Read these celebrity memoirs, not those other ones

As you may have noticed lately, celebrity memoirs are the newest rage in the publishing world. It seems as though everyone from Bill Clinton to Kanye West has published a memoir lately, which makes it hard to want to read any of them at all. I myself had a hard time believing that any of the newly minted “authors” would be able to turn out a good read. However, being a former dancer, film student and production assistant, as well as a current theater geek, I found that all I need for a good celebrity memoir is lots of backstage shenanigans, some Hollywood gossip, and a well spoken comedienne. These three were my recent favorites from the crop.

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I had heard about Bossypants through all of the various media channels, but dismissed it as just another celebrity memoir. I finally picked it up in an airport, waiting for my four hour flight delay. I read almost the entire book while waiting for my flight, and then finished it on the plane. Knowing that Fey is indeed a writer and has come up with some of the most creative stuff on recent television, I should not have been surprised at how much I enjoyed her book, yet I was. Through mock-instruction, silly diagrams, and just the right amount of comedic hyperbole, Fey tells us about her childhood, how she got her start in showbiz, her rise to writing fame, and her relationship with her husband and daughter.

Backstage shenanigans from SNL and 30 Rock abound, and fans of hers will be thrilled to learn about all of the famed SNL sketches she wrote, many of them springing from her time as a Second City cast member. One of my favorite stories involves Fey’s first job as a receptionist at the Y in Chicago, where she also met Amy Poehler. Another details Fey’s theory on why male writers are different from female writers, and the reason is hilarious (and true). She also talks a lot about being a working mom, balancing her work life and home life, and how she manages to do that while still working 16 hour days with the mostly male writing staff on 30 Rock.

I read the old fashioned paper version, but fair warning about the audio book: Fey herself reads it, which is entertaining, but if you’re listening in the car, for instance, you are not privy to the illustrations, photos and diagrams which enhance the content.

Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin

Catapulting off the success of her wildly popular reality show My Life on the D List, Kathy Griffin writes about her childhood, how she got her start in Hollywood, where she learned how to save all that money, where she learned how to make fun of celebrities, and other juicy tidbits from her life. As her comedy suggests, she writes with a witty and sardonic sense of humor, but also captures the not so nice parts of life with a wisdom and wit that endears her to readers.

Comedic highlights include tales of her early days with the Groundlings comedy troupe, where she met the likes of Andy Dick and Lisa Kudrow, one of whom stayed her friend and other who found fame on a popular TV show; Backstage shenanigans involving Brooke Shields, from her time on Suddenly Susan; and bloopers from filming her reality show.

Griffin also gets serious at some points, recounting her experiences with her now deceased brother, her husband who stole large amounts of money from her, and her botched liposuction procedure. These serious moments serve to enrich the narrative, and by the end of the book, I wanted Kathy Griffin to be my best friend. She had interesting stories to tell, and you could tell there were a lot more where those came from. Unfortunately, her stand up specials on Bravo and the occasional live show I can afford will have to do, especially since she has decided to end her reality show, probably due to exhaustion – the woman never stops working, which is another thing we learn about her in the book.

A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth

In Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth’s memoir, readers learn that before she was the fabulous Cheno, she was Kristie, multiple times runner up at the Miss Oklahoma pageant. Although at first it seems like just another celebrity memoir, and one that includes God to boot, Chenoweth has some interesting and funny things to say about the depths of Broadway and Hollywood. Among other things, she describes her relationship with faith – she often wonders how a faith which has helped her so much in life can create such cruel people, and she also wonders how she sometimes gets lumped in with the extremists. Her story about her experience as a guest on the 700 Club is priceless, as she recounts how she disappointed thousands of her gay fans by appearing on a very right-wing Christian television show, unbeknownst to her.

There are also lots of backstage shenanigans in Chenoweth’s book, including her time as master’s student in Opera at the University of Oklahoma; her stint as a performer at the now defunct theme park Opryland; Her turn as Galinda in Wicked, opposite Idina Menzel, a relationship which was tabloid fodder; her role on the critically acclaimed but cancelled Pushing Daisies, and her on again-off again relationship with Aaron Sorkin, which inspired an entire character on one of his TV shows.

My only warning to readers is that it’s written by a (credited) ghost writer, and you can sometimes tell that the stories are not exclusively in Kristin’s voice. I listened to the audiobook version, and while it was entertaining to listen to Kristin read it in her own voice, I could tell that she herself hadn’t written it, as words were mispronounced and she often sounded as though she were reading fiction.

Listen to Learning to Die in Miami

Carlos Eire, the National Book Award winner of Waiting for Snow in Havana, continues his memoir of exile from Cuba and arduous assimilation into American society in 1960's Miami in Learning to Die in Miami. Eire is sent To Florida with his older brother, Tony and
14,000 other Cuban children as part of Operation Pedro Pan. His parents' plan to join him in his relocation away from Castro eventually fails when the Cuban missile crisis intercedes and closes Cuba's borders permanently. His life in foster homes is painfully but humorously detailed. The challenges he faces living as an 11 year old 'orphan' in a strange country trying to learn a new language may be familiar to all immigrants thrust into unknown worlds, desperately wishing to fit in and belong. With excellent narration by Robert Fass, Learning to Die in Miami may give you a peek into the immigrant experience of a child struggling to survive in a foreign culture. Do you have your own story of assimilation to share? We welcome your comments!

