- 'Add the twin mystique to a drug-fueled reality drama and you’ve got the recipe for double the intoxicating read in Christa Parravani’s memoir, Her, a sister book. Parravani offers a sinuous, startling, and intimate look at what it means to be share someone’s DNA by playing on the reader’s fantasies and stereotypes: confirming some—think Doublemint Gum commercials, Mary Kate.
- A list of 52 memoir prompts that will inspire. Use them to get over writer's block, as blog post topics, or as starters for longer pieces.
Back in my art school days, I enjoyed a brief but tragic flirtation with life as a Playboy bunny — yup, I was once a dedicated fan of The Girls Next Door. As as lifelong feminist (and a brunette.. for what that's worth), I was conflicted about my viewing habits, to say the least. Although I spent countless hours trying to pin down the conceptual and aesthetic value of the experience (give me a break, I was in art school), I think what I really enjoyed about the show was how well all the girls seemed to get along. On the surface, life at the Playboy mansion was like a cross between Disneyland, boarding school, and soft core porn — comforting, magical, and delicately enticing.
2012 and 2013 were banner years for funny women: New memoirs from way-pavers including Joan Rivers and first-time authors such as Mindy Kaling rocked the bestseller lists.
So, imagine my shock when the one and only Ms. Holly Madison released a memoir alluding to dirty tricks, dirty old men, and dirty lies during her time on the show and in the mansion? The salacious details dished out by the former bunny in her memoir Down the Rabbit Hole. With each revelation leaked to the press, I began to wonder what other secrets abound in the realm of the celebrity memoir? In the spirit of a steaming hot cup of OMG and a worthwhile guilty pleasure, I decided to read up on the topic and collect the most salacious stories out there for your reading pleasure. So, throw on your robe, toss your hair back, and prepare to be titillated — gossip just doesn't get any better than this.
Down the Rabbit Holeby Holly Madison
If you're going to go scandalous, start with the memoir that has set the Internet on fire these past few weeks with allegations of rampant drug abuse, catfights, and calculated press appeals at the Playboy mansion. Although it's not exactly The Brady Bunch turning on one another, Madison's memoir still has the power to turn the known world upside down, and that's rabbit hole enough for any true gossip hound.
No Lifeguard on Duty: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodelby Janice Dickinson
Although she's recently become a star witness in the case against Cosby — a genuinely horrifying and truly barbaric horror story worthy of general popular awareness — Dickinson was baring her sole long before the world started paying attention. So, if you're interested in peeling back the curtain and shining the light of truth on the worlds of fashion and beauty, you absolutely can't do better than Dickinson's passionate, no-hold's barred account of a misspent modeling youth.
Audition: A Memoirby Barbara Walters
A tawdry love affair with a married senator isn't exactly what you'd expect from the memoirs of a respected television journalist. And yet, with the publication of Audition, Adaptec scsi card 29320lp - ultra320 scsi driver. Barbara Walters was wise enough to let it all hang out, reminding us that just because you're conducting the interview, that doesn't necessarily mean you have all the answers.
I Make My Own Rules by LL Cool J
Over the years, LL Cool J has transformed himself from an early hip-hop icon to a pedagogical paragon of musical virtue, however life hasn't always been so sweet to the courageous crooner. With I Make My Own Rules, LL Cool J lays bare the true story of early childhood trauma and relentless rejection with honesty, rigor, and soul-shaking stoicism.
I, Tina by Tina Turner with Kurt Loder
There's nothing like a comeback story with its own soundtrack and all the death defying details laid out in black and white. Turner's extraordinary bravery and relentless pursuit of her own dreams in the face of an abusive husband and outsized odds make for a comeback story that just won't quit. Whether it's in the studio or at the villa, when it comes to underdog victories, I, Tina is as good as it gets.
Keep The Faithby Faith Evans
You haven't quite lived until you've read an account of Faith Evans walking in on Lil' Kim curled up with Biggie. Even years after the fact, Evans manages to bring the raw pain and pure passion of a life well and truly lived to a stinging climax with every passing chapter.
