A FEW NEW TGF REVIEWS FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE . . . Northeast Book Reviews Here’s a taste:“In the United States, many Americans remain beholden to a faith; others succumb to spirituality, while some choose to question and challenge the outer realm. These concepts shape the beautiful tapestry which Cathleen Falsani bases her first book, The God Factor:Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People. She interviews a wide spectrum of accomplished literati and glitteri such as Senator Barack Obama, Melissa Ethridge,... Read more

GODSTUFF: GOSPEL OF PASTA STICKS TO RELIGIOUS FUNNY BONE Maybe it’s all the pedophile priest stories, or the Muslim factions methodically killing one another in Iraq, or the rabbi in Israel this week who said avian flu is God’s wrath for efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. (Heavy sigh.) Organized religion’s been having a rough month. Again. Maybe it’s a genetic response — the gallows humor that runs in my family, the lifeboat of laughter that has kept us dry when... Read more

BREEZEY REVIEW OF TGF IN THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES Famous people ask eternal questions By MARGO HAMMOND, Times Staff WriterPublished March 19, 2006The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People by Cathleen Falsani Farrar Straus & Giroux, $24, 269 pp The premise is simple. Ask celebrities about their faith: What was the faith you were raised to believe? What is your religious affiliation now? Where do you go to pray? Leaving it at that, however, wouldn’t have been... Read more

THE GOD FACTOR LAUNCH PARTY AT CHICAGO’S HISTORIC PUMP ROOM AT THE AMBASSADOR EAST, WEDNESDAY MARCH 15, 2006 What a time we had! Thank you to everyone who came and raised a glass and bought a book (or two, or three or twelve(Jo Nancy!)What a wonderful way to welcome TGF into the world and send her on her way. Thank you. Love love love. — God Girl Read more

GOD GIRL INTERVIEWED BY ANTONIO MORA ON CBS-2’S “EYE ON CHICAGO” Cathleen and Antonio chatted about The God Factor, megachurches and whether we’re living in the “End Times” on the Sunday morning magazine show, “Eye on Chicago,” on March 19. She appeared after Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and before actor Henry Winkler. THE FONZ!!! Watch the video here Read more

EXTRAORDINARY TGF REVIEW: CHICAGO TRIBUNE From Barack Obama to Hugh Hefner, public figures discuss their spirituality By Beth KephartPublished March 19, 2006 The God Factor: Inside the Spiritual Lives of Public People By Cathleen Falsani Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 272 pages, $24 I crave few things like I crave an honest conversation. The mutual exploration of a possibility. The pauses between knowing. The freedom to slide off on a tangent, then circle back. The way ideas emerge from stories, and... Read more

FAB FEATURE ON GOD GIRL/TGF FROM RELIGION NEWS SERVICE Reporter finds ‘God Factor’ in 32 celebrities By BOB SMIETANAReligion News ServiceCHICAGO — Cathleen Falsani has a few rules when it comes to religion reporting: No finger pointing. Never turn your tape recorder off. Listen intently without worrying about the next question. And remember all truth is God’s truth — whether it comes from a church pulpit or the Playboy Mansion. That’s why in the summer of 2004, Falsani, religion writer... Read more

LOVE FOR GOD GIRL AND TGF FROM TAMPA TRIBUNE Public People, Private SpiritualityBy MICHELLE BEARDENPublished: Mar 18, 2006 OK, so we all know just how good Barbara Walters is when it comes to getting celebrities to talk about themselves. But Cathleen Falsani, the award-winning religion writer at the Chicago Sun-Times, has one-upped the legendary Walters. She got people to talk about their inner selves. “It’s not as difficult as you would think,” the modest Falsani says in a phone interview... Read more

GODSTUFF: LIGHTEN UP AND ENJOY THE LAMPOON, O YE FAITHFUL Full disclosure: I’m a rabid “South Park” fan. It’s sort of the televisual equivalent of a handful of Sour Patch Kids, those chewy candies covered in a powdery substance and so dang sour that they make your cheeks contract in the middle like a goldfish. You can’t stop eating them even though they make you wince. The biting, often maddeningly smart social commentary that “South Park” creators Trey Parker and... Read more

TGF BORDERS READING AND SIGNING WITH STUDS TERKEL 3/14 Thank you to all the very kind and indulgent folks who turned out at the Michigan Avenue Borders Books in Chicago for my first book reading — ever. And to the remarkable Studs Terkel, who served as my unofficial date for the evening. And yes, we color coordinated. Cuz that’s how we roll. Read more