First published 2010
Mike Birbiglia opens his life to readers in ways he never has before. The comedian known from Comedy Central and This American Life reveals deeply personal moments from his 32 years. He takes readers through childhood memories, awkward teenage encounters with girls at thirteen, complicated family dynamics with his parents, and his ongoing struggles with sleepwalking disorder. Birbiglia wrestles with how much to reveal, especially after his father warns him away from sharing such intimate details. The stories range from embarrassing to vulnerable, the kind he almost decided not to publish multiple times. Each chapter peels back another layer of his experience, showing the gap between his public comedian persona and private reality. The sleepwalking episodes anchor the collection, creating a thread that connects his various life stages. Birbiglia invites readers into his bedroom anxieties and family tensions with the same honesty he brings to discussing his sleep disorder. This comedic memoir captures the messiness of growing up while building a career in comedy.
Genres: autobiography, contemporary, biography-memoir, comedy
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Period: 21st-Century
191 pages · Hardcover · Simon & Schuster
Content warnings: mental-illness