Please get the facts about Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen for the Cure

First the Facts: During their last fiscal year, Planned Parenthood grossed $1 billion in annual revenues. The gross revenues of Susan G. Komen for the Cure were less than half that amount. Grants from SGK to PP were less than one tenth of 1% of PP funding. The perception that PP is somehow the pitiful stepchild of evil queen SGK is patently ridiculous.

SGK has a policy that prohibits funding of any organization under investigation for misuse of funds. PP is currently under such investigation. Is the investigation justified? Personally, I don't believe it is. I think it's anti-choice politicos abusing the system. But that doesn't change the SGK policy, which is in place so they can maintain the highest level of accountability to the people who support the organization with their money, love and hard-earned 60-miles-in-3-days sweat.

These are two very different organizations with very different missions, both doing important and largely thankless work on behalf of women around the globe. I’ve given money and time to support both SGK and PP, and I will continue to do so, but I’m disgusted by the way this has been twisted by MoveOn.org (to whom I’ve also given money and time, but will not continue to support) and other organizations that specialize in mobilizing ignorance to support their political agenda.

For years, SGK and their founder, Nancy G. Brinker, have taken horsewhippings for their funding of Planned Parenthood. Where was the kneejerk Facebook outcry then? Did those who are now ranting through the blogosphere write a single letter in support of SGK? Give a single dollar? Speak one word in their defense?

While coauthoring Nancy G. Brinker’s memoir, Promise Me, I did hundreds of hours of research on this amazing organization, spoke with dozens of staff members and volunteers, got to know Nancy’s son Eric, an SGK board member, and her mother, Miss Ellie Goodman, who is a force of nature in her own right. During the research phase for this book, Nancy sat with me for several weeks, recording conversations about a great many things.

The first day at her apartment in Washington D.C., I needed to make a copy of something, and she asked me to wait and do it at my hotel later. The copier and paper in her home office belonged to SGK, and she didn’t want SGK paper used for her personal project--even though she was donating the lion’s share of the money from this book to SGK. That's the level on which she cares about the proper spending of SGK money.

When Nancy left for the Middle East, where she and SGK were fighting for health care for women who had no voice or means, I remained in her home with her permission to look at anything and everything in her personal photos, files and archives. I’ve never had that level of access with a memoir client, and I doubt many people in the world have lived with the level of integrity that would withstand a snoopy writer digging through everything from their baby book to their divorce papers.

Nancy Brinker has. She is the real deal.

I’m not saying she’s a saint, and if you read her book, you’ll see that she’s not even trying to pretend. But in the wake of her sister Suzy’s death, Nancy founded this organization on her own shattered heart with nothing but a shoebox and the driving desire to help women and families devastated by this disease, and every difficult decision she’s made has had a single litmus test: Will this help women with breast cancer?

I don't know the particulars of how SGK funding is allotted from year to year, but I give money to them with absolute confidence that that litmus test is the defining factor. They put money where it's needed, and it occurs to me that, while I support the important work of PP, the PP budget and operating costs dwarf the budget and operating costs of SGK, so it doesn't make a lot of sense for SGK to turn their back on smaller organizations in order to support this massively funded behemoth. I'd rather see that money go to organizations like The Rose, an amazing little engine that could--and does, with the help of SGK--here in Houston.

 Before you react to baseless kneejerk political rants, I urge you to read what Nancy has to say about SGK's relationship with PP in her book. Promise Me is Nancy’s memoir, but the story of her life is far more about other people than it is about herself. Woven between the chapters is the history of breast cancer dating back to its first appearance in ancient Egyptian medical papyri, because in order to understand what happened to her and Suzy, you have to understand what breast cancer is, what it does, and you have to meet some of the millions who’ve been rescued by and contributed to the work of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

 Political activism requires getting the facts straight, and a life of love and service takes more than clicking “Like” or retweeting an easy pop of hate and ignorance.

Update:(February 3, 2012) – The national headquarters of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® released a statement this morning in response to the recent controversy regarding Planned Parenthood, revising the guidelines that prevented it from funding the organization.

The statement read in part, “Our only goal for our granting process is to support women and families in the fight against breast cancer. Amending our criteria will ensure that politics has no place in our grant process. We will continue to fund existing grants, including those of Planned Parenthood, and preserve their eligibility to apply for future grants, while maintaining the ability of our affiliates to make funding decisions that meet the needs of their communities.”

I was relieved to see SGK change their position on funding for PP, but it doesn't change any of the above or the fact that women's health care was the loser here because of the way it was handled on all fronts. The one silver lining: All the people who were bashing Nancy last year, bellowing about her "terrorizing" women into needless screening are now bellowing about how important screening is, which is what Nancy's been trying to tell people for 30 years.

Korean edition of "Promise Me"

I can't help it. I always get a thrill when I see the foreign editions roll out. Here's the Korean edition of Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer by Nancy G. Brinker (with a little help from yours truly.)

Seen on the scene: Promise Me fragrance ties in with Nancy Brinker's bestselling memoir about sisterhood in action

Colleen just flipped me a smart phone photo she snapped on her way into an east coast department store. The Promise Me fragrance is fresh out, a perfect tie-in with Nancy's NYT bestselling memoir, Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer.

Nancy and Suzy were impeccably classy young women of the Mad Men era. I love the chapters about their adventures and misadventures. It's well known now that Suzy died of breast cancer at age 36, and her little sister Nancy went on to create the world's largest grassroots organization, Susan G. Komen For the Cure. In her memoir, Nancy wanted to share more about Suzy's life and her joyful, free-spirited style, along with the story of this world-changing legacy of love.

