to compose a letter or write a review, and send it with the press of a couple buttons.

Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,

Erin

Howdy, fellow Supernatural fans!

You guys know that I'm big on promoting Jim Beaver's memoir, "Life's That Way." Initially I did it as a cancer survivor and because Jim's a good guy, but having read it, it's become something deeply personal, for me. And really, I've seen so many others likewise moved, there's no telling how wide the ripples have flowed from the simple act of people sharing with others how LTW has touched them. That's making a difference, guys. For goodness' sake, this book has earned 4 out of 4 stars in People Magazine, and it's on the Boston Globe's "Books to Read this Summer" list! w00t!

But it deserves an appearance on a greater stage, and this is where I'm asking you wonderful folks for help, once more. With my friend, Jane, we've gathered info for another grassroots effort by fans, and that is a BIG push to get this book noticed on The Oprah Winfrey Show. How do we do that? As Jane posted:

At Oprah.com, there's a message board community. They have some strict rules about no outside URLs or advertising, per se, but it strikes me that some fans of the book might be able to get a conversation going in the Oprah community that might translate into some attention by the show itself. And in any event, it might generate some interest in the book.

You have to register with Oprah.com to post messages in the boards, but that's pretty simple.

To find the boards, I think this link will work directly. http://www.oprah.com/community/community/tows/talkabout;jsessionid=ac11087830d68c4198927fe34505b4cdeddf49ea22bd.e38LaxmSb3qRe34NaxeKaN8La3z0 If it doesn't, then just go to Oprah.com and click the Community link at the top right.

- So, that's the deal. Jane has started a discussion thread, here: http://www.oprah.com/community/thread/111509 But feel free to start your own!

If those who have read "Life's That Way" can get some discussion going, if we can share our thoughts and personal stories, we have the power to move others and maybe make something wonderful happen. Y'all have done awesome at this, so far. Will you take just a little more time to offer your thoughts, share your review, speak a few words from the heart? It would mean a lot to me, and I know Jim would be pretty tickled, too. ;-)

Thanks, everyone, and please, RE-POST! :-)
Cheers ~

Erin