The weekly post
The one with the fabulous Emily Gilmore
Hi friends, I hope you are continuing to stay well and safe. I’m writing to you this week feeling inspired by what I’ve been reading lately, and I’m really looking forward to sharing my most recent review with you.
I’m also feeling incredibly grateful because it’s been almost one year since I launched “it’s a quick read,” and I’ve been blown away by the response. This newsletter has brought me so much joy and connected or reconnected me with such wonderful people over its first year, and I’m deeply honored each time you share this newsletter with your friends and communities. My own reading has felt more reflective and meaningful because I get to share it with you all, and I’ve found so many great reads thanks to your recommendations. I’ll keep this from getting too sappy but please know it’s meant the world to have you follow along and keep in touch. And this gratitude and joy has only been further amplified this week to see the biggest turnout ever for this month’s Silent Book Club!
As always, wherever you are and whatever you’re reading, I do hope you’re taking care.
Currently Reading
UNDUE BURDEN: LIFE AND DEATH DECISIONS IN POST-ROE AMERICA by Shefali Luthra. I warned you a few weeks ago that I was desperate to return to my non-fiction roots, and only one-third of the way through this powerful read, I feel like my usual fiery self once more. It’s been two years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the impact is undeniable and far-reaching. This book outlines a clear argument: none of us - not even the ones in states where abortion is still protected - are safe from the repercussions of overturning this landmark case, and all of us must be moved to act. Luthra writes an infuriating, chilling, heartbreaking book, combining personal stories from women who have been directly impacted in the years since Roe fell with the history and politics of the anti-abortion movement. Though I consider myself a reproductive justice advocate, I am still learning a ton about this issue, and my hope is that this book can serve as an approachable resource to those who may have less familiarity with the movement. Abortion and reproductive care have been strategically brushed aside by conservative lawmakers as “woman’s issues,” but they are intrinsically tied to the economy, healthcare, personal freedom and privacy protections, and democracy. This book deserves to be read, discussed, and shared - and sooner rather than later.
Recent Recommendation
THE THIRD GILMORE GIRL by Kelly Bishop. I am utterly delighted to share this memoir with you, from the fabulous actress who played Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. Only recently released, Kelly Bishop’s first memoir has received strong, glowing reviews, and I feel certain that this book will make it into this year’s holiday gift guide.
First, and perhaps most excitingly for me, this may go on the record for being the first audiobook that I ever really paid attention to and enjoyed (finally!). Kelly Bishop narrates, and what a treasure to hear her share her own story, in her own words, and with the to-the-point directness and gravelly, yet regal, voice she is so known for. I loved learning more about her background: Bishop is a dancer by training and made her way first into the theater scene, winning the 1976 Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical) for her role as Sheila in The Chorus Line. She is honest about her insecurities she faced at the time. Bishop felt confident in her dance abilities, less so in her singing, though she really came into her own in the role, and it was a gift to hear her passion for the show and the experiences she had during her run. While Bishop eventually discovers a love for television and film, she always stays close to her roots of dance and theater, hopeful for opportunities on the stage.
What stood out to me most about Kelly Bishop’s memoir is the directness of her delivery. I read one review that described this memoir as “wholesome,” and it immediately took me aback. Wholesome, this book? Bishop is open and candid about her life experiences, many of which I certainly could not have predicted. Early on, she admits that she was given speed to get through a run of performances in Las Vegas, and while she didn’t know or understand what it was at the time, she has no shame in disclosing it now. She writes about her romantic relationships and takes accountability for her many missteps along the way. When Bishop shares that she knew from an early age she had no interest in becoming a mother, she doesn’t attempt to soften the language, and I cannot begin to describe how refreshing it was to hear such honesty. Though she faced no shortage of criticisms and questions, she knew it wasn’t a role she wanted to take on, and she doesn’t see a need to sugarcoat or justify that decision.
Perhaps this memoir has been described as wholesome because she doesn’t inflate any of her admissions to the status of “big reveals.” She is simply reporting on her life, and she does so without a hint of scandal or fanfare. Bishop also spends less time on lengthy analysis in her telling. Memoirs are so often marked by a build-up to a specific moment (often a trauma) and then breaking down the thoughts, reactions, and years-later reflections. This is welcome! It’s part of what makes memoirs so relatable and inviting, and it’s also so not Kelly Bishop’s style. Her story is relatable and inviting because she chooses to be honest and to-the-point about experiences that should be easier to talk about: heartbreak, divorce, access to health care, success, the list goes on. She leaves her own stamp on the memoir genre, unapologetically.
Of course, as a Gilmore Girls fan, it was a joy to hear Bishop’s reflections on her time as the often cold, always conflicted, ultimately loving character of matriarch Emily Gilmore. Discussion of the show comes much later in the book and takes up considerably less real estate than I expected - after all, she already had a hugely impressive and lengthy career before she was ever cast for Gilmore Girls. The love she has for the show, however, and the bonds that still persist among the cast and crew come through loud and clear. I loved hearing about the ways in which Lauren Graham looked out for Alexis Bledel; how Amy Sherman-Palladino fought for Bishop to be the show’s Emily; the discipline that Ed Herrmann and Kelly Bishop brought to the set; and perhaps most importantly, the connection that Bishop felt with her character and the Gilmore story.
I can’t recommend this memoir highly enough. The honesty and warmth left me with such gratitude for getting to spend this time with Kelly Bishop, and it was the perfect memoir to usher in fall.
Recommend for… fans of Tina Fey’s Bossypants, Sonia Sotomayor’s My Beloved World, and of course, Gilmore Girls
Up Next
Fall is inevitably when I turn to an annual reread. Current frontrunners include The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab or Good Material by Dolly Alderton, which will bring some lightness in while I finish Undue Burden.
Three Words
Happy one year!
Another excellent article, very informative and interesting. I will look into both books