July 22, 2026 YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY

 

Who remembers the ABC Afterschool Special? I absolutely loved it--ESPECIALLY- the 1979 episode starring Rex Smith called Sooner or Later. Denise Miller played Jessie, a love sick teenager who tries to meet and attract, Michael (Rex Smith) an aspiring musician, who teaches guitar lessons.  After watching it--I became completely OBSESSED with him. Posters from Teen Beat Magazine adorned my walls as I fantasized about meeting Rex AND BELIEVING--much like the show--that if he just met ME............This obsession lingered as I remember going to see him on Broadway in Pirates of Penzance--again dreaming we would meet....Crazy.  My heart still skips a beat--AND I FEEL THIRTEEN AGAIN-- whenever I hear the song You Take My Breath Away. This trip down memory lane has everything to do with an interesting book I just finished called American Fantasy by Emma Straub. American Fantasy is a cruise ship specializing in themed cruises. Annie, a recently divorced woman in her fifties, reluctantly agrees to accompany her sister on a celebrity cruise to see, Boy Talk, a boy band that was famous in the 1990s.  After her sister breaks her leg, Annie finds herself boarding the ship accompanied by 3,000 middle-aged screaming female fans. This is serious fandom--women completely devoted to the boy band --who  cruise every year to spend four days with the band--photo ops, meet & greets, concerts. The story is told through three different perspectives including Annie who is both horrified and caught up in the nostalgia she feels. Sarah, the head of JackRabbit productions, who is in charge of entertainment and making sure the band members are happy.  Interestingly, the story is also told through members of the band who are basically addicted to the attention in some cases while others just  need the money. Don't want to tell too much more about the story but you will totally enjoy it if you can buy into the fantasy and think of it as a fun escape. It totally made me think WAY back--who would I want to see if I ever went on a celebrity cruise.........maybe Rex Smith or KISS. Not sure....How about you??  Enjoy.