Growing up in white-bread Omaha, Nebraska, Rachel Shukert was one of thirty-seven students (circa 1990) in Nebraska’s only Jewish elementary school. She spent her days dreaming of a fantasy Aryan boyfriend named Chris McPresbyterian, a tall blond god whose family spoke softly in public and did not inquire after his bowel movements. She spent her nights frantically plastering her bedroom with pictures of intimidating co-religionists such as Henry Kissinger and Bette Midler, hoping to repel the Gestapo officers she was certain were lurking behind the drywall. Even back then, Rachel knew she was destined for greatness. After winning the Omaha Metropolitan Area Theater Arts Guild Award for Best Youth Actress–and imagining herself as the biggest talent to come out of Nebraska since Montgomery Clift–Rachel finally arrives in Manhattan. Intent on making her mark in the glittering world of Show Biz, she isthwarted at every turn by episodes of anorexia, verbally abusive sock puppets, and a certain terrorist attack you may have heard of. She nevertheless soldiers on, as her people have done from time immemorial. In this hilarious, mordant, and moving memoir, Rachel Shukert tackles topics as diverse and weighty as life, death, love, Jewish paranoia, and errant feminine hygiene products with a fresh and irresistible mixture of humor, brains, and candor, proving that having no shame can sometimes be a very good thing indeed.

Jack the Ripper. The name strikes fear into the hearts of those living in Victorian London. Preying on innocent women, the mysterious murderer slinks along the cobblestoned streets undetected and disappears without a trace into the night. Diana Ashdown. Beautiful and adventurous, she never wanted to be married off and trapped in a marriage she didn’t choose. She longs to see the world and write about it, but in 1888, her opportunities to become a journalist are limited. Living in a lavish, gloomy home and married to the handsome, but cruel and coldly distant Lucian Ashdown, the Marquess of Aberaeron, Diana’s only job as a wife is to care for the children from the marquess' first marriage. But a chance encounter pulls her into the drama surrounding the murders in Whitechapel, and her investigative skills are put to use as she helps to unravel the deadly mysteries surrounding the Ripper. It isn’t long before Diana finds herself in the middle of the nightmare, with her own life on the line. As the murders continue and London is stirred into a panic, Diana realizes that the killer might be living closer than she’d ever imagined…even under the same roof. As she fights to save herself and London, Diana will encounter love, heartache, family, and blood. Lots and lots of blood.

I was the 6th-grade "slut." And I kept a diary. So I decided to create The UnSlut Project in the hopes that my own diary entries could provide some perspective to girls who currently feel trapped and ashamed. I am publishing these entries one at a time, without changing a single word except for the names of the people involved. My limited commentary, which is confined to brackets in each entry, is meant to provide the relief of my current perspective, fifteen years later. The UnSlut Project: Working to undo the dangerous slut shaming in our schools, communities, media, and culture by sharing knowledge and experiences.

Eleanor Wellesley has lived with her father's neglect and indifference all her life. When Sir Edward Wellesley is killed in a card game, Eleanor discovers he has left her destitute, and at the mercy of an evil man.

A short story about a nine year old movie star who dreams of living a normal life: away from the lights, the cameras, and the celebrity drama that seems to accompany her where ever she goes.