by Leslie Jones
First published 2023
Leslie Jones opens her memoir with characteristic bluntness. At fifty-five, she admits her memory might be foggy from years of smoking weed, but the core truths remain solid. She takes readers through her Southern upbringing, then into the grueling early days of stand-up comedy when she drove between gigs through dangerous parts of the country, constantly fearing for her safety. Jones reveals behind-the-scenes moments from her breakthrough years, including what Chris Rock said to Lorne Michaels about her and a tense moment when she wanted to confront Whoopi Goldberg during her SNL tenure. She covers the Ghostbusters controversy, the leaked nude photos, and her experiences on shows like Supermarket Sweep and The Daily Show. Throughout, Jones examines the particular challenges of being a tall Black woman with a commanding voice in comedy. She explains how she learned to fight for respect and protect herself from exploitation in an industry that often overlooks performers like her.
Genres: african-american, autobiography, memoir, biography-memoir, comedy, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: intimate, personal-journey
Setting: United States
Period: 21st Century
288 pages · Hardcover · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: explicit-sexual-content