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We all know what gossip is like: Negative, more vice and habit than considered conversation, right?

That’s what producer Paul Kemp thought when he pitched his documentary The Real Dirt on Gossip to CBC. “My wife would pick up the celeb magazines…I started thinking what is it about celebrity gossip? And I realized it’s bigger than that. It’s the way we communicate.”

The Real Dirt on Gossip examines the role of communicating through gossip and I recommend it. It’s a neat look at the history of perceptions around gossip as well as what the research tells us about today. For example: Although gossip is sometimes associated with women, in fact men do too – their voices may just not become as animated.

What’s more, gossip can be essential to your business. When I asked Kemp what surprised him most about doing the show, he said “The workplace gossip. 75% of everything that happens is communicated through the grapevine.”

Gossip is also a critical way to learn social mores, and good gossipers tend to make more money. If you just winced, don’t: Only 10% of gossip is actually negative. Most is neutral or positive.

Of course when it is negative it can be devastating. Bonnie Fuller, who has some experience with the down side of gossip, appears in the documentary; you can catch extra footage of her right here.

For more of the scoop catch the show on CBC tonight, November 8 at 9:00 p.m. — then come back and chat about it!

Kate Morton’s newest book, The Secret Keeper, is just out and making a splash. I had a chance to talk to Morton about the book in Toronto last week; see the Q&A below. If you’re intrigued, go ahead and enter to win a Kate Morton library of all her books!

The Secret Garden and [Morton's last book]The Distant Hours both centre around murders, but in The Secret Garden it’s quite clear who is murdered and who the murderer is from the first chapter; the question is why. How did you find writing this book was different from the last?
It was great actually. I had the idea for the first chapter first, which doesn’t always happen. I had a really clear vision of what I wanted to do. I think in The Secret Keeper more than any of my other books the first chapter is almost a stand alone story, and that was really important to me. I really wanted to take it from this perfect, almost too good to be true idylll and then turn it on its head. I loved playing with that throughout the first chapter.

Secrets are a big theme in your books, obviously. What draws you to that theme?
Who doesn’t love secrets? Who doesn’t want to know the thing that they’re not allowed the know? But I was thinking about this recently because people have asked me about it.

When I was growing up, my mum’s a second hand dealer and so she used to buy old objects and they would come into our house. So I was aware really, really early that objects have secret lives that I didn’t know about, that they went through other people’s hands before they came to me…that started me thinking about what might have happened to them before they came to me.

And I think all narratives are secrets really, because you don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of the book. Mine are just more explicitly secretive.

You’re Australian but your books are always set in England. Did you grow up in England?
I didn’t, no. I don’t know if it’s similar in Canada but I grew up reading a lot of English books like Enid Blyton. So I had a very clear vision of what England might be like. I was 17 when I first went to England. You know that feeling when you meet someone and you feel like you’ve known them forever? I just felt instinctively that I knew it. I feel very at home there, and more than that, I love it. I love the landscape, I love the houses, I love the history. In Australia there isn’t the same depth of history for me to explore. And it’s such living history, people still living among the buildings. I just find that so interesting.

And this book’s set, in part, during World War II…how do you approach your research?
A lot of it I do anyway; I love to read non-fiction, I love to read about people and families and houses and history, social research especially. There’s unconscious research, which is sort of my favourite because I just read what I like…and then there’s the conscious stuff, like in The Secret Keeper when I had to know what sort of postmark might be on a letter sent in the 1950s, I had to actually contact people and find out. Because if I didn’t, somebody who knew would contact me later and say it wouldn’t be like that.

For The Secret Keeper, my family and I went to London for 3 months in 2008. We lived in Kensington, and we stayed in an old granary in a Suffolk farm, and I was reading a lot of diaries and memoirs set during the war. Something was attracting me to that.

I even did a Blitz-time London walking tour which was incredible. Streets I had walked down hundreds of times before, my guide was able to say “look up there in the bricks where they’ve painted, if you look closely: — and so I did — “you can see the S for the shelter sign and the arrow pointing down the stairs.” And for me, that actually gives me chills. Because all of a sudden I see people running for the shelter and the women, in their skirts and everything…that’s very inspirational for me.

On the topic of inspiration – there’s a very powerful moment in the book where Laurel’s mum Dorothy tells her that she doesn’t think Laurel would have liked her when she was younger. What inspired that moment?
A lot of the relationship between Dorothy and Laurel, I was of course able to draw on my own experiences as a mother and as a daughter. When Laurel makes the point earlier that children never imagine that their parents have a past before the moment that they were born. I certainly remember feeling that and I know my children will. As a writer I find that such an interesting thing to write about, because of course people have enormous pasts before they have children. But I don’t usually draw on people I know for my characters. And of course that scene helps set the stage for the end of the book.

Laurel does become an actress where her mother didn’t. I wondered how that related to your own creative journey.
Perhaps not so much as a novelist…I had no idea that people could become writers. I don’t know where I thought novels came from…I grew up in a small village and it felt like the 1950s when I was growing up. Where I feel the difference in generation between me and my mum is that I was expected to go to school. Going to university is such an incredible thing…as a person it’s incredibly expanding. So I feel very fortunate to be born in a generation where that was the norm.

So what did make you become a writer?
Growing up in Tamborine Mountain, where I grew up, the only extra-curricular really available was acting lessons because there happened to be an ex-actress who gave classes. I decided this is what I wanted to do, to join the Royal Shakespeare Company. So I went to RADA in London to do a summer course, and my boyfriend who was in a band came too – he’s now my husband…While I was there in London I got a scholarship to do a Masters…. I made a friend who was a writer. And one day she made this off-hand commentto : She said a lot of people want to write but they don’t stick with it, but you’re the sort of person who’d stick with it.

So a few weeks later I bought a notebook and started to write…and from the first moment it was like finding that one thing that everything within yourself and everything from your past conditions you to do.

I wrote two manuscripts. The first got me an agent but no one published it, the second no one published it – this is taking years of life – and then I had a baby. So I decided to forget about what was being published and markets and all of that and I took all my favourite things and put them in a book. To cut a long story short, that was The House at Riverton. [Morton's break-out book.]

And you’re on the trail of your next book.
I am, with the fabulous title of: Book 5.

Any hope for a book set in Canada?
I would love to come back to Canada for longer. In my mind Canada has always been one of those places on Earth that are too beautiful to believe.

The Secret Keeper
Atria Books
$29.99

Enter to win a copy of this and Kate Morton’s other books before November 12, 2012!

I wore out my copy of Queen’s 1981 Greatest Hits album. (This, of course, was back when you actually could “wear down” an album — when the grooves on the vinyl actually flattened out.) I loved Queen and thought Freddie Mercury was the most unusual and powerful singer ever. So, the answer to an invite last night to see Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live In Budapest ’86 was, Yesss!

Re-mastered in high-definition, the film showcased the entire 90-minute concert, the first Western rock concert held in a stadium behind the Iron Curtain. Most of the hits you’d expect were there: “We Are the Champions,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Radio Ga-Ga.” The one disappointment was “Bohemian Rhapsody,” in the middle of which the band left the stage and the (ever-familiar) recording of the song played while the film showed awkward close-ups of the audience. Queen’s sexy and energetic cover of “Tutti-Frutti” more than made up for this minor lapse.

Mercury is mesmerizing; you cannot take your eyes off him. Even my son, weaned on MuchMusic, concert Jumbotrons and lip-synching, was impressed by Freddie’s raw power over an audience — that voice! I risk sounding cranky and old, but Mercury in his prime puts most of 2012’s rock “stars” to shame.

This remastered recording will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, 2CD and DVD Deluxe Edition and a 2CD and Blu-ray Deluxe Edition on November 5th worldwide.

Jenn’s note: Catch Managing editor Sarah Moore, pictured at right, in her 40-second rant videos online. She’s also chatting on our Facebook page, so be sure to join us there!

Remember I had written about Jennifer Beals’ role for WIGS? I continue to be impressed with its lineup. Canadian Catherine O’Hara recently tackled an actress-turned-saintly role in a two-episode series penned by Mitch Albom.

In the series launching today, Rochelle, Rosanna Arquette tackles the role of a woman who hires an escort to break her ex-husband’s heart. The 3-episode series is written by Scott Turow and directed by Rose Troche (The L Word, The Safety of Objects).

In a phone interview, Arquette shared her reason for doing the webisodes: The quality of the writing. “Well I’m a huge fan of Jon Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia as directors and then Scott Turow had written this wonderful piece…. It was so wonderful because it was so beautifully and impeccably written. When you have lousy dialogue you can’t remember it.”

She brought her own experience to the role. Rochelle has been betrayed and left for a younger woman; Arquette of course is no stranger to divorce, and she says she brought up those sense-memories to prepare for the role. “That’s the great thing about acting – being there to open up other people in thinking differently or recognizing something in themselves.”

But acting’s taken a back seat overall for Arquette lately. She has a daughter in high school on the east coast, and can’t commit to shooting in L.A. “You can’t leave a newborn and you can’t leave a teenager,” she comments, although she then muses that she sees the empty nest on the horizon.

When I ask her what kinds of roles she’d like to tackle, she answers “I would love to actually play where I’m at in life – I am officially middle aged…. I was looking at Jane Fonda as inspiration – you know, Prime Time [Fonda’s guide to living and aging well] – you don’t have to go down the road of hell, but you can be vivacious and powerful like she is.”

Or like Arquette. Check out the series; it launches today (Monday August 27).

Anne Brodie gives Frank Langella thumbs up.

Opens August 24
Directed by Jake Schreier
Starring Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, James Marsden
Genre Sci fi, Comedy, Drama
Rating: 4/5

Frank Langella is spot on as a retired cat-burglar falling into dementia, rattling between his big lonely house and the local library, feeling useless. His only friend the librarian (Sarandon) faces her library’s transformation into a book free, wired “modern” reading experience as books are also useless in this near future. Frank’s stubborn disregard for his well-being alarms his children but their ham-handed efforts to help upset his already precarious state of mind.

One life-changing day his son (Marsden) presents him with a robot health care assistant. Frank resists but soon finds an ally and partner- in-crime in this unassuming new plastic buddy. Together they plot a final burglary which stimulates Frank’s dormant memory and jolts him awake.

It’s a beautifully crafted, superbly acted film that approaches aging with sensitivity, recognizes wisdom and celebrates the indefatigable human spirit and all its kick-ass dreams.

You can also find Anne on Twitter @annebrodie and at her own blog.

Totally worth checking out: Jennifer Beals and Troian Bellisario star in Lauren, a made-for-YouTube three-episode series for WIGS (Where It Gets Interesting), a channel dedicated to scripted video featuring complex, compelling characters played by female leads. The channel’s the brainchild of Jon Avnet (Fried Green Tomatoes) and Rodrigo Garcia (In Treatment).

This web series tackles a tough topic: Lauren (Bellisario) is a member of the United States military who reports sexual assault by three fellow American soldiers. In the first episode, Major Stone (Beals) reviews the report and warns Lauren about the impact of filing a contentious charge.

Good writing – on YouTube
In a conference call about the series, Beals shares that it is the writing that attracted her to the role: “Major Stone thinks within the parameters of the institution and all the kind of acculturated patriarchy that that implies. And then…this other character, the younger character, the Staff Sergeant played by Troian who just really thinks in terms of justice and plain and simple.”

The interplay between the actors is strong on the (very) small screen, and carries the first episode. That’s no surprise for fans of Beals. As we shared in our profile of her in our February/March 2011 issue, she’s an actor who brings fire and intelligence to her roles.

Roles for women over a certain age: Why not sexy?
When I ask her about how she’s finding the options for roles for women over 40, she shares: “One thing I think that needs to be addressed is how roles for older women — which is basically anybody over 30 — become desexualized, because that’s not the case. I’d like to fix that.”

She’s certainly an actor to take that on: She’s a swimmer and a runner, comfortable in her skin. She recently swam Lake Louise: “Man is that cold. But it was so beautiful to be surrounded by that color and to turn and look up at the glaciers. It just knocked me out but I had to grease my face and my hands and my feet and I had a full wet suit…it was really cold ”

But it’s Beals’ performance that brings depth and warmth to her role in Lauren. Check it out:

Lauren
Premiers on YouTube today, with new episodes to launch Wednesday and Friday.

Photo: Kayt Jones

I’m happy to introduce Anne Brodie as a More Daily blog contributor. She’ll be bringing you the scoop on movies to see – or skip. – Jenn

To Rome with Love
Opens: July 6
Written and directed by Woody Allen
Starring Woody Allen, Penélope Cruz, Judy Davis, Alec Baldwin, Alison Pill
Rating: 3 / 5

This isn’t Woody Allen’s greatest comedy but it is saturated with an increasingly warm view of life and people, and marks his first film appearance in 6 years.

It’s classic Allen: Sophisticated, witty and elegant and imbued with absurdist glee. The film follows Americans and Italians stumbling through love, sex, sudden fame, the onset of middle age and reality TV while taking us on a romantic tour of a sex mad City of Light. How about Baldwin as a younger man’s sexual conscience and guardian angel? Or an opera singer who can only perform in the shower? At 77, Allen’s sarcastic verve is sharp as ever, now tempered with what feels like happiness.

