Wear Sunscreen
A Primer for Real Life
By Mary Schmich
The 10th anniversary edition of Mary Schmich's timeless advice in a new package designed for the next generation of graduates.
"What she wrote was funny and wise and charming, so I would have been proud had the words been mine."–Kurt Vonnegut, New York Times
Wear Sunscreen, now a hit video on YouTube.com, has been seen by millions of viewers.
It all began with a column titled "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted on the Young," written by Mary Schmich and published in the Chicago Tribune on June 1, 1997. Posted on the Web, Schmich's column quickly became an international sensation. Friends e-mailed it to friends, the media picked up on it, and a star was born. There was only one problem: Everyone thought the column was an actual commencement address given by author Kurt Vonnegut.
Eventually, Mary Schmich was correctly identified as the author. AMP published her advice as a gift book in 1998. The following year, "Wear Sunscreen" became a hit song.
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About the Author
Mary Schmich lives in Chicago and is a columnist at the Chicago Tribune. She also writes the comic strip Brenda Starr.