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Title details for The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson - Available

The Wreckage of My Presence

Essays

by Casey Wilson
Casey Wilson
Audiobook
4 of 4 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
4 of 4 copies available

""Magnificent."" —People Magazine

The instant New York Times bestseller: Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multitalented actress, comedian, podcaster, and writer Casey Wilson.

Casey Wilson has a lot on her mind and she isn't afraid to share. In this dazzling collection, each essay skillfully constructed and brimming with emotion, she shares her thoughts on the joys and vagaries of modern-day womanhood and motherhood, introduces the not-quite-typical family that made her who she is, and persuasively argues that lowbrow pop culture is the perfect lens through which to examine human nature.

Whether she's extolling the virtues of eating in bed, processing the humiliation over her father's late in life perm, mourning her mother's passing, or revealing her patented method for keeping the mystery alive in a marriage, Casey is witty, candid, and full of poignant and funny surprises. Humorous dives into her obsessions and areas of personal expertise—self-help, nice guys, cool girls (not her) and how to receive visitors in the bath—are matched by touching meditations on female friendship, anger, grief, motherhood, and identity.

Reading The Wreckage of My Presence is like spending time with a close friend—a deeply passionate, full-tilt, joyous, excessive, compulsive, shameless, hungry-for-it-all, loyal, cheerleading friend. A friend who is ready for any big feelings that come her way—and isn't afraid to embrace them.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 4, 2021

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780062960603
      • File size: 186661 KB
      • Duration: 06:28:52

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Library Journal

      June 1, 2021

      SNL alumna, Bitch Sesh podcaster, writer, and actress Casey Wilson always knew she was destined to be famous; it didn't matter that no one else agreed with her. She paved her own way, even if it meant hijacking Susan Sarandon's assistant's phone line to book her own shows, or auditioning for roles while on the job. Reading Wilson's essays is not unlike being trapped in an elevator between floors with a high-strung friend who doesn't know when to stop talking, in the best possible way. Completely shameless, but also incredibly endearing, Wilson's essays share the elements that frame her existence: her closest relationships; the unexpected passing of her mother; and her "seeker" mentality that's helped along by psychics and Flywheel instructors, among others. Wilson's incredible collection of essays shines throughout, especially when seamlessly moving from gasp-worthy, low-brow humor to deeply heartfelt epiphanies about confidence, motherhood, and food addiction. VERDICT Equally irreverent and heartfelt, this collection is a roller-coaster, as Wilson shares her journey through the best and worst parts of her life. You might cry and scream, but you'll be eager to get back in line to take another ride. For fans of Samantha Irby, Judy Greer, or Sarah Silverman.--Alana Quarles, Fairfax County P.L., Alexandria, VA

      Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      May 1, 2021
      Actor (SNL, Happy Endings) and podcaster (Bitch Sesh) Wilson's first memoir is, at first blush, as big and kooky as one of the characters she has crafted or portrayed. In chapters ranging in topic from her love of lounging in bed and the Real Housewives franchise to spiritual explorations and family vacations, she is way out front, seemingly willing to bare her soul on the page. Rather than set up situations to showcase the glamour and glitz of her life as an actor, Wilson turns the trappings of fame into rich fodder for highlighting the absurdities of her Hollywood life. Her humorous writing flows in a rapid-fire, conversational tone, but underneath the laughs, the constant, human, and very relatable undercurrent becomes more apparent: this is also a woman seeking her footing through the grief of losing her mother and finding her place in the world. These personal (and yes, big and kooky) essays will appeal to fans of other funny female essayists like Chelsea Handler and Mindy Kaling, whether or not they are already devotees of Wilson's work.

      COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Author and narrator Casey Wilson uses humor as a thin veil for a great deal of heart in her captivating memoir (which she pronounces "memwah"). The "Happy Endings" actor shares details of her life in an energetic tone, maintaining her bubbly persona throughout. Her voice thickens with emotion only in moments when she shares the things that matter most to her. These contrast with the occasions when she delivers the word "sigh" as the auditory equivalent of an eyeroll, suggesting that the topic is so frustrating she won't bother with details. The low, urgent tone Wilson uses to portray her father's fondness for reporting who's been outed most recently in the Me Too movement is one of many times Wilson pairs serious topics with comedic flair. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
    • BookPage
      Casey Wilson’s The Wreckage of My Presence kicks off with an essay that zigzags from archly funny to matter-of-fact to poignant and back again, nicely setting the tone for the 20 essays that follow. In “Bed Person,” Wilson explains that she “wants to recline at all times,” whether in Pilates class, at parties or in a movie theater. She and her husband routinely eat dinner in bed, and baths are a regular part of her routine. “I am simply a person of comfort and excess,” Wilson writes, which she learned from her parents, an intelligent and eccentric duo prone to displaying big emotions in ways that made her feel humiliated or exhilarated, sometimes simultaneously. It was devastating when Wilson’s beloved mother died suddenly at 54, not least of all because her passing came at a time of great professional and personal change for Wilson, who’d just left “Saturday Night Live” and was newly cast in the show “Happy Endings.” Overwhelmed, she found solace in watching “The Real Housewives” of various cities. The reality TV franchise became an emotional and career-augmenting lifeline: Wilson's obsession helped her to reckon with her grief, and she now co-hosts the beloved Housewives podcast “Bitch Sesh.” ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Summer reading 2021: 9 books to soak in this season Fans who want more deets about “Happy Endings” will enjoy Wilson’s behind-the-scenes tidbits about the show and its stars. She also provides a list of amusingly pointed don’ts in “People Don’t Know How to Act” (e.g., “don’t not know if you aren’t funny”), details her fascination with Scientology in “Flyentology” and shares a tear-jerkingly lovely Louie Anderson story in “Cool Girl.” Throughout, Wilson is forthright about everything from her romantic regrets to her experiences with depression and anxiety. She’s successful in many arenas (screenwriting, comedy, movies, TV, podcasting) but views herself as a work in progress, whether as a mother of two, wife, colleague or friend. Her voice in The Wreckage of My Presence is funny and bold, occasionally manic or melancholy, and always hilarious and heartfelt. Fans will turn the last page wanting more.
    • BookPage
      You may know Casey Wilson from her brief stint as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live,” from her role on the beloved sitcom “Happy Endings” or maybe from her podcast on the Real Housewives, “Bitch Sesh.” But if you’re not familiar with her, you’ll certainly want to be after listening to her collection of essays, The Wreckage of My Presence (6.5 hours). As author and narrator, Wilson touches on all these projects, but you don’t have to be a pop culture devotee to find something relatable in her essays.  Each story is moving and hilarious, whether she’s trying to get out of an awkward dinner party, processing the death of her mother or recounting all the ways “people don’t know how to act.” Listening to Wilson’s narration is like getting good gossip from one of your funniest friends. She’s grounded but oh-so-hilarious, a combination that makes this audiobook a must-listen. Read our review of the print version of The Wreckage of My Presence.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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