Shonda Rhimes
Shonda Rhimes is an American television writer, showrunner, producer and director. She created the medical drama Grey's Anatomy, its spin-off, Private Practice, the political thriller Scandal, and the legal suspense drama How to Get Away with Murder.
Being a celebrity television writer Rhimes got many invitations to speak at conferences, attend glamorous parties, be a guest on talk shows, travel to other countries to meet royalty, and more. Rhimes bragged about the invites to her family, but never accepted them. That changed after Thanksgiving Day 2013 when her sister Delorse muttered, "You never say yes to anything."
Delorse's observation gave Rhimes pause for thought, and though she was shy and nervous and the events were "too scary", Shonda decided to embark on a year of saying yes.
Rhimes' preference for solitude - and penchant for making up stories - began in childhood. She writes, "As a kid I liked to play with the cans in pantry for hours on end. My three year old imagination made a world of it's own." Influenced by the Watergate hearings her mother watched, little Shonda made up tales in which "the big cans of yams ruled over the peas and green beans white the tiny citizens of tomato paste land planned to overthrow the government. There were hearings and failed assassination attempts and resignations."
Little Shonda Rhimes
Three-year-old Shonda was happier in the pantry than she was with people, and that was still true of forty-three year old Shonda. But adult Rhimes wasn't satisfied with her life. Though she had several successful television shows and three wonderful daughters, Rhimes needed something more.
Rhimes' "saying yes" began when President Philip Hanlon of Dartmouth College - her alma mater - asked her to give the 2014 commencement speech. Shonda agreed, safe in the knowledge the event was
5 1/2 months away. Lightning struck sooner, though, when Rhimes was invited to be interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Shonda was terrified, "afraid she'd trip over her own feet, crack her head on the corner of Jimmy's desk, fall down and reveal her double Spanx to a national audience, have tsunamis of sweat rolling down her face, and finally faint on the floor in front of Jimmy's desk." In the end Rhimes agreed to do the interview if it was taped instead of live, and - because Jimmy Kimmel was such a solicitous and talented interviewer - things went very well.
Shonda Rhimes with Jimmy Kimmel (right) and actor Scott Foley (center)
Having gained confidence, Rhimes didn't experience the flop sweats she feared at Dartmouth, and it turns out she's an excellent speaker.
Shonda Rhimes giving commencement address at Dartmouth College
Rhimes opened her Dartmouth commencement talk by admitting she doesn't like to give speeches because she's afraid she'll pass out, or die, or poop her pants, or vomit. Then Shonda went on to explain how sad she was to graduate college.....to leave the wonderful environment of academia for the real world (she lay on her dorm room floor in despair while her mother packed her things).
Rhimes told the graduating seniors to be 'doers not dreamers' and acknowledged that, as a successful working mother she can't do it all. Shonda said, "Whenever you see me somewhere succeeding in one area of my life, that almost certainly means I'm failing in another area of my life. If I am killing it on a Scandal script for work, I am probably missing bath and story time at home. If I'm at home sewing my kids' Halloween costumes, I'm probably blowing off a rewrite I was supposed to turn in."
Shonda Rhimes with her daughter
Rhimes emphasizes there are trade-offs to being a working mom, but she always makes time for her children. She also acknowledges that 'to do it all', a working woman needs help at home, and lavishly praises her wonderful nanny Jenny McCarthy (not the anti-vaccine TV personality).
In her typical honest fashion, Rhimes also talks about her weight. Early in her 'year of saying yes' Shonda caught an unexpected glimpse of herself in a mirror and wondered "Who is that?" She recalls, "It actually takes a few seconds for my brain to catch up, for me to realize with shock that I am looking at my own reflection. I am staring at myself encased in many many extra pounds of fat, so many I'm afraid to get on a scale. I am massive. But more important I FEEL massive. I don't feel good. My knees hurt, my joints hurt, I'm exhausted all the time, I'm on high blood pressure medication, I can't get comfortable, I can't touch my toes, I am a mess. I need to eat a piece of cake to cope with this discovery." 😊
Rhimes' weight gain was related (in part) to the pressures in her life, to being what she calls "an FOD"- first only different. By this she means 'being successful while being a black woman', which is "an extra responsibility whether you want it or not."
