I’m Just a Person by Tig Notaro
Review by Melissa B. (dragoneyes)
I honestly didn’t know who Tig Notaro was, yet, somehow, everywhere I looked, this book kept popping up. I finally decided to see what it was about. The synopsis showed a person who went through a horrific period and used comedy to help get them through it. As I was going through a string of bad luck, I decided that this might be just what I needed.
The book starts out with giving us a glimpse into Tig’s childhood. Raised by a mother who loved to party and a stepfather with a military background that was strict, Tig recalled the joys of childhood. I loved that she could call out her parents issues but still show their love for her and have that same love for them. Then the book goes from school to her setting out on her own. She finds a job in the music industry that pays little but one that she really enjoys. Later on, she finds herself up on stage as a comedian and it is all up hill until it isn’t.
In a span of months, Tig’s life starts to fall apart. First she get pneumonia then from there she gets C-diff. With that sickness, she loses an extreme amount of weight and almost doesn’t make it. Once she is out of the hospital, she is still very sick and in pain when she finds out her mother is dying. Reeling from the loss of her mom, she then goes through a break-up with her girlfriend and soon after is diagnosed with breast cancer. She goes through a period of feeling sorry for herself (who wouldn’t??).
Then decides that if she is going to die, she is going to do what she loves and get up on stage to laugh and make others laugh. She goes to her next comedy set and starts of with, “Hello. How are you? I have cancer.” That is the moment she becomes a star.
From there she talks about healing, not only physically but mentally. She goes on to talk about relationships and how they are so important, even more so now. It was a soul crushing journey but so uplifting in the end. Felt very grateful that she shared her story.
This is on my wish list! I was so impressed with Tig in her (way too brief) stint on one of the Star Trek spinoffs (Discovery, I think — I can’t keep them straight any more) that I went looking for more about her. Glad to know you found it interesting. Thanks for the review.