Elaine Soloway

Elaine Soloway is the mother of Jill and Faith Soloway, and the inspiration for Shelly Pfefferman (Judith Light) on Amazon Video's Golden Globe winning series, Transparent. She is the author of four books: The Division Street Princess, She's Not The Type, Green Nails And Other Acts Of Rebellion: Life After Loss and most recently Bad Grandma and Other Chapters In A Life Lived Out Loud.

Elaine is a public relations, marketing, and tech consultant; and was previously the Director of Communications for the Chicago Public Schools and a press aide to former Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne. She currently writes The Rookie Caregiver, The Rookie Widow and The Rookie Transplant blogs.

Elaine's website is elainesolowayconsulting.com and her email is elainesoloway (at) gmail.com.

Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: Cheapskate, Environmentalist, or Chicken; Que Sera, Sera; Ink Fades, Memories Linger

The question was: "Why get a tattoo?" To me, achieving age 60 was a chance to thumb my nose at society, a don"t-give-a-damn-what-anyone-thinks time to stray from conformity. So there'll be critics; who cares? After many in my age group have endured the collapse of a long marriage, kids who grow up and leave, and loved ones who die too soon, we get our priorities straight, and a barb tossed our way is harmless. more »

Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: A New Lease, Abstinence and Driving Miss Elaine

I have made only one friend in my building. In my old neighborhood, I knew nearly every family on my block. I watched kids grow from babies to teens. In my apartment building, which is more like a dorm because of its thirty-something population, I have made only one good friend. She's the age of my daughters, and cares for me and makes me laugh just as my flesh-and-blood do. I miss owning a dog. Although my building allows pets, and there are many I can coo at, I pine for a pup. more »

Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: To Be Adored; Holiday Parties and Offended2013

"Why in the world would you want another man in your life right now (or ever)?" Why have I asked my paired-up friends to keep me in mind if they knowWhy indeed did I — now happily independent in my new downtown digs — sign up for JDate in the first place? And, why have I been spying on physically fit grey-haired men at my health club? an older single male who meets my criteria; i.e. strolls without the aid of a walker and drives at night? more »

Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: Forget Him Not, Boston and Beyond, Double Dating With My Mother

"I assume, with your record of zero and sixteen you're bowing out. No more online dating?" asked my (late) mother after, during my imaginary conversation with her, I mentioned that I might check out another dating site. "It is kind of a fun game and my ego is strong enough to take the rejections. "I'm going to check out the Gentiles. Maybe they'll be more open to an adorable grey-haired woman in her mid-seventies." "Try sixty-five and you may have a shot," she said. more »