-DB

Deb likes 'I Shall Not Hate'

Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish's heartbreaking but hopeful memoir, I Shall Not Hate : A Gaza doctor's journey on the road to peace and dignity, is a must read for anyone wishing to begin to understand daily life in the Gaza Strip. Rising above his impoverished life in Gaza, Dr. Abuelaish becomes the first Palestinian doctor on staff at an Israeli hospital. He strives on a human level to bridge the divide between the Palestinian community and his Israeli counterparts, many of whom have become like family to him. His message of coexistence, essential for all humanity, is critical in this bubble of war and hatred which he has occupied his entire life. After the unimaginable loss of three of his children when an Israeli tank mistakenly shells his house in Gaza, Dr. Abuelaish's subsequent torment is matched only by his wish to insure that his daughters are the last sacrifice on the road to peace.

Sue Recommends Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

The author of Seabiscuit, Laura Hillenbrand, pens another winner with Unbroken: a World War II story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. She has the ability to weave a story of facts into a spellbinding tale that the reader must constantly remind herself/himself that this is a real person, Louis Zamperini, who experienced the glory of being an Olympic runner in Germany in 1936 and in World War II fought to survive a plane crash and the Japanese POW camps.

Hillenbrand did her homework with interviews, diaries, memoirs, family letters, and government documents. Unbroken begins with the life of Louis Zamperini as a juvenile delinquent and transitions to his competitiveness as an athlete with a family who loves him dearly. The skills he learned in this part of his life allowed him to survive the degradations and inhumanity of the 3 years in the POW camps. The final part of his life reveals how difficult it was to continue with life after being finally rescued at the end of the war.

Mr Zamperini (see the video clips on his webpage), now 94, wrote his own memoir, Devil at my Heels, if you would like to read more about him. You might also enjoy the videos on You Tube. SH

Mike Suggests You Give Ol' Hank a Try

Lovesick Blues by Paul Hemphill

For some reason I haven't read many biographies that focus on musicians--what I find to be more worth-while and enticing are the broad brush-strokes of books about a style of music, rather than the day-to-day studio (and drug/alcohol, and love) life that seems to pervade most of the poorly-written musician bios I've come across. But boy, was I wrong to pass this one up so many times in the past. Paul Hemphill's "Lovesick Blues" stands head-and-shoulders above the competition, with its succinct story--but this may be only because his subject died at 29. Abruptness aside, Paul Hemphill's ability to draw as many bittersweet emotions from Hank's life is achieved with as much artistry as is evinced in Hank's own songs. If you're looking for a story that dishes plenty of dirt, this one provides it--but only because Hank was too willing to get dirty on his own. If you're looking for a story that draws you in and forces you to put an album or three on heavy rotation, this will do it for you too. Or if you're just want a book that will give you a new-found appreciation of country music, and of musicians in general, then look no further.

A short aside, I listened to this version on CD, and Jonathan Hogan did a wonderful presentation--his Southern drawl contributed immensely, and for the one song that he sung he did a pretty fine job on it.

Jonathan Recommends: Get Capone

Capone was one of the first international criminal celebrities. He exemplified Horatio Alger at its best, and worst. In Get Capone : the secret plot that captured America's most wanted gangster by Jonathan Eig we remove the myth and get to the reality that was and is Al "Scarface" Capone.

This thrilling part true crime part biographical account of Capone's criminal empire makes the perfect read for non-fiction lovers. It is superbly researched, accessible, and cited.

Eig doesn't just tell the story of Capone's rise and downfall; he immerses the reader in the events. If you read and enjoy this, then I suggest reading Al Capone : the biography of a self-made man by Fred D. Pasley, written during Capone's lifetime. This title is available through Interlibrary Loan, just ask at the Reference Desk.

Debra enjoyed : Riding The Bus with my Sister

Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon is a wise and honest biography of one year in the lives of Rachel and her sister, Beth, who has mental retardation. Beth rides the buses in her Pennsylvania city with her community of friends, the drivers and fellow passengers. When Rachel, a college teacher. decides to accompany her sister for one year, she learns lessons about what really matters in life : living in the moment and paying attention to people, learning to forgive, slowing down and giving and receiving love.

Debra suggests Note by Note : A Celebration of the Piano Lesson

Awarded a starred review from Booklist, Tricia Tunstall's book is a beautiful retelling of the growth of a young musician from the first overwhelming lesson to understanding, comfort with a total stranger (the teacher) and hopefully, musical enjoyment. Adults with fond, or not so fond, memories of these shared hours between student and teacher will appreciate the author's honesty and humor. When I discovered that Tunstall and I unknowingly took lessons from the same teacher, my reading became even more meaningful. Perhaps you will also recognize with pleasure some forgotten part of your past musical life.

Mike suggests: Born Round

Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-Time Eater by Frank Bruni

Like all librarians, I cannot read all of the books that come through our library, so I'm lucky to have a wife who enjoys to read (and has very different tastes than mine)--so I guess it might be best to preface this suggestion as Mike's wife suggests . . . .

If you enjoy memoirs or consider yourself a foodie, Bruni's book is sure to appeal to you. As a young man and much later into his life, Frank Bruni struggled with over-eating and bulemia--so it comes as a morbid irony when he's tapped by the New York Times to become their food critic, a highly coveted position for foodies that leads to eating almost every meal out, seven days a week. Written with a deft hand and refreshing honesty and insight, Bruni's memoir goes beyond the run-of-the-mill addict memoirs. I'm betting you'll see this on a lot of "best of" lists for 2009.

Mike Suggests: Stitches

Stitches by David Small

In one of the most anticipated graphic memoirs of the Fall season, Caldecott Medal award-winning artist David Small relates his childhood spent suffering inexplicable and dreaded silences from his mother, radiology treatments imposed by his father, the madness of his grandmother, and escaping it all through his drawings and artistry. It's a beautifully told tale of heartbreaking family dysfunction reminiscent of Alison Bechtel's Fun Home or Dash Shaw's Bottomless Belly Button. This is a memoir that is sure to be an enduring example in the graphic novel cannon for some time.