Have I Told You This Already by Lauren Graham
In which I meet Lorelai Gilmore and review her latest book!
My mom and I watched the entire Gilmore Girls series plus the Year in the Life Netflix special, so I was very excited to get the chance to enjoy VIP Meet & Greet tickets for Lauren Graham's most recent book tour for Have I Told You This Already. We had a fun Meet & Greet experience, in which I walked up to Lorelai Gilmore and said "Hi, I'm Lorelei!" To which she said, "For real? On purpose?" And we had a brief but friendly chat about my name, how my mom owns a B&B and how we share a publisher (Penguin Random House) for our books!
With its bright lemon-yellow cover, Have I Told You This Already felt like the perfect book to read as we launched into summer break.
Synopsis:
Lauren Graham has graced countless television screens with her quick-witted characters and hilarious talk show appearances, earning a reputation as a pop culture icon who always has something to say. In her latest book, Have I Told You This Already?, Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling. Graham shares personal stories about her life and career—from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood.
In “R.I.P. Barneys New York” Graham writes about an early job as a salesperson at the legendary department store (and the time she inadvertently shoplifted from it); in “Ryan Gosling Cannot Confirm,” she attempts to navigate the unspoken rules of Hollywood hierarchies; in “Boobs of the ’90s” she worries her bras haven’t kept up with the times; and in “Actor-y Factory” she recounts what a day in the life of an actor looks like (unless you’re Brad Pitt).
Filled with surprising anecdotes, sage advice, and laugh-out-loud observations, these all-new, original essays showcase the winning charm and wry humor that have delighted Graham’s millions of fans.
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Review:
I had read Graham's previous memoir, and as with that one the stories themselves were overall interesting. Anytime I hear Lauren Graham talk or read something she's written, I'm deeply impressed with her quick wit and comedic timing and delighted that that part of her matches with parts of her character Lorelai. But it's not all fun and games. The stories she tells offer insights into someone who has worked very hard for her dreams and has done it with sense of humor intact. They also offer insights into an enigmatic industry that in many ways does more harm than good.
I think many people understand at some level that Hollywood expectations are unhealthy, but it did make me sad to read about the different kinds of pressure put on actors in terms of making their body look a very specific way that is difficult to achieve and maintain, and that often isn't healthy. It seems that Graham has detached herself from her earlier years of accepting the absurdity, but I also got the sense that while she knows it is absurd, she still generally plays by the Hollywood rules. Those parts of her stories led me down a bit of a spiral in thinking about the way I want my daughters to view their changing bodies throughout their lives, and brainstorming ways to continue to protect them from being infected by unrealistic standards.
I am also often surprised that people who shy away from formal religious affiliation seem to somehow have a much easier time trusting in the "Universe" or getting their fortune read. Lauren describes some of these things in her book. Getting one's stars read seems more silly to me than the depth of organized religion, and I also often wonder what it is that makes the idea of "The Universe" or astrology more palatable to some people. Perhaps one of those reasons is because an impersonal Universe or astrology don't ask anything from us, when organized religion often requires us to answer to something higher than ourselves in terms of how we live our lives.
Content Considerations: Mentions of getting fortune told/stars read. Unrealistic/unhealthy body standards, including eating restriction/deprivation.
Summary: An easy-breezy read with digestible stories that feel often amusing, sometimes comforting, but also a bit sad.
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