Parker Posey

Parker Posey, once known as the "queen of independent movies," has starred in many movies that I enjoy. Party Girl, for one, played a not insubstantial part in my choice of career. In this unconventional memoir, Posey addresses the reader directly as if one is sitting next to her on an airplane (and in the audiobook, this comes complete with the sound effects of the airplane taking off and a flight attendant serving drinks). After the first chapter, this affectation of writing in second show more person only pops up from time to time, but nevertheless, this is a stream-of-conscious memoir. Posey tells stories of her Catholic, Southern gothic childhood in a family of "characters" and her experiences on the sets of various films, including her work with directors like Richard Linklater and Christopher Guest. She also writes extensively about working with Woody Allen (and humorously impersonates his voice). While many actors have justified working with Allen, and its understandable that an independent actor would want to work with a notably independent director, I found it deeply unsettling that Posey doesn't even address that Allen is an accused child rapist. In other chapters, Posey goes into deep detail about her yoga practice, her work with ceramics, and her dog. It's clear that this book is meant to show that Posey is as quirky and funny as her movie characters, but sometimes its hard to tell if the self-absorption in these chapter is parody or for real.

Favorite Passages:

It’s an industry (an art, hopefully) full of orphans left to create their own worlds with one another. I don’t feel glamorous, I feel like a possum—the animal born clinging to its mother’s tail, that grows up by falling off it, and probably too soon. Acting is the possum’s defense. show less

I listened to the audiobook & really enjoyed it. The audio perhaps made it more palatable (I'm really surprised by the harsh reviews!) since it's in the form of a disjointed convo on an airplane. She's a nut. A dryly funny, self-aware nut.

I tried... I really really tried. I actually made it to page 216 before giving up. It was too boring for me. There was some funny parts. The beginning of the book was a mess. She was literally all over the place that I almost gave up then and should have but I thought it could or would get better. It did when she talked about her childhood. but when she started talking about moving and her movies, I didn't want to read anymore. I love her as an actress but I couldn't finish reading this show more book. Just not for me. show less

nonfiction/memoir
Parker Posey pretends to sit beside you on an airplane and talk your ear off about various things she's done and famous people she's rubbed elbows with. She's nice enough, but it's not the most compelling memoir I've read this year.