Missing Gilmore Girls already? Commiserate with some Coffee at Luke's

If you still can't believe that the world of Stars Hollow and the adventures of Lorelai and Rory are over,here's a great solution(not a perfect solution,which would be atleast one more year of GG)to help you get over some of the sorrow,Coffee at Luke's. Edited by Jennifer Crusie(who also put together a nice anthology for Jane Austen fans,Flirting with Pride and Prejudice),this lively look at why many of us are or became devoted to this show about a single mom whose best friend just happened to be her own daughter,without any sleazy club hopping but with plenty of bumps and skips upon the road to maturity for the both of them.


Several of the essays deal directly with the whole parenting issue,such as Janine Huddlestone's "Mothers,Daughters and Gilmore Girls" that looks at how both Lorelai and Rory deal with their roles as daughters and even do some role reversal themselves:


"My Three Dads" by Miellyn Fitzwater measures the fathering skills of Rory's three major male influences in her life,Luke,Richard and Christopher(who does not come out ahead here) and even Emily gets a supportive boost from Charlotte Fullerton with "In Defense of Emily Gilmore". Fullerton makes a few good points and you can't help but feel for Emily at times,especially when her mother-in-law,Trix,comes a-calling:



Stars Hollow is highlighted as well and one of the most interesting and creative essays is Sara Morrison's look at the businesses that flourish there and how they would stack up in the real world economy with "Your Guide to the Real Stars Hollow Business World". Turns out that Taylor had some pretty good ideas that would do well in the open marketplace but I still think his concerns over how Luke and Lorelai's relationship going south would affect the local commerce were presumptous there:


Stephanie Rowe gives us a love letter to the joys of New England small town life in "It's not Luke's Stubble". She cleverly captures one of the show's true charms,the depiction of a community rich with history,beautifully cold weather and seemingly devoid of a seedy underbelly:



Rory's love of reading and the literary influences on the show over the years is throughly outlined and cherished by Maryelizabeth Hart in "Reading,Rory and Relationships" while the other major obsession enjoyed by both Lorelai and Rory,food,is served up by Gregory Stevenson with "Dining with the Gilmores". He points out not only how a character's approach to eating defines who they are but shows the viewer how food choice is often used as a metaphor for character development or foreshadowing of upcoming plot points.



The book rounds up with essays that examine Lorelai's contary nature towards parenting and life("Mama Don't Preach" by Carol Cooper) and a look at the screwball comedy stylings of the show("Golden Age Gilmore Girls" by Chris McCubbin),along with a glossary of "Coffee at Luke's-isms"(similar to the popular Gilmorisms enjoyed by the fans). There are many more that I haven't touched upon here,but,hey why spoil the fun of discovery for you? Any fan of Gilmore Girls will want to take this book with them as they stop at their own favorite diner for some java joe and pie. To round this review off,here's a taste of Gilmore Girl speak: