Heather Hartt-Sussman
- Profession: Children’s book author
- Age: 47
- Hometown: Montreal
Notable achievements
- Began her writing career as a copywriter for BCP, an advertising firm in Montreal, before moving to LA in 1991; former host of the daily series The Gossip Show on E! Entertainment Television in the United States; former reporter and assistant international editor for the Hollywood Reporter; editor-in-chief of international news for TV Guide in French Canada, where she also wrote the column Heather Hartt in Hollywood
- Author of Nana’s Getting Married and Noni Says No
Upcoming
- Here Comes Hortense (Tundra Books), the sequel to Nana’s Getting Married, will be released in April 2012
- Noni Says No nominated for Ontario Library Association Forest of Reading, Blue Spruce Award; winner will be announced in May
She was a top entertainment journalist in the 1990s: the face of The Gossip Show on E! Entertainment Television and a reporter and editor with the Hollywood Reporter. But Heather Hartt-Sussman dumped that glamorous life of dishing out the scoop in tinsel town for a career as a children’s writer.
The married mother of two boys still drives a luxurious, but environmentally conscious ride – a 2007 Lexus RX450h SUV.
Why did you choose a Lexus hybrid?
I drove the GX470 before this one and I needed the space because I’m a driving parent and I have kids who play hockey and bring friends.
I carpool, so I needed a big car. But I’m much happier with a hybrid because I feel less guilty. It’s not quite as big.
I need something reliable, safe and comfortable because I’m in my car a lot.
There was an ad for a car – I can’t remember which one, but it had a mother holding her daughter in her ballet outfit and her son with a bunch of friends and their hockey gear in the back of the car. It said, “Whoever invented the term stay-at-home mom was out of their mind.”
That really defines my relationship with my car – I’m always in it. I’m always driving here and there. If I can do that without emitting as much as I do in another car, that’s great.
Do you know how the hybrid system works?
I know a bit about it. This one doesn’t need to plug into a wall. That’s always a good thing – not charging by an external source. I think that’s a positive for someone like me. A hybrid … is a guilt-free way to go.
Do you notice big savings in your gas consumption with a hybrid?
I’m not going to say huge savings, but I noticed savings.
If I’m told it emits less bad things into the environment, then I feel a little bit less guilty about driving a luxury vehicle.
Did you cross shop it against a clean diesel like the Mercedes-Benz ML?
No. I didn’t. I have an aversion to the idea of the mom in the big gas-guzzling truck, especially the higher-end ones.
I could never bring myself to buy a Mercedes. Nothing against Mercedes – I just couldn’t do it. I find the Lexus a little less showy and it does the trick for me.
What does a Lexus hybrid say about you?
It says I like my creature comforts, but I’m also sincere about my concern for the environment.
We own a hybrid but we were the first house in our area to install solar panels. We do little things. It says I’m concerned about the environment and we do what we can.
What was your first car?
I was lucky I had a super dad and he bought me a red RX-7 when I was younger.
When I was on my own I had a VW Rabbit convertible, which I enjoyed very much. I had a Miata as well.
But that’s before kids. Now, it’s a whole other set of needs.
