CHATTERBOX GOES LIVE

Written By Barbara Worton

Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life launches today everywhere! You can grab your copy online, at Indiepubs or at your favorite bookstore.

Can I Have a Drumroll, Please?

Finally, after a lot of work and fun, Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life is making its way into the world. Thank you to my mother, father, sister, brother, my husband and the world around me for giving me so much to write about. Thank you to everyone who helped me to put my words on paper and in such a beautifully designed book—Geoff Worton, Rochelle Udell, Doug Turshen, Steve Turner, Steve Walkowiak, Linda Dini Jenkins, Paula Howard and Susan Schadt, Lauren Esthus, Jacob Starr and Leighanna Shirey of Susan Schadt Press. Thank you to everyone who wrote an endorsement for my labor of love—all your words are on pages 116-119—and thank you to the many friends who have been there with boundless support—a special shout-out to my friends at the Italian American Writers Association. Your generosity is amazing. Now, this is starting to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, and I can hear the music coming up, so I’ll move on.

The Celebrations Began in Boston.

Saturday, March 15 was magic for me and a little nerve-wracking. Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life made its debut at I AM BOOKS in Boston’s North End. I shared the night with the amazing Catherine Marenghi and a host of talented writers who showed up for the open mic. The stories and poems were brilliant and books were sold. Yay! Thank you for that. More big thank yous to Julia Lisella, Jennifer Martelli, IAWA-Boston and I AM Books for inviting me to read. 

Curtains Up!

I AM BOOKS

Before the main event, Geoff and I walked over to I Am Books on Salem Street to make sure we knew where we were going. We had been there a few thousand times before, but…

“My Way”

That’s me in the spotlight—okay, fluorescent light—reading. I did a little singing too—yeah, a very dramatic rendition of the last line of “My Way.” I did warn everyone in the bookstore it was coming up. Amazingly, when I threw out my arms à la Sinatra, they applauded, and they laughed. I’m hoping someone took some video, or maybe I should be worried.

Me and Catherine

And here are the two of us—me and Catherine Marenghi after we had finished reading. She calls San Miguel de Allende, Mexico home. “Inspiring” is how President Jimmy Carter described her memoir Glad Farm.

Open for Business!

Thank you to everyone who bought a copy of Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life. Hope you enjoy!

People Often Ask “Where Did That Title Come From?”

I answer it in this video from March 15. 

My Mother Always Asked “Why Did You Write and Share Those Stories?”

First of all, I had to. I’ve been writing one thing or another about the world around me and trying to make sense of it or get some feedback on it since I was about eight-years-old. My first widely acclaimed story—well, at least acclaimed by my junior high school English teacher—was about the pancake my mother burnt for me for breakfast one morning. Telling stories, particularly personal stories, I believe promotes understanding, forgiveness and brings people together. I learned the phrase “hybrid memoir” the other day. It was used to describe a collection that is part memoir and part observation or reportage or research. That kind of describes Chatterbox. Some of my stories recount personal yet relatable moments and events and others are meanderings and observations of the world. My goal is to evoke feelings that build bridges and community when people read or hear my stories. That’s what personal stories—by all kinds of writers—do. And that’s why people connect to stories and feel a little revelatory kick or smile when they read or hear about someone else’s life. We see ourselves, feel empathy, revel in what it means to be human. 

Me and My Mother

My Mom, Josephine Clum, nee Nardone, Thought Every Story I Wrote Was About Her

No, not every story, but she and my entire family did provide me with a lot of good material. After I co-wrote If I’m Talking, Why Aren’t You Listening? with Linda Dini Jenkins, my parents and about forty members of my Italian American family came to a performance of the piece at the William Carlos Williams Center in Rutherford, NJ. (Yes, we all went out for pasta at Villaggio on Route 17 before and back to Geoff’s and my house for champagne and more food after the show.) One of the best things that happened because of that night is my mother started keeping a journal of her own. I don’t know what was in it, but she told me she was writing every day. I think she might laugh if she was here to read Chatterbox and then would probably say, “No, you got that story wrong. Here’s how it goes.” 

Why Tell Stories?

“We tell stories because we are human. But we are also made more human because we tell stories. When we do this, we tap into an ancient power that makes us, and the world, more of who we are: a single race looking for reasons, searching for purpose, seeking to find ourselves.”

—Amanda Gorman, poet and activist

Food, Glorious Food!

The Friday before the main event at I AM Books, Geoff and I met Jacob Starr, the UX/UI Product Designer/Wizard working with me to give Chatterbox a successful send-off, at Sorrelina at 1 Huntington Street, Boston, MA for a stupendous meal. I give it five yums for the food, the wine the setting and the service. I had a Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli that was delicious and smelled like fresh-picked peaches. Reservations are hard to get. Book early for a great night.

Follow me on Instagram @barbaraischatterbox and email me at barbara@barbaraworton.com to let me know, and I’ll get back to you with a PDF of My Sunday Sauce. 

More Love for Chatterbox:

“Chatterbox is tender and tough, smooth and coarse, quiet and loud. Here, in this exquisite collection, with a pen that is both delicate and fierce, Barbara Worton illustrates life’s beautiful contrasts: sharp and funny observations from both the past and the present. Space, breath, and mystery are offered to the reader, within and in-between these revelatory micro-memoirs. This is work that ignites memory and the senses, never shying away from the heavy while finding a way to celebrate the light.”

—Kathy Curto, author Not for Nothing: Glimpses into a Jersey Girlhood

The Celebrations Continue!

Be part of the Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life book launch. Here are events I’ve booked for March and April. 

Want To Bring Chatterbox To A Bookstore, Library, Italian Restaurant, Coffee Shop, School, Book Club, Etc., Near You? Please get in touch. Email me at barbara@barbaraworton.com. And let’s talk date, time, and place. Thanks!

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Chatterbox: Stories From a Noisy Life

Chatterbox: Stories from a Noisy Life by Barbara Worton is a heartwarming, laugh-out-loud collection of mini-memoirs celebrating life's joyful chaos. From a lively Italian American childhood to the adventures of adulthood, Worton shares vivid stories filled with humor, nostalgia, and relatable moments. Perfect for anyone who loves heartfelt storytelling and finds magic in everyday life. Releasing soon, in just under a month, on March 18th, 2025.

Preorder your copy today!

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