You can also find Anne on Twitter @annebrodie and at her own blog.

Hey, it’s summer, and that means taking a good book to the dock/deck/beach/basement (in my case; I have to hide from my kids).

My latest read is The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner, and it’s a fun one. It’s got the usual quirky, less-than-perfect characters and warm-hearted relationships you expect from a Weiner read. (I think this book gets my award for best poolside sex scene with a man who uses a wheelchair.) This story’s also got an inside look at Hollywood – a really inside look, since Weiner’s short-lived TV series, State of Georgia provided her with direct experience to inform the details she picked for the book.

There’s always some debate about whether Weiner’s books fit in the oft-dissed chick-lit category, and Weiner herself has said that’s just a way of describing “commercial women’s fiction.” I’d say if so, this novel surpasses the constraints of the genre (and hey, I do read chick lit, as well as the Weiner-dissed Jonathan Franzen!) Ruth’s “madcap adventures” involve juggling priorities many of us will recognize (even if not quite in this form) from the mid-career ranks: Do you stay true to your vision, or keep your staff employed?

My biggest complaint about the book is that the ending takes a turn for the best that seems just a little bit like wish fulfillment for the author. (And that’s all the detail you’ll get from me about it.) But that’s what makes this book a great summer read: It ends with a smile.

Don’t miss our Jennifer Weiner contest: Share your pick for summer reading and win a library of her work!

(You’re also more than welcome to share your picks in the comments, but to enter the contest you’ve got to fill out the form I’m afraid!)

Beauty editor Beth Thompson is also a novelist! She shares her journey from dream to completed book:

I used to think that the toughest day in my book-writing journey was the first — that day in September 2009 when I handed in my resignation as a magazine editor to follow a dream. I was scared and nervous and couldn’t shake the feeling that I was falling off a cliff.

But, really, the most difficult time was to follow — the day I opened my laptop to begin writing and no words came. In fact, I spent that entire week in stop/start mode: Lurch forward with one sentence, erase two more, take a stab at a third. I was nauseous with doubt.

Panic set in. I’d given up a glamorous editor’s job for what — a childish dream? How ridiculous! I became riddled with insecurity and I couldn’t even think about writing for several months. Instead, I walked around in a daze muttering, “Good God, what have I done?”

And then, as clichéd as it sounds, I awoke on New Year’s Day 2010 with new resolve. “Write what you know,” a little voice whispered. And so I began.

I knew a thing or two about the middle-aged lull – that place you arrive at sometime in your 40s and think: “Is this all there is? Will I ever be carefree and happy again?”

And, thus, The Happiness of Truth was born, a story of one woman’s tumultuous journey to understanding what it really means to know joy.

From then on, my characters spilled onto the page and storylines woke me from slumber; I couldn’t write fast enough.

The moment I opened myself fully to the experience, everything I needed came to me. Sure, I still didn’t have a paycheck and I was a long way off from being published, but somehow it mattered less. This was my Happiness of Truth moment and I have been savoring it ever since.

If you have a dream, find a way to follow it. The journey may be a struggle, but you will never feel happier in your life.

And don’t miss Beth in her other role: How to banish undereye circles!

Do you know anyone who likes Facebook’s Timeline feature? Me neither (oh FB, why do you make it so hard to “like” you?). It’s pretty, sure, but window-dressing aside, this ability to present your life from birth to five minutes ago has given further opportunity to over-share.

This new capability, for many women, is cause for consternation.

For some, it’s problematic because Timeline can underscore just how much they’ve aged since that well-documented birthday party in 2005. In fact, I’ve heard of a few cosmetic surgeons offering their services specifically for the purpose of fooling Facebook — suggesting you go under the knife so that on Timeline you look, well, timeless.

For other women, Timeline is just too darned precise. They can no longer impress “friends” by posting flattering vacation photos of themselves from eight years ago and passing them off as today. Well, they can, it’s just harder; Timeline has stripped them of the ease of obfuscation.

Social media are difficult taskmasters, and no one fully understands their power. One thing, however, is certain: Facebook is relentless in demanding you put your best face forward.

Jenn’s note: Managing editor Sarah Moore, pictured at right, joins us regularly on More Daily – you may remember her from her fabulous 40-second rant videos online. She’s also chatting on our Facebook page, so be sure to like us there!