Tell Me More: Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say

In Kelly Corrigan's "Tell Me More," the author shares vignettes about her life, and imparts lessons she has learned about communication, responsibility, and empathy. In her younger years, she drank and smoked too much, was fired from several jobs, shoplifted, was suspended from school, and racked up six thousand dollars in debt. Throughout it all, her dad was her champion, assuring her that she would become a mature and productive member of society. It took a while, but Corrigan eventually earned a master's degree in English literature, held down a good job, married the easygoing Edward Lichty, and became the mother of two daughters, Georgia and Claire.

Fifty-year-old Kelly Corrigan is candid, hilarious, self-deprecating, and wise. show more Readers will relate to Corrigan, who shouts her imperfections from the rooftops. She calls herself "a fed-up, put-out sourpuss," melts down over minor mishaps, has "vigilante tendencies," failed to visit her aged grandmother as often as she should have, and screams profanities when she is upset. On the other hand, she was a good friend when her pal, Liz, suffered through debilitating cancer treatments. In addition, she devotedly took care of her father during his final days. Kelly can be a Dr. Jekyll or Mrs. Hyde, a Mother Teresa or a shrieking harridan (depending on the circumstances), but she acknowledges her failings and resolves to correct them.

The takeaways from this breezy, high-energy, and absorbing book are: We should listen more attentively and talk less; admit it when we're wrong; settle for "good enough" rather than demand perfection; know when to say "no," "yes," or nothing at all; and tell the ones we love how much they mean to us. Corrigan writes from the heart with humor, insight, wit, and pizazz. She may be a mess at times (aren't we all?), but she owns up to her shortcomings and advises us how to live with ours. When we hit bumps in the road, it is sometimes difficult to regroup. As a really smart fellow once told Kelly, "We'd really be in trouble if we gave up on change or the potential for growth." Corrigan suggests that we adopt ways of thinking and behaving that will help us feel better about ourselves, strengthen our interpersonal relationships, and enable us to navigate life's pitfalls with a semblance of grace. show less

While reading the opening pages of the first essay in this book, titled, “It’s Like This,” I settled in to what I thought would be a collection of light, memoir-ish pieces. By the concluding pages of that essay, where Corrigan is herself settling in to what she realizes is her life (“It’s like this ... this is how [life] goes"), I realized these essays were going to be far more substantive (important, even) than I’d expected.

They’re not self-help, although they do inspire me toward a better self. They are memoir, sometimes about friends but mostly about family (the one Corrigan grew up in and the one she is co-creating), and are riveting with specificity and reflection. They’re wry and wise and touching, at times to the show more point of prompting tears. I loved them.

(Review based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher.) show less

When I read Kelly Corrigan, I always walk away wishing that she could be my next door neighbor and best friend. I first read The Middle Place shortly after it's publication in 2010 and have thought of it many, many times since. Corona's latest, Tell Me More, presents as twelve personal essays relating to each of the 12 things she's learning to say. I must admit, I have added all twelve along with a few notes about each to a notebook I've been keeping about yoga teachings and life lessons. Insightful, articulate and accessible, I cannot think of a single woman I know (I am a middle aged, middle class American woman) that would not pick up this book and have something to reflect about or learn. One of the later essays that discussed the show more passing of her dear friend, Liz, had me reading through tears.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks! show less

Loved this book for its honesty about the grit of life and the ways we can do better in tiny increments. No New Year's overhaul necessary. Written in the aftermath of grief of losing her beloved father and her dear friend within 6 mos., the 12 readable chapters focus on one word or phrase with a lot of life experience to back it up. Corrigan is so honest in her shortcomings - it's like a reassuring look in the mirror. There is humor too and an impressive poetry of swear words. The "12 hardest things" are: "It's Like This," "Tell Me More," "I Don't Know," "I Know," "No," "Yes," "I Was Wrong," "Good Enough," "I Love You," "No Words at All," "Onward," and "This is It" All require a degree of vulnerability and a willingness to put others show more first, if only long enough to spit out the selected phrase. But in so doing, a world of self-knowledge and reflection opens up. This book goes as deep as you will let it - the reader has to be vulnerable too. show less

“But the truth is that I’m always teetering between a mature acceptance of life’s immutables and a childish railing against the very same.”

After a very rough morning with my toddler and a muddy dog, this audiobook hit the spot. Corrigan is so honest about her struggles as a parent, friend, her daughter, and human being. Her reflections on grief were particularly touching.

This was another one of those titles that caught my eye, and I placed a hold on it based on what I assumed it was about rather than actual knowledge of what it was about.
It turned out to be an intensely personal, honest—at times, uncomfortably so—collection of stories from her life, many of them addressing grief. She’s a good writer, and she’s my age, so even though I don’t share many of her experiences, I found myself relating to her. I really liked the Tell Me More chapter. Being a good listener rather than a troubleshooter is a constant challenge for me, and that chapter had a really good example of a conversation that modeled this. That she was being coached by a good friend throughout—it was a phone conversation—made show more it more like sharing with her readers than lecturing them.
I read everything, including the interview with Jen Hatmaker at the end, and it was worth it to get even more insights into the author’s process and values.
This was an easy one to do in my chapter-a-day approach to reading nonfiction, and I’m glad I read it. People whose lives have been affected (altered? wrecked? I’m having a hard time finding the right verb) by cancer may find it especially moving. show less

Kelly Corrigan attempts to name and explain the phrases that make personal connection possible. A short read with an easy, informal style. A bit too chatty for my taste, but one of the noted appeals of the book. The author is definitely a word person, the emphasis on what is said, but includes a chapter titled "No Words at All" to look at nonverbal connections.