Announcing the Everything Is Copy Blogathon

Another blogathon! This time we’re going to be honoring the Ephron family, who have been involved in various forms of American entertainment for decades. The late Nora Ephron is the one people immediately ask about due to her body of work, which, of course, includes numerous books and essays, not to mention such classic films as Sleepless In Seattle, Heartburn, Julie and Julia, You’ve Got Mail, and When Harry Met Sally, plus not-so-good works such as Michael.

Nora isn’t the only Ephron, of course. Her parents, Henry and Phoebe, were screenwriters, authors, and playwrights. Her sisters, Delia, Amy, and Hallie, are also authors and screenwriters, and while the family has a distinctive linguistic style, they all bring their own identities and approaches to their work.

The talent keeps going; Nora’s son, Jacob Bernstein, not only writes for the New York Times, but directed an excellent film about his mother, Everything Is Copy, which can be seen on HBO Max, or Max, or whatever they’re calling themselves these days. Amy’s daughters, Anna and Maia have, among other projects, recently authored a book of baby names.

And what does the phrase, “Everything is copy,” mean? Basically, anything we see, hear, or experience is a potential story, or essay, or film, or a springboard for something else, in which we are the heroes or heroines. Phoebe often repeated this phrase to her daughters, and as time went on the Ephron girls all interpreted it differently. Nora, for one, realized some things are too thorny and personal to be copy. Still, it’s an interesting way of framing the old adage every writer hears sooner or later: “Write what you know.”

Without further ado, here are…

The Rules

1. The blogathon will take place from September 22nd until September 24th (because the immortal Kathleen Kelly and Joe Fox loved New York in the fall, natch), with a wrapup post on the 25th. Posts can be sent to me on or around those days, either by leaving me a comment, via Contact Me, via Instagram or Twitter (both @TakingUpRoom), or my e-mail address (rebeccadeniston@gmail.com)
2. New material only, please. Posts will be limited to three per person and nothing derogatory will be accepted.
3. Posts can be about anything to do with the Ephron family, whether biographical, reviews of movies, books, articles or plays, interpretations of their ideas, and so on.
4. Since none of the Ephrons have extensive filmographies or bibliographies, duplicates are fine, or possibly more if someone approaches a topic from a different angle, such as a listicle. Find Henry and Phoebe’s list of works here, Nora’s here, Delia’s here, Amy’s here, and Hallie’s here.
5. If anyone would like to join, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me via any of the other avenues listed above.
6. Grab a banner and advertise the blogathon!

The Roster

Taking Up Room: Hanging Up (2000)

The Stop Button: Silkwood (1983)

Whimsically Classic: Take Her, She’s Mine (1963)

18 Cinema Lane: You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Dubsism: Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)

Crítica Retrô: Belles On Their Toes (1952)

MovieRob: Lucky Numbers (2000), Desk Set (1957), The Jackpot (1950)

The Banners