Exit Laughing (30 page)

Michael Tucker
is a veteran actor and recipient of three Emmy nominations and two Golden Globe nominations for his role on
L.A. Law
. His theater credits are extensive, including plays throughout the United States, such as
Moonchildren, Mother Courage, Trelawney of the Wells
, and
I’m Not Rappaport
. Film credits include
Radio Days, The Purple Rose of Cairo, An Unmarried Woman, The Eyes of Laura Mars, Network
, and more. His first book was
I Never Forget a Meal: An Indulgent Reminiscence
, part cookbook, part memoir;
Living in a Foreign Language: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Love in Italy
was published in 2008 and is now available in paperback. He received the Good Guys Award from the National Women’s Political Caucus for his work on women’s health issues. His debut novel will be published next spring by The Overlook Press.

Leon Whiteson
is a Southern Rhodesian–born (now Zimbabwe) architecture critic and writer. He is the author of
A Place Called Waco: A Survivor’s Story; Dreams of a Weeping Woman; A Garden Story; A Terrible Beauty: The Positive Role of Violence in Culture, Life, and Society;
and an impressive collection of books and articles on architecture. He has an essay in the anthology
The Face in the Mirror
. Leon lived in England, Spain, Greece, and Canada before settling in Los Angeles. He is married to author Aviva Layton.

Victoria Zackheim
(editor) is the author of the novel
The Bone Weaver
and editor of four anthologies:
The Other Woman: Twenty-one Wives, Lovers, and Others Talk Openly about Sex, Deception, Love, and Betrayal; For Keeps: Women Tell the Truth about Their Bodies, Growing Older, and Acceptance; The Face in the Mirror: Writers Reflect on Their Dreams of Youth and the Reality of Age;
and
He Said What? Women Write about Moments When Everything Changed
. Victoria adapted five essays from
The Other Woman
and created a play, produced by Jonathan and Hillary Reinis Productions. She is story developer and writer of the documentary film
Tracing Thalidomide: The Frances Kelsey Story
and writer for
Where Birds Never Sang: The Story of Ravensbrück and Sachsenhausen Concentration Camps
, both with On the Road Productions. Her screenplay about the Maidstone prison escape has been optioned by Identity Films. A 2010 San Francisco Library Laureate, she teaches personal essay writing in the University of California, Los Angeles Extension Writers’ Program.