Rhimes emphasizes that, when she made her first television show, Grey's Anatomy, she wanted it to look like the real world looks. Rhimes writes, "I filled it with people of all hues, genders, backgrounds and sexual orientations. And then I wrote all of them as if they were people with three dimensional lives." In fact all Rhimes' shows reflect this drive for inclusiveness.
In the beginning, though, this much diversity was trailblazing and brave, and Shonda had to work all the time. Rhimes writes "I stayed home more, I spent more time working, more time alone, more time hiding." And along the way she gradually doubled in size, almost without noticing. Rhimes says, "Being fat has worked for me. Being fat made me happy. Food works, there's the trouble."
Shonda Rhimes worked all the time
Rhimes decided her weight was another thing that had to change, and though slimming "was hard and not fun", she made up her mind to do it. Shonda dieted, learned to love salads, got a trainer, and eventually lost well over 100 pounds.
Shonda Rhimes lost over 100 pounds
Speaking about being awarded the Sherry Lansing Award at The Hollywood Reporter's Women in Entertainment Breakfast, Rhimes notes she was chosen "in recognition of breaking through the industry's glass ceiling as a woman and an African-American." In her acceptance speech, however, Shonda gave credit to all the women who had weakened the ceiling. She said, "How many women had to hit that glass to ripple it, to send out a thousand little fractures? How many women had to hit the glass before the pressure of their efforts caused it to evolve from a thick pane of glass to a thin sheet of splintered ice, so that when it was my turn to run, it didn't even look like glass anymore?" Rhimes goes on to say, "I didn't have to fight that hard. My sisters who came before me had already handled it."
Shonda Rhimes receiving the Sherry Lansing Award
Like many successful people, Rhimes was bombarded with requests for favors, and had to learn to say no. She writes, "It's much worse if you're successful in show business. All kinds of people decide that you are rich. And not just rich. They decide you are a bank. People came out of the woodwork, They wanted jobs, places to stay, money, scripts to be read, a part in the show, audition opportunities, tuition, films to be financed, introduction to celebrities, investments in their companies, you name it and I have been asked for it."
At first Rhimes couldn't say no, and her parents and sisters stepped in to act as human shields "forcing back the herds of weirdos and audacious money-seekers." But the family couldn't force back the people she thought were friends, people she was close to and dated, what she calls "the foxes in my hen house." After a while, Rhimes forced herself to say no to these people, and they didn't take it well. (It shows you who your real friends are.)
By the end of her 'year of saying yes', Rhimes had grown more courageous, shed some shyness, and learned to just open her mouth and talk. So the yeses continued.
Rhimes covers additional topics in the book, including adopting her children; going to their school and recreational events; her beautiful tween;
Shonda Rhimes and her daughter Harper
not getting married; meeting Oprah Winfrey and President Obama;
Shonda Rhimes and Oprah Winfrey
learning to take a compliment; falling out with some (former) close friends; her fabulous sisters and parents; and more.
Shonda Rhimes and some of her family members
Shonda also talks a little about her TV shows, but they're not the focus of the book. So if you're interested in scuttlebutt about Shondaland productions, you'll have to look elsewhere.
Shonda Rhimes with stars of her shows, Ellen Pompeo (left), Viola Davis (center), and Kerry Washington (right)
The book contains some interesting stories, and is worth reading. On the downside, Rhimes tends to be repetitive, and some parts of the narrative are overlong, rambling, and a bit boring.
Rating: 3 stars
Byron Lane
Byron Lane is an author, playwright, screenwriter, actor and former personal assistant to Carrie Fisher.
Carrie Fisher
This novel, about a news writer who gets a job as a personal assistant to actress Kathi Kannon, was clearly inspired by Lane's time with Fisher, though he takes pains to point out that the book is fictional. In fact, the beginning of the book has this additional demurrer:
"But seriously, I repeat: This is a work of fiction. That you might speculate as to the identity of certain key characters dos not alter the fact that all of the characters in the book, including incidental ones, their names, the dialogue, the locales, and all the events recounted, are fictional products of the author's imagination.".....etc.
- My publisher's attorney
I'll add an addendum of my own: Photos I include of Carrie Fisher are not meant to imply she's Kathi Kannon.
*****
Twenty-nine year old Charlie is deeply in debt, has a tiny drab apartment, hates his job writing for a small Los Angeles news station, and is acutely depressed and mildly suicidal.
Thus, when Charlie gets a tip that Kathi Kannon - Hollywood star and best selling author - is looking for a personal assistant, he quickly applies for the position. Charlie has loved Kathi since childhood, when he saw her play Priestess Talara in the film Nova Quest, for which he collected the action figures. It would be a dream come true if Charlie could work for his idol.
Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars
Princess Leia action figure
Charlie goes to Kathi's eclectic - and rather zany - house, where he has a nerve-wracking interview with the potty-mouthed actress, who likes to tease, joke, and poke fun.
Some rooms in Carrie Fisher's eclectic house
Charlie then has to wait for two harrowing weeks, with his phone glued to his hand, before he hears that he has the job. The position is far from a piece of cake, however. Kathi's former assistant neglected to leave an 'assistant's bible' detailing Kathi's schedule, habits, likes, dislikes, preferences, peculiarities, etc. and Charlie - who Kathi affectionately dubs 'Cockring' (ugh!!) - has to start from scratch.
Byron Lane and Carrie Fisher
After being schooled to wake Kathi up every day with Coke Zero over ice and her meds, Charlie learns to monitor every place Kathi goes for forgotten phones, sunglasses, earrings, bracelets, scarves, etc.; to clean her home of candy wrappers, soda cans, half-eaten brownies, 7-Eleven receipts, dirty silverware, and other detritus; to put away the books, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, and clothes Kathi scatters all over the place; to be ready at a moment's notice - day or night - to run to the store for something Kathi wants; to keep Kathi's apparel and papers organized; to sync Kathi's phone contacts with his, so he can keep track of her meetings and appointments; and so on. Most important of all, Charlie has a mission to keep Kathi - who suffers from bipolar disorder, alcoholism, and drug addiction - on the straight and narrow.
Carrie Fisher likes to have her things around her
Kathi's mother, a mega-famous actress everyone calls Miss Gracie, lives in a house next to Kathi's with her long-time personal assistant Roger.
Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds
In addition, an octogenarian maid and an elderly gardener - both of whom barely even pretend to work - also live on the estate.
Miss Gracie regularly gives Charlie thousands of dollars of 'vegetable money' - which he keeps in a purple backpack - so he can (try to) regulate Kathi's carefree spending.
However, Kathi often just grabs the money and sashays out to a place she calls Vegas. Kathi returns from her outings with shopping bags full of merchandise, including gifts for Charlie, the maid, and the gardener. Kathi is very loose with her credit cards as well, and on one occasion buys a pricey fur coat and immediately cuts it up to make a (useless) jacket for her dog.
Carrie Fisher and her dog
There are strong suggestions that Miss Gracie had to dramatically downsize to support Kathi's flamboyant lifestyle, since both mother and daughter are no longer making films.
On the upside, Kathi is smart, good-natured, clever and fun - and Charlie gets to accompany her on jaunts around Los Angeles as well as trips across the U.S. and to other countries. Charlie describes a stay in a luxury hotel in New York, a trip to Australia and Japan, a gay cruise (where Kathi is the entertainment), and a quickie hop to Yellowknife, Canada, where he and Kathi ride on a dogsled and see the Northern Lights.
Byron Lane and Carrie Fisher on a dogsled
Charlie stores up amusing anecdotes about his adventures with Kathi, and uses them as social capital when he meets a man he'd like to date, in person or on OkCupid. Charlie has little time for boyfriends though, and does most of his socializing with other personal assistants. The assistants meet for the occasional drink, and have an email network for sharing information. Charlie can ask for advice about shopping; doctors; food - whatever Kathi needs. This comes in handy when Kathi (inevitably) falls off the wagon and needs help.
The book is advertised as laugh out loud funny, and I did get a few chuckles. For example, at the upscale Hoshinoya restaurant in Japan Kathi and Charlie are served a special dinner that's a "royal and gruesome affair."
Charlie describes the dishes as follows: lobsters "that are still alive, their guts exposed, waving their antennae, begging for mercy"; drunk live baby shrimp bathed in alcohol; live octopi "flipping us off with each of their tentacles"; and "the most exquisite delicacies in all of Japan, raw squirming critters and beasts and something tarantula-like." Kathi and Charlie's efforts to hide the food in Kathi's purse are hilarious! And what happens when the waitress asks what they did with the shells?
Live lobster
Live shrimp
Live octopus
There are other amusing anecdotes in the story as well, but the book is largely a realistic peek at the lives of the (troubled) rich and famous. Charlie also has problems of his own. He grew up in rural Louisiana, saw his mother die when he was 12, and endured a bullying father who hated his 'effeminate traits.' Being with Kathi is healing for Charlie, and he notes that he felt only submission in his childhood, and only depression in his twenties, but now has "a reference for how it feels to be alive, to feel like I have a life worth living."
By the time Charlie leaves Kathi, to have a full life of his own, Charlie and Kathi have fallen into a kind of platonic love, both of them treasuring the time they had together, and being better people for it.
Carrie Fisher and Byron Lane
I like the book and admire Miss Gracie, who adores her difficult daughter and would literally do anything for her. My feelings about Kathi are more problematical. Kathi is a talented actress and writer, and a kind person, but she's also entitled and self-centered. Kathi opens pungent nail polish remover in the first class cabin of a commercial airplane; smears nail polish all over a cruise ship pillow; purposely spills melted ice on the floor of a limousine; is uppity with a saleswoman; dumps the contents of her purse out everywhere; and generally ignores the inconvenience she causes everyone around her.
As for Charlie, he's a nice fellow and (if he was a real person) I'd wish him happiness and love with his boyfriend 'Reid.'
Byron Lane and his boyfriend Steven Rowley
Thanks to Netgalley, the author (Byron Lane) and the publisher (Henry Holt & Co.) for a copy of the book.
Rating; 3.5 stars
This is the first book in the Cajun Country Mystery series, featuring amateur sleuth Maggie Crozat.
*****
After a bad breakup, artist Maggie Crozat moves from New York City to her home town of Pelican, Louisiana. There Maggie shares a shotgun house with her Grand-mere;
helps her parents run the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast;
and is a paid docent at a tourist attraction that was once the Doucet Plantation.
The Crozat B&B is full up for Fête de l'été (summer festival), the guests being an elderly newlywed couple; a young techie couple; three frat boys from Georgia; a family from Australia; a man from Texas; and four women who call themselves Cajun Cuties. Things go smoothly until the elderly newlywed couple drops dead. The medical examiner determines that the husband had a heart attack and the wife was murdered. Everyone at the B&B - owners and guests - are suspects in the woman's homicide.
Sheriff Rufus Durand is a good ol' boy with a grudge against the Crozats, whose status as 'southern royalty' is far above his working class roots.
Moreover, Rufus believes an ancestral Crozat put a curse on the Durands, dooming their romantic relationships forever. 🙄 Because of Rufus's antagonism - and poor policing skills - Maggie fears he'll pin the crime on a member of her family. Thus she decides to investigate herself, and scores an unlikely ally.
The Pelican Police Department has a new detective, Rufus's divorced cousin Bo Durand, who just moved to town.
Bo is honest, well-trained, and determined to do a thorough investigation. Moreover, Bo takes a shine to Maggie and her family, who are kind to his 7-year-old autistic son. Thus Bo encourages Maggie's sleuthing, and even provides a clue or two.
As all this is going on, the B&B guests are enjoying their holiday, doing things like sightseeing; exploring Pelican's natural beauty; buying souvenirs; looking for pirate Jean Lafitte's lost treasure; eating delicious cajun food (recipes included at the end); and so on.
Additional characters in the story include a police officer who loves his po-boys too much;
Rufus's girlfriend, who thinks she's scored a real catch; Maggie's cousin Leah, who runs a bake shop; Pelican residents who knew the victim; and more. There are a plethora of suspects for the crime, and Maggie has to use her intelligence, intuition, and puzzle-solving skills to close the case.
I enjoyed the story, which provides a nice feel for the ambiance of southern Louisiana, including it's flora, fauna, and food. On the downside, the depiction of ancestral plantation owners as being 'kind and helpful' to freed slaves is skewed (at best).
The book is a nice beginning to the cozy mystery series.
Recipes in the book include:
Crawfish Crozat
Chulanes (fruity pralines)
Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding
Rating: 3 stars