Perfumer Jean Claude Delville says, "A fragrance is a message in a bottle. In Promise Me, I was inspired to capture a long-lasting emotion of positive energy, hope and love. I wanted to create something empowering, something that would speak to all women." All of which perfectly captures what Nan and I set out to accomplish in this book.

More about the Promise Me fragrance, benefiting Susan G. Komen For the Cure.

"Promise Me" hits the NYT bestseller list with a big pink sledgehammer!

Just heard that Promise Me will debut in the top 10 on the NYT list next week. And we scored a terrific review in the LA Times: "Brinker's candid memoir weaves in tales of a loving family with her triumphant push to deliver a deathbed vow made to her sister, Suzy Komen. It's quite a story, told by quite a character."

I'm pretty much doing this today:


Congratulations and love to the fabulous Nancy G. Brinker! It was a privilege to be your book sherpa. Houston peeps! Don't miss the celebration and signing Friday, October 1, 7:00 PM at Barnes & Noble Champions!

Promise Me excerpt in Parade Magazine: Meet Suzy and Nan, the real women behind Susan G. Komen for the Cure

In the Sunday paper today, Parade Magazine is featuring an excerpt from Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer, the forthcoming memoir by Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (with a little help from her Memoir Guru):

Stretched out on her chaise, my sister wore a cover-up that left her bare legs in the sunshine. Her limbs were so thin and knobby, she looked like a girl playing dress-up. I had to smile, thinking of the two of us in the backyard when we were kids, dancing in our coconut bras and hula skirts, pretending our ponies were stallions, playing patty-cake with our dolls.

Tears stung my eyes behind my sunglasses. Suzy’s role as a mainstay in my life had begun with the sound of her voice before I was born. She’d been with me for every major moment since. The dizzying speed with which our time together was coming to an end left me breathless.

Click here to read the rest, and (at the risk of sounding like Vince the Slap Chop guy) pre-order now and get a free copy for your sister!

Tasty blurbage coming in for Promise Me

TAWANDA! Some fantastic buzz is coming in for Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer by Nancy G. Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure (with yours truly.)

Kirkus Reviews "A powerful memoir...joy, fear, love, and heartache told in a captivating voice...touching, inspiring..."

Cokie Roberts, news analyst and author of We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters "Susan G. Komen for the Cure has become a brand name in the fight against breast cancer...In Promise Me we learn about the remarkable work of that organization, and also finally get to know the woman behind the name--Suzy Goodman Komen’s sense of fun and family comes through these pages as a bright light leading her sister through trials and triumphs."

Laura Bush, former First Lady and author of Spoken From the Heart "...an inspiring tribute to a sister’s love and a must-read for all who know the pink ribbon."

Mehmet Oz, M.D. of The Dr. Oz Show "...emotionally and elegantly chronicles how sisterly love changed the course of modern medicine..."

Kelly Corrigan, bestselling author of Lift and The Middle Place "This is the story of what happens when a big heart meets an iron will. Nancy Brinker will make you sit back and wonder."

Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Einstein: His Life and Universe "This book is about the meaning of life. It will move and enlighten you."

So, yeah...I'm kinda feeling like a ninja today. (Click here to get a free signed copy for your sister!)

But wait! There's more! (Great deal from Amazon on two books by yours truly)

Over the last 12 months, I've been working with Nancy Brinker, founder and CEO of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, on her memoir Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer. This multifaceted project was beyond fascinating for me, and it was personal. I'm alive today thanks in part to cancer treatment developed with funding from SGK. I can't believe it's been almost ten years since the publication of Bald in the Land of Big Hair, my own memoir about chemo and how the experience led to the writing and publication of my first two novels (neither of which is about cancer.) Even more mind-blowing--the thing is still in print! It keeps going like an Energizer bunny year after year, and no one is more surprised than I.

At the risk of sounding like the Slap Chop guy, Amazon is offering a great deal right now. Preorder Promise Me along with Bald in the Land of Big Hair for less than the cover price of one hardcover book. "But wait! There's more!" says Slappy. If you preorder Promise Me now, Random House and Susan G. Komen for the Cure will send a free autographed copy of Promise Me to your sister or friend. Click here for details.

Pre-order "Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer" and get a free copy for your sister

Suzy and Nancy Goodman were raised in postwar Peoria, Illinois, by parents who believed that small acts of charity could change the world. Suzy was the big sister—the homecoming queen with an infectious enthusiasm and a generous heart. Nancy was the little sister—the tomboy with an outsized sense of justice who wanted to right all wrongs. The sisters imagined a long life together—one in which they’d grow old together surrounded by children and grandchildren. Suzy’s cancer diagnosis shattered that dream.

In 1977, breast cancer was still shrouded in stigma and shame. There were no 800 numbers or support groups. The words “breast cancer” weren't said in polite company, let alone on TV or in the newspaper. Just before she died, Suzy said, "Promise me, Nan. Promise me you'll make it change."

Thirty years and one massive cultural revolution later, Susan G. Komen for the Cure is one of the largest grassroots organizations in the world. Millions worldwide have been brought into the promise, and SGK has invested more than $1.5 BILLION in research and services. Last year, when President Obama awarded Nancy G. Brinker the Presidential Medal of Freedom, he said, "In the months after making that promise, Nancy lay awake at night wondering if one person can really make a difference. Nancy's life is the answer."

In September, Broadway Books will release Nancy's memoir, Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer. It was a huge privilege to work on the book with Nancy. Watch this space for more about that. Meanwhile, click here to get a free signed copy for your sister and read the first chapter.