Whatever.. Love is Love by Maria Bello
Maria Bello's unexpected love affair with her very best friend caught everyone — including the two lovebirds — truly off guard. Only the boundless insight of an introvert and the willing exploration of an open and unbounded soul could bring a memoir of love across boarders both implicit and imposed to life with such astonishing fragility and enormous power. For a breathtaking account of love in the modern era, Whatever.. Love is Love has you covered.
My Storyby Marilyn Monroe
If there ever were a star more enigmatic and alluring than Marilyn Monroe, I certainly can't think of her. From the pout to the sway, from the sparkles to the singing, there's nothing about the elusive seductress that doesn't capture the imagination, even decades after an untimely death. So imagine the true-life tale of Ms. Marilyn Monroe — a no-holds barred account of her life and times straight from the lips of the ingenue and ask yourself — how have you not read this yet?
I am Ozzyby Ozzy Osbourne
When a man bites the head off a living creature, people are prone to ask.. why? For the answer to this and so many other questions, there is only I am Ozzy. Like the Nietzsche of a new generation, Ozzy answers questions of life, death, and heavy metal that challenge the very questions themselves and utterly transform the way you think about men in makeup.
Tab Hunter Confidentialby Tab Hunter
We don't often think about men in the studio system as Hollywood commodities, but with Tab Hunter's revealing memoir a whole new world of corporate greed, sexual manipulation, and cultural control opens up. For an old Hollywood taste of an oh-so familiar story, dig into Tab Hunter's memoir and you're sure to walk away satisfied.
Openby Andre Agassi
Funny Memoir About Girl With Depression
With attendance at Wimbeldon marked by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge and my most recent Instagram obsession, the one and only Chrissy Tiegen, tennis is experiencing something of a resurgence. But, before there was Roger Federer and the tireless Williams sisters, there was Andre Agassi and a legacy of drug abuse and personal failure that would spawn a transformation. If you like your gossip with a healthy dose of testosterone and just a dash of humility, Open should be right up your alley.
Elvis & Meby Priscilla Presley
There are rock and roll legends and then there is the King. If you're looking to wine, dine, and wind down with rock music's original bad boy, Priscilla Prseley's memoir is the only place you'll find the true life details of the King's own private life.. so what are you waiting for?'
The Way I Am by Eminem
Sure, you've seen 8 Mile, and you've taken your time with the classics on karaoke night (haven't we all), but if you really want to get close to the boy genius you've got to go literary. The lyrics may be explicit, but the autobiography is downright dirty.. and don't you deserve a little dirt after the day you've had?
A good comedy memoir is the best medicine on Earth (note: I am not a doctor). Everyone has their go-to genre to cheer up. When life gets you down, you might peace out to Westeros or Narnia. Or when you find yourself in the doldrums, you might reach for a hefty work of literary fiction to help you wallow. But for me, at least, the best attack on a gloomy mood is a well-written comedy memoir.
I was bitten by the funny memoir bug when I was about 10 or 11. My favorite musical at the time was Gypsy, and some negligent adult allowed me to check Gypsy: Memoirs of America's Most Celebrated Stripper out of the library. I was embarrassed to read it in public, because the cover was just as scandalous as you might think. And I'm sure a lot of the stuff about early burlesque theatre flew right over my head. But I loved the way that Gypsy Rose Lee looked back on her dysfunctional family with humor. I loved peering into someone's strange and sometimes sad past, but more than anything, I loved the way she could spin tragedy into comedy.
Some memoirs exist to give you a new perspective on life, or to remind you that people can overcome adversity. These memoirs exist because sometimes you just have to look back at your life and laugh:
1. Bossypants by Tina Fey
If you're a Tina Fey fan, chances are you've already read this book at least twice. Consider this an invitation to read it again (or for the first time, even if you don't know much about Tina Fey). Fey writes about her awkward childhood, her years as a struggling twenty-something trying to break into comedy, and her rise to SNL fame. But she also has time to skewer the beauty industry and the 'boy's club' of TV, and just generally inspire her readers to be as bossy and as funny as possible.
2. Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin
Steve Martin started his career at age 10. So he has plenty of comedic memories to go around. This book is funny, of course (it's Steve Martin). But it's also candid and, at times, heartfelt. Martin chronicles his life in comedy from his start as a teenaged magician in Disneyland, but he also paints a portrait of the era he grew up in, and of the trials and tribulations of starting out so young.
3. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
I, like everyone else on this planet, wish that Mindy Kaling could be my best friend. But she's probably too busy (and she lives on the other side of the country), so I'll have to settle for re-reading her first memoir. It's the perfect blend of bubbly, snarky, honest, and sheer fun. It's like a sleepover with friends, except you also get to hear about Kaling's adolescent awkwardness and her opinions on rom-coms as a sub-genre of science fiction.
4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Writing a book, as Amy Poehler reminds us several times in Yes Please, is very hard. But in this case, the hard work has paid off. Poehler is hysterically funny and inspirational, of course, because that's who she is. But she's also made of stern stuff, and her book is a testament to how strong you have to be to make your living as a funny woman.
6 Word Memoir Funny
5. The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girlby Issa Rae
Issa Rae is the creator of a hit web series, but, according to her memoir, she's also a hugely awkward introvert (and she's not shy about saying so). Her collection of essays is full of insight and honesty, but she has a gift for turning her misadventures into hilariously identifiable stories. It's not quite the same as her acclaimed web series, but it's a far more personal, and equally funny, piece of writing.
6. Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoirby Jenny Lawson
You might be noticing a slight pattern here: a lot of these comedic memoirs are written by people with painfully, unrelentingly awkward childhoods. Jenny Lawson is no exception, but she does take it to the next level. Her memoir is all about those excruciating moments that define us. And she doesn't pull any punches.
Funny Memoir
7. Harpo Speaks!by Harpo Marx and Rowland Barber
For the old school comedy fan, you can't get much more classic than the Marx Brothers. (If you've never seen a Marx Brothers movie, please do so at this time. I'll wait.) Harpo, famously mute onscreen, finally gets a voice in this absurdly funny, outrageous memoir. He writes about growing up in poverty, clowning his way to the top, and getting up to no good with the cinema and literary greats of the 20th century.
8. Me Talk Pretty One Dayby David Sedaris
Look, I know David Sedaris is old news by now. But damn is he funny. There's a reason his comedic memoirs are so widely read. He doesn't just crack jokes or try to get by on shock value: he digs down deep into the recesses of his childhood and his offbeat family history, and he uncovers gem after gem. And Me Talk Pretty One Day is quite possibly the funniest memoir ever he's written.
9. Girl Walks into a Bar by Rachel Dratch
If you've ever said, 'Who's that one woman from SNL? The Debbie Downer lady? Where'd she go?' this book has all the answers. Rachel Dratch is an actress and comedian by trade, so of course she's ready with zany stories about showbiz and being typecast as trolls. But she also has some sharp observations on life, love, and a late-in-life unexpected pregnancy.
10. Fresh Off the Boat by Eddie Huang
Celebrity chef Eddie Huang is also a hilariously gifted writer and comedian (because life is unfair), and his memoir is a candid look at growing up in theme-park America. It's got humor, family, and, most importantly, food. What else do you want in a memoir?
11. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
Book Alcoholism Funny Memoir
No list of funny memoirs is complete without Allie Brosh. Very few other cartoonists could cover everything from dogs to cake to depression with the heart and humor of Hyperbole and a Half. The illustrations are laugh-out-loud funny on their own, but Brosh's writing makes this memoir into the chaotic, hilarious book that it is.
Funny Memoirs
Images: Universal Pictures