Books
“Holy Shitballs” Kathy Griffin’s Memoir is Fantastic!
Jun 16th
Sick of Cribs marathons on MTV, I found myself searching for a new show to obsess over, and that’s when I came across the brilliantness that is Kathy Griffin; My Life on the D-List. I watched all five seasons of D-List in a few weeks and constantly quoted the comedian. Simply put, this is the funniest reality show on television. Those of you in dorm rooms sans TV can watch the BRAVO show on YouTube, here’s part 1 of the very first D-List episode:
I was hooked on Kathy Griffin’s outrageous humour on celebrity gossip, wishing that there were more episodes. So when I heard the release date of Official Book Club Selection; A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin was coming up, I pre-ordered it at my local book store. But don’t let Miss. Griffin’s savvy marketing skills fool you, Official Book Club Selection is not on Oprah’s book club.
The memoir’s foreward is a letter to O herself, asking to be a guest on the popular talk show, writing “And you will have to introduce me using your signature vowel-elongating bellow. Repeat after me: ‘KAAAA-THAY GRA-A-A-A-FF-A-A-A-A-A-N!’ I already have chills.” But then delves into serious topics like after-school binge eating and a pedophile older brother.
Griffin does not shy away from her own mistakes, even including pictures of her botched plastic surgery (photo caption reads “My post-op lipo photos? Or first date with Chris Brown?”) She talks about her family’s heavy drinking and her own decision to never drink alcohol, short-lived relationships, and Andy Dick’s shocking performance at a college.
She throws every celebrity under the bus (you better read up Steve Martin, you’re in for a doozy!) and includes great anecdotes of her encounters with A-Listers. But even when she’s not discussing dating Jack Black and Quentin Tarantino, everything written is an incredible page turner.
Many comedians cannot seem to translate their humour from oral to written word. It either comes across as too serious or trying too hard. But Kathy Griffin fans will not be disappointed, this red-headed comedian is just as funny in text as she is in speech.
Anyone who loves the latest celeb dish (and that means you PerezHilton readers!) should pick up a copy of Official Book Club Selection; A Memoir According to Kathy Griffin.
Non-Fiction Prejudice, Possible Side-Effects, and Coco Chanel
Jun 16th
Lately I’ve found myself in a reading rut. No longer are the Chick Lits I once thrived on enticing me. Instead, I’ve been going the more academic route and focusing my attention on non-fiction.
There was a time when non-fiction sent a shiver down my spine. Non-fiction? Bleh! But for the last year or so, I’ve been reading non- and only non- fiction. From Audition, Barbara Walters’ autobiography, to Capote, Wonderful Tonight by Pattie Boyd, and Gonzo, Jann Wenner’s biography on Hunter S. Thompson; non-fiction pieces have filled my bookshelf. No longer am I craving a new Shopaholic, instead I’m hunting for a new life story to read up on. Where’s the next Julie & Julia or Yes Man?
I guess this non-fiction obsession started with Augusten Burroughs. I will admit, I hated the first book I read by him. Running with Scissors was too graphic, too weird, too…something. It was just bad. But I gave him another shot and found myself giggling as I read Magical Thinking and Possible Side Effects. Burroughs has a terrific sense of humour, omitting embarrassment and disregarding being politically correct. He wrote a short story on wanting to be African-American as a kid, and praying to Jesus using his “full name” to stop the trespassing tooth fairy from breaking into his house and stealing his teeth. Funny stuff.
I think the reason why non-fiction gets a bad reputation is because it’s stereotyped. Yup, that’s right, there’s ignorance in the literary world. Non-fiction is stereotyped with being long, boring and tedious. It’s associated with history textbooks and, well, who wants to read that? Besides history junkies that is. And while there are many non-fiction books not dissimilar to history textbooks, there are many ones that are funny and just as good, if not better, than fiction. Humour? Augusten Burroughs is your go-to man. Tear-jerker? Take a look at Tuesdays with Morrie. Romance? Eat, Prey, Love will be your new Harlequin.
I don’t seem to be the only one not-so-secretly obsessing over non-fiction. Upcoming films prove that the fad of biopics is not yet over. Taking Woodstock, Coco Before Chanel, and Amelia are all takes on real people.
Taking Woodstock
Coco Avant Chanel
Amelia
Television also shows the non-fiction trend. Although reality TV has been hot for a while now, MTV is pushing further from “unscripted reality” shows like The Hills to more realistic dramas like 16 and Pregnant and True Life. And while I do like me some 30 Rock, a little dose of reality never hurt anyone.
So am I still on the non-fiction train? You bet’cha. My current read is The Big Rewind: a Memoir Brought to You By Pop Culture. I’ll fill you in on my thoughts when I finish it.