Journalist shares insights learned from her life as a single woman

Posted by Elena del Valle on January 9, 2015

The Art of not Having It All

The Art of Not Having It All

Photos: St. Martin’s Press Publicity

Can a career woman find fulfillment alone? Is it possible to be single and happy? Melissa Kite thinks it is. She is single and dedicated to her work. She is convinced she is unusual for not seeking to have everything in her life. She is content with dedicating most of her energy to her career even if if it means there is no time left for the pursuit of a family. In The Art of not Having It All: True Stories of Men, Sex and Other Disasters (Thomas Dunne Books, $24.99), published this month, she discusses her life experiences and views.

In the Preface, she says she felt like “a total freak” and “…like the only woman in the world who was struggling to keep one ball in the air, and dropping that most of the time.” She prefers, she explains, focusing on doing one thing at a time rather than juggling a career and a family; and concludes that being single and lonely while not having the stereotypical everything at once such as kids, the perfect husband and a suburban home is not so bad after all.

Melissa Kite, author, The Art of not Having It All