From the publisher:
Fifteen leading writers explore what Gilmore Girls means to them in this delightful celebration of a contemporary TV classic.
Fast-talking, warm-hearted, and endlessly rewatchable, Gilmore Girls has bonded real-life mothers and daughters since 2000, when its iconic pilot introduced us to Lorelai, Rory, and their idyllic Connecticut town of Stars Hollow. More than twenty years later, it has become one of the most-streamed TV shows, ever.
In an anthology as intimate and quick-witted as Gilmore Girls itself, best-selling author Ann Hood invites fifteen writers to investigate their personal relationships to the show. (“It’s a show? It’s a lifestyle. It’s a religion.”) Joanna Rakoff considers how Emily Gilmore helped her understand her own mother; Sanjena Sathian sees herself―and Asian American defiance―in Lane Kim; Freya North connects with her son through the show; Francesco Sedita discovers an antidote to pandemic loneliness; Nina de Gramont offers a comic ode to the unreality of Stars Hollow. For anyone who identifies as Team Logan, Team Jess, or even Team Dean, Life’s Short, Talk Fast reveals what Gilmore Girls tells us about ourselves―and why it matters.
The writers in this anthology represent bestselling writers, BIPOC and LBGTQ writers, and a varying age range. This diverse group speaks to the broad appeal of Gilmore Girls. These topics include growing up with a single mother, examinations of motherhood from different ages, the fantasy of small-town America, being a single mother, the self-consciousness the show created for non-white fans, a queer look at Lorelai’s parenting that reflects the writer’s own parenting choices, the show’s comfort and impact during the pandemic, Rory’s life path and changes throughout the show and how it did or didn’t disappoint fans and how the guy you root for to win Rory’s heart actually reveals a lot about you.
Essays by Anjanette Delgado, Ann Hood, Annabelle Mei, Cathi Hanauer, Erin Almond, Francesco Sedita, Freya North, Joanna Rakoff, Katie Moulton, Michael Ruhlman/Chris Eigeman, Nina de Gremont, Rand Richards Cooper, Sanjian Sathian, Tracey Minkin and Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
This publication has not been prepared, approved, or licensed by Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc.; Warner Bros Television; or any other entity or individual associated with the creation or production of Gilmore Girls.
“In this heartfelt tribute to Gilmore Girls, contributors reflect on what the show has meant to them . . . The personal meditations are as soul-stirring as the show itself and shed light on its broad appeal. Gilmore Girls devotees will relish this.” -Publishers Weekly
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I’m a long time Gilmore Girls fan and rewatcher. I started watching with my daughter a few years after the pilot aired, but we only watched sporadically. When it started streaming on Netflix, I watched the entire series, and I’ve been watching it over and over again for years now. There are episodes and even most of a season that I hate, but I don’t skip them (I guess I’m a bit of a masochist?) There are episodes that make me cry, no matter how many times I’ve seen them. It is a comfort watch for me. I love these characters, the quirky small town, and most of all, the relationship between Lorelai and Rory, mother and daughter but more than that, best friends.
They formed that bond because the age difference between them wasn’t great – Lorelai was only 16 when she had Rory, and as a single mother with a terrible relationship with her own mother, Lorelai knew she wanted a completely different relationship with her own daughter. The series starts when Rory is 16 years old, so full circle. They are alike in so many ways, but also different in many others. It’s their dynamic that is so compelling.
In this book, several authors talk about their relationship with the show, with their own mothers, daughters, or sons. Their observations were interesting and educational – I never really thought about Lorelai’s coat collection (there were so many!) and her relationship with money. It was always there, sort of in the background until she needed help from her parents. Most of these authors are fans of the show, and one is definitely not – but his family are