Guess which book I finished on my way back? You see it above. Truth be told, I was done by the time we were over Nebraska.
That's not to say that this Sunday Memory Drawer-like tome on Joan Rivers is slight. But, the writing is so breezy and fun that you zip through it so quickly that you even have time to nap before landing.
Regular readers will know that I'm still a big fan of the late Joan Rivers and miss her to this day. Apparently and understandably so does her daughter Melissa, who was so linked to her mother both privately and professionally. Indeed, given that Joan only died last September, this book came out pretty fast. Melissa relates that she got a business card from a book publisher as she was leaving the memorial service.
I'm not sure whether Melissa did write this all by herself. But, it is a stream of consciousness that appears very real and organic. It does have this feel of my Sunday Memory Drawer pieces and I like the comparison. Melissa comes off as very funny and genuine as she darts from essay to essay about her mom.
Growing up in Vegas night clubs.
The constant battles with Joan that are very much the same skirmishes any child would have with a parent.
The anguish dealing with a mother who is getting on in years but refuses to give up working. You realize that Joan was just like any other vibrant senior citizen. Looking to be independent even though the clock on the wall says she should be less so.
I was touched by the sentiment throughout this book. There was a smile on my face from the tarmac at JFK all the way to...I guess...Omaha. It made me also remember a similar flight back to LAX a few years back.
As I was upgraded to business class, I was taken aback by who was seated just two rows ahead of me. Melissa herself.
Whenever I'm with a celebrity in flight, my mind immediately jumps to the news headlines surrounding our impending crash.
"MELISSA RIVERS, 100 OTHERS KILLED IN FIERY INFERNO FROM THE SKY."
I grimaced a bit that day. To die and have Melissa Rivers as the main story? Gee, she's a nobody. Nothing more than the daughter of a celebrity.
But, after the journey I took with her and Joan through the pages of this book, I really shortchanged her. Maybe she didn't write this all herself. But it sure resonated with me. My folks were not show business stars. Her mom was. Still, together, we could share the same sentiments and sensations. Anybody who is now an adult orphan understands. So, as a result, "The Book of Joan" brings to light another member of the club that a select group of us can share.
An only child with both parents gone. Melissa Rivers, welcome. Your book is clearly the start of a long process.
And, trust me, your mother would be proud.
Dinner last night: Risotto carbonara at Palomino.
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