Shari Graydon
Author of: In Your Face
Place of birth: Montreal, Quebec
Place of residence: Ottawa, Ontario
 As a child, Shari Graydon wasn't allowed to watch TV on weeknights. Nor did her parents ever buy her
brand name clothing. Despite these debilitating setbacks, she made the cheerleading squad, was
elected to student council and had friends.
After earning a degree in Theatre, Shari worked for the world's largest public relations agency. Her
job was to flog stories about fast food chains and drug companies to the news media. All she can say
now is that she's sorry, and she's been trying to make up for this lamentable lapse in judgment ever
since.
Shari has had experience on both sides of the microphone and camera. She produced a TV series for
WTN, wrote and performed regular commentary on media issues for CBC Radio and TV, and served as the
national spokesperson for MediaWatch. She also wrote a weekly column for The Vancouver Sun.
In 2000, she took a break from teaching at Simon Fraser University to serve as press secretary for
the premier of British Columbia. The experience inspired her first play, Revenge of the Pressed
Secretary.
The popularity of Shari's first book, Made You Look: How Advertising Works and Why You Should
Know (2003), has given her the opportunity to speak to students from one end of Canada to the
other about the tricks advertisers use to spirit money out of our wallets.
Her second book, In Your Face: The Culture of Beauty and You (2004), explores all the weird
and wonderful things we've done to our bodies in pursuit of looking good. It also sets out to prove
that you don't have to look like Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie in order to get a date, get a job or
get a life. Like Made You Look, it's won a couple of prizes.
Shari has just finished writing a new play called Normal about breast implants. She's
currently working on a third book for teens about violence--in the media and in real life.
A chocoholic vegetarian, Shari bikes in summer, skates in winter, and does yoga all year round. Born
in Montreal, she grew up in Vancouver, but now lives in Ottawa with her husband, David Mitchell, who
makes her laugh every day.
Author's Web site: www.sharigraydon.com
How to Contact:
Mail: 155 McLeod Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0Z6
E-mail: sgraydon@uottawa.ca
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