Bachelorette Dorfman Indifferent Toward Ex

I actually do not watch reality TV, but this one I admit to. We Atlantans were wholeheartedly rooting for Andi Dorfman (Season 18 of “The Bachelor,” Season 10 of “The Bachelorette”) to find love and show that our Southern gal, then an assistant district attorney in Fulton County, had the brains, spunk and beauty to pull it off.

Although this native Atlantan’s engagement fell by the wayside, Dorfman triumphs in the message of her new memoir, “It’s Not Okay: Turning Heartbreak Into Happily Never After.”

She’s helping launch the book with a Marcus Jewish Community Center-sponsored appearance with Star 94.1 morning radio host Jeff Dauler on Thursday night, June 2, in Buckhead.

Share in our interview.

Jaffe: Andi, the book ends with you at the Atlanta airport, telling you mother goodbye as you head for the Big Apple. You have been in New York how long and doing what?

Dorfman: First of all, let me say I miss hearing Southern accents like yours. I have been here 14 months. Just about every day (prior to the last two months) I have concentrated on the book — journaling the breakup, writing the proposal, working with agents, getting bids from publishers. It has been very fulfilling to see the book finally come to fruition. My girlfriends encouraged me to write it.

Jaffe: What’s your endgame? Do you want another reality show?

Dorfman: I think I’ve had enough of reality TV. My ideal gig would be using my law degree as a media legal consultant or a roundtable talk show on world and current issues, something like “The View.”

Jaffe: I found your book as a soothing reassurance to those who have gone through a breakup or any sort or a bad time — a how-to guide to get through it.

Dorfman: Yes, I talk about using these past failures as steppingstones. If something doesn’t work out the way we hoped, we have to ask, “What did I learn from this? What do I need in a relationship?” And there is no Mr. Perfect, but we have to gain from the collective experiences.

Jaffe: How is the dating culture in New York City?

Dorfman: There is certainly a higher quantity of eligibles — not so sure about the quality (laughing). I find it encouraging that singles here aren’t considered ripe until the 30s when we start looking for a more lasting situation.

Jaffe: Do you find that young men these days are disrespectful toward the opposite sex? Maybe we Jewish mothers have coddled them a bit?

Dorfman: No, I won’t generalize like that. There are a lot of great guys here. They are very driven and are not inclined to settle, which is a good thing.

Jaffe: In the book you refer to your ex-fiancé as “Number 26,” thus stripping him of his name. Do you feel bitterness toward him? I know there has been some Internet posting and words thrown.

Dorfman: Actually, I am not in a state of animosity. I am indifferent, which is the opposite of love. I’m at peace and look back 14 months as further proof that things do pass from those bad moments.

Jaffe: What happens from here? Will you return to Atlanta?

Dorfman: I head out on my book tour. Atlanta, L.A. and several appearances in New York. I have been back to Atlanta many times — for Mother’s Day, a wedding, etc. And I have to get my BBQ fix!

Jaffe: Tell us something about you that we don’t know.

Dorfman: I haven’t cooked a meal since I have been here — 14months. That’s pretty embarrassing.

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Who: “Bachelorette” star Andi Dorfman

What: Page From the Book Festival of the Marcus JCC discussion about her new memoir

Where: Big Sky Buckhead, 3201 Cains Hill Place

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 2

Tickets: Admission, including light hors d’oeuvres, is free, but RSVPs are requested through www.atlantajcc.org/bookfestival or 678-812-4002