My name is Susan Gregory Thomas. I have written for a living since I was 19 years old, and itÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs not an easy gig. Having said that, IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve really lucked out.
Over the course of a 24-year career in journalism and writing, I have written continuously for the countryÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs
top newspapers and magazines
, including
The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Time, Marie Claire, Glamour,
ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Philadelphia Magazine
, and others, as well as serving as an on-air contributor to
MSNBC
,ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
CBS
,
ABCÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Nightline
,
public television
,
NPR
, and others. I have written two books (
In Spite of Everything: A Memoir
, Random House, 2011;
Buy, Buy Baby: How Consumer Culture Manipulates Parents and Harms Young Minds
, Houghton Mifflin, 2007), launched the Web versions of Time Inc.ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs flagship magazines, am currently developing an original cable television series, and am active in social media and
blogging
.
I graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University , with a B.A. and the English Department Award for Critical Writing. Having lived in New York for nearly 25 years, I now live in Philadelphia with my husband and three children.
Welcome to Philadelphia! i have recently moved here too. and am looking to writeÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂæwell have stated to write a book about my own collapse of the same things with verbal abuse thrown in there (actually the main attraction). Lost my Heart, Lost my Mind it is called.
I look forward to getting your book, In Spite of it All.
Hello, Susan! Looking forward to reading your book(s) and following your new adventures in Philadelphia.
How does anyone keep it going! Thanks for the details
Susan, congratulations on what sounds like an authentic great life! I look forward to reading some of your work. Have a unique perspective on parenting myself so will follow your blog.
Good for you, Susan. My daughter was lucky enough to win a scholarship to a private all girls secondary school in Brighton, England. She wasnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt really intellectually inclined but obviously showed potential. As a single parent with her father being insolvent, there was no way I could have afforded to send her to a private school without that scholarship. It was super to see her in a school that wasnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt bursting at the seams, and now sheÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs a grown woman who is passionate, successful, and has become my guiding light.
So I am totally behind your decision, however difficult it might have been, to opt for private.
Inspiring to hear how you stuck up for yourself.
Fabulous bit on not sharing checking accounts. Having already been through Bachelor #1 who nearly bankrupted us ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàI was clueless and trusting and he had signed on to that new-fangled thing called ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂonline bill statementsÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàthru Amex long agoÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂI made it clear with Bachelor #2 that IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂll never co-mingle money or accounts again. Live and learn. ItÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs sad how exÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs who once goo-gooed over their babies quickly lose interest once theyÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂre out of the house and not involved in the day-to-day raising of those children.
Hey Susan, Such an inspiring story. I wish I had had the balls & guts to stick up for myself like you did. I am a fan.
Hello and Thank you,
Former school Teacher with burnt-out. Gave more than I had for too Long. But still in contact with former students and families. What a ride. Now a little nutts and trudging a new path.
Thank you for your sharing,
Keep up the urban farming. Hunting and gathering is becoming our future,
~ Peace ~ J.L.M. :-)
I read your article in More magazine and I just love your work! Great stuff. I havenÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt read anything as touching in a long time and when I found your article on teachers dealing with X parents, I forwarded it to some of my educator friends.
Great read, alot like Willam StyronÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Darkness Visible. We have lived parallel lives. Thank you for articulating our experience and not pulling any punches.