Genre: Memoir, non-fiction
Format: Kindle, 240 pages, own
Rating: 4 stars
Publisher's Summary:
One of America’s most original comedic voices delivers a darkly funny, wryly observed, and emotionally raw account of her year of death, cancer, and epiphany.
In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C.Diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words, “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer.” Word of the set went viral instantly. This set was ultimately released as Tig’s sophomore album, Live, which sold 100,000 units in just six weeks and was nominated for a Grammy.
Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year—a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, Untitled is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman’s journey through the darkness and her thrilling return.
In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C.Diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words, “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer.” Word of the set went viral instantly. This set was ultimately released as Tig’s sophomore album, Live, which sold 100,000 units in just six weeks and was nominated for a Grammy.
Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year—a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, Untitled is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman’s journey through the darkness and her thrilling return.
My Thoughts:
I didn't know much about Ms. Notaro until her Amazon semi-biographical TV show aired a couple of years ago. I devoured "One Mississippi" in one sitting and counted down the days until I could watch the second season. She has a rare honesty and a raw and subtle style to her comedy that I ate up. She allows people to see her humanity and in turn we see ours.
I'm so happy I finally picked up her memoir. She recounts her excruciating battle with C. diff, her grief for her mother who died very suddenly, and breast cancer all pretty much at about the same time. When you see Death looming at the door whether from loved ones or oneself, it changes you and her thoughts and insights come as no surprise.
"While you're alive, you should feel alive. I thought about how tomorrow or a week from now, or whatever date people tell themselves is the big day--a party, an award, show, a holiday--is no more important than the event of today. I thought: 'Every day is the day.'"
I enjoyed her perspective on the child-parent relationship. Her father Pat left her mother and her and her brother quite young. Her mother married Ric and he became their father for all intents and purposes. But he didn't quite know how to do that--how to show and feel all those complicated feelings. It took the death of Susie, his wife, to start expressing and coming to terms those feelings.
"He declared that he now realized it's not the child's responsibility to teach the parent who they; it's the parent's responsibility to learn who their child is."
I was saddened at how sick she got and how hard it was for her to reach out and let people know she's practically dying. I could feel how hard it was for her to be so sick and have to rely on others to help her out.
Another awful thing that stuck out (Ms. Notaro didn't mention it) was how hard it was for her to find adequate health care, to find doctors who gave a shit. It took a friend who had a friend who was a nutritionist to help her get her microbiome in her gut back up to snuff. No follow-ups after C. diff, no follow-ups after breast cancer and a double mastectomy. And this is a woman who was doing pretty well for herself when all this happened. It just blows my mind. Or how the hospital sent out a survey to her DEAD MOTHER to see how her care in the hospital was! WTF!
Ms. Notaro's story is one of heartache and grief. But one where she has learned to keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep trying hard things, and accepting love and help when she needs it. I look forward to more Tig in the future. She's just a person but definitely one of the better ones.
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