WOMEN FROM ALL WALKS SHARE A DAY WITH READERS.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

GLENDALE - On Oct. 15, 2002, Linda LoRe, the president and CEO of Frederick's of Hollywood, stopped what she was doing to write.

From her prison cell at the Minnesota Correctional Facility for women, Janet Olson did the same. So did former Talking Heads bassist Tina Weymouth, of Westport, Conn., and more than 500 other women - all on the same day.

They wrote what countless men from every walk of life have wondered since God created Eve from Adam: What are women really thinking?

``It's really wonderful because you feel like no matter what, on that day, there were 500 of us doing the same thing,'' said LoRe, a Glendale resident whose journal entry is part of a recently released compilation titled ``This Day: Diaries From American Women.''

The book includes 35 entries, plus more than 100 excerpts, from women who are famous, powerful, poor, stuck in jail or confined to a wheelchair.

LoRe, who took control of Frederick's of Hollywood four years ago, recorded her every move, from the moment she woke up in the morning, took a shower and petted her cat on her way out to Starbucks, to hosting a charity event, to her last thoughts before going to bed.

``What I wrote was pretty revealing about a day in the life of a normal woman,'' LoRe said. ``People think if you are CEO you are different. But one thing I learned is that writing in a journal makes you think about your thoughts. I have a busy life. I pack a lot into a day. Sometimes you are so busy doing, you stop being. This allows you to stop and see you, being.''

Joni Cole, one of three editors of the book, said the idea came from her having what she called ``a really stinky day.''

It was raining outside. Her freelance writing gig was going nowhere. Her family faced financial problems, and her father was ill.

But in that dark moment, a bright idea popped into her head.

What are other women doing at this very moment, she wondered. What are their thoughts?

``I had a real need to connect to others, to feel normal,'' said Cole, a Vermont-based writer who was in Los Angeles recently to promote the book. ``When you need perspective, it's really good to reach out. Besides, I'm really nosy.''

Cole approached editors Bindi Rakhra and Rebecca Joffrey, with the idea to ask women from across the country to write what they were thinking about, all on the same day. She picked Oct. 15, 2002, she said, simply because it was a Tuesday, the most uneventful day of the week.

``It was amazing how candid these women were in their day diaries,'' Cole said. ``These are really sincere and honest entries. People call the book addictive, because there's a soap opera quality to it.''

Cole said what emerged was humor, drama and distinctive parallels such as the importance of friendship.

``Women are more than their labels suggest,'' she said. ``People assume the book will be heavy, and there's heaviness, but also friendship is a big theme. No one makes it an issue, but it's just there.''

LoRe, 49, said she had no problem offering the public a glimpse of her most private thoughts.

``At first I thought it might be too revealing, but then I realized, So what?'' she said. ``I'm hoping readers will reflect more on their thoughts and actions and realize how much a day means in our lives and not take it for granted. It made me realize your life is really important and what you do in a single day does matter.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Linda LoRe, CEO of Frederick's of Hollywood, is among more than 500 contributors to ``This Day: Diaries From American Women.''