Laurie Gelman

Laurie Gelman turns school volunteering, family routines, and social expectations into fast comic fiction. Class Mom, her debut novel, introduces Jen Dixon, an experienced but unconventional parent asked to coordinate a kindergarten class in Kansas City. Jen’s blunt emails, strained dealings with other parents, and refusal to imitate an idealized volunteer turn an ordinary school role into a satire of status and parental politics. St. Martin’s Press issued the first edition in 2017, followed by a St. Martin’s Griffin paperback in 2018. The story launched Gelman’s Class Mom series, which continues Jen’s experiences in You’ve Been Volunteered, Yoga Pant Nation, and Smells Like Tween Spirit. Before writing novels, Gelman spent many years in television, including work as an entertainment reporter and host. That broadcasting background suits the debut’s quick timing and conversational voice. Class Mom established both the series character and Gelman’s comic approach to school, friendship, marriage, and imperfect parenting.