Music By THe Book / Bossypants*
by Priya Perera
When I set out to select a book for this month’s mixtape I was faced with a dilemma – my love of non-fiction stories was about to go head-on with my need for the lush lyrical landscapes that only fiction could provide for a good music mix…or so I thought. At the suggestion of my sister, I decided to take on the challenge and read Tina Fey’s recent release, Bossypants.
Along with the patent Tina Fey humor (the book reads like an audio book read by Fey herself), Bossypants chronicles Fey’s journey from being her parents’ “change of life baby” to her foray into improv at The Second City in Chicago that led to her days at Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, to having her own family. She gives us a glimpse into her experience of being the subject of a photoshoot, responds to letters she indirectly received via the internet (i.e. hate mail) and also leaves us with solid advice on how to deal with the adversity of convention – all in a manner that is tactful and indicative of her status as an “every-woman” that anyone can identify with. It’s an autobiography worth picking up, and that might even make you want to sign up for improv classes. And while you’re at it, here is some audio enhancement to take along for the ride:
1. R.E.M. “What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?”
“My whole life, people who ask about my scar within one week of knowing me have invariably turned out to be egomaniacs of average intelligence or less. And egomaniacs of average intelligence or less often end up in the field of TV journalism.”
2. Neil Diamond “Song Sung Blue”
“Then it happened. In the spring of 1981 I achieved menarche while singing Neil Diamond’s “Song Sung Blue” at a district-wide chorus concert. I was ten years old. I had noticed something was weird earlier in the day, but I knew from commercials that one’s menstrual period was a blue liquid that you pours like laundry detergent onto maxi pads to test their absorbency.”
3. Junip “Sweet And Bitter”
“But I was filled with a poisonous pointless teenage jealousy, which, when combined with gay cattiness, can be intoxicating. Like mean meth.”
4. David Snell “International Flight”
“Before I was born, my mother took my brother to Greece for the whole summer to visit family. When they were finally coming back, my dad washed and waxed his Chevy convertible, put on his best sharkskin suit, and drove all the way from Philadelphia to New York International Airport to pick them up. (In those days, international travel meant dressing up, smoking on planes, wearing Pan Am slippers, and flying into New York).”
5. Twerk “Defective Manufacturing”
“‘Defective’ was a big word in our house. Many things were labeled “defective” only to miraculously turn functional once the directions had been read more thoroughly.”
6. Robyn “Dancing On My Own”
“Thomas Jefferson – another gorgeous white boy who would not have been interested in me. That was problem in a nutshell. To get some play in Charlottesville, you had to be either a Martha Jefferson or a Sally Hemings.”
7. Lights Out – Santigold
“It was dusk when we got to the bottom of Old Rag, and when HRW and Jess-Chriss realized that neither of them had brought flashlights. After a quick debate about whose fault it was, they decided it didn’t matter and we should just start climbing.”
8. Interpol “Take You On A Cruise”
“There are guys playing steel drums and handing you drinks. They don’t ask if you are a recovering alcoholic or if you are on any medications that might interact negatively with alcohol. This is maritime law! You get a drink without asking.”
9. Grover “Over, Under, Around and Through”
“Again, don’t waste your energy trying to educate or change opinions. Go “Over! Under! Through!” and opinions will change organically when you’re the boss. Or they won’t. Who cares?”
10. Childish Gambino “I Can Hear Your Feet”
“I know what you’re thinking and no, I don’t have horrible messed up feet. Maybe my feet are so amazing that I want to shelter them so they can live a normal life. I don’t want them to be the Suri Cruise of Feet. Did you ever think about that?”
Purchase Bossypants on Amazon or at your local bookstore.
Priya Perera reads books and listens to music and likes to mix them up on Tadpole Audio.
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