pick her up when she’s down.
Soon she became a regular on news channels like CNN, MSNBC, FOX and all of the morning talk shows including “Good Morning America.” One of her favorite shows to be a guest on was “Larry King Live” and she attended his retirement party in Los Angeles. She knows famed-attorney Gloria Allred and texts often with Allred’s daughter, Lisa Bloom who, like Honowitz, is also a well-known attorney and TV commentator. The last text they shared was about makeup and what type of cover-up Bloom uses beneath her eyes. By the way, not only is Honowitz a mother and a prosecutor, but she’s also her very own publicist, scheduling her weekly TV appearances. She admits it keeps her busy, but lately she’s been doing it because she wants to promote her children’s books. Years ago she wrote “My Privates Are Private” and “Genius With A Penis, Don’t Touch!” and tried to get them published, but couldn’t find anyone willing to invest in them because of the topic. So she saved some money and published them herself. “Finally I said, ‘Screw all of you, I know how important it is,’” she says. “It teaches kids not to be scared.” The books, which can be found on barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com, teach children about their private parts and not to be afraid to tell an adult if someone has touched them. The books should be in every household, she says, which is why she’s tried relentlessly to get publicity for them in media outlets such as Parents magazine. They weren’t interested, so she responded with a scathing letter scolding them for writing about mundane subjects such as where to find the latest Elmo toy, but not including more serious matters that could save a child’s life. Hoping to spread the word, Honowitz wants to get the books into a celebrity’s hands, so far reaching out to stars like Nicole Richie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosie O’Donnell and she’s hoping for a positive response.
And so is her daughter. At home with her daughter is where Honowitz finds happiness and peace and stability in the midst of her stressful and incredibly challenging career. When she ventures out, Boca Raton is one of the places she enjoys spending time, and, she says with a giggle, “I would spend more time up there if there was a nice guy up there!” Her longtime friend David Frankel didn’t expect her to continue working the way she did after her daughter was born. It was a perfect time to back away from her work of seeing
She wants the books to encourage parents to talk with children about the importance of protecting themselves.
Honowitz on CNN’s “Larry King Live”
“I see how dumb parents are and that kills me,” Honowitz says.
“Sex crimes know no boundaries. It’s black, it’s white, it’s Catholic, it’s Jewish.”
During speaking engagements, she’s had parents raise their hands and say that because it’s such an uncomfortable subject matter, they don’t know how to approach it with their children. Sometimes they admit that they’re afraid to even bring up the issue. But that doesn’t matter to Honowitz. What matters, she tells them, is that they keep that line of communication open with their children and remember that their job is not to be their child’s best friend, but to be an attentive parent. And, perhaps more importantly, to know that no one is immune to sex crimes. “Sex crimes know no boundaries. It’s black, it’s white, it’s Catholic, it’s Jewish,” she says. “It’s rich, it’s poor.” Honowitz has given countless talks to parents during the past several
– Stacey Honowitz
years. And during these lectures, as well as on TV and in the courtroom, she comes across as gutsy, outspoken and strong—so it might cause your eyebrows to raise when you learn she’s insecure. Yep, she says, she’s like every other woman. She’s not happy with her figure and, she says, she manages to find every new wrinkle that pops up on her face. “Don’t ask me to evaluate my thighs,” she says, rolling her eyes. But luckily Honowitz has wonderful friends who jokingly tell her she’s “a nut bag” and they’re there to
broken children almost daily, and to focus more on her own needs. But that just isn’t Honowitz. She remains where she is because work is where she fulfills her mission to make a difference and to put away as many bad guys as she can. Admits Honowitz: “I try to save the world.” “She never lets up,” Frankel says. “She has this ability to take on people’s most personal things but not let it destroy her, which is a rare gift. She soldiers on. And that’s her niche.” O April 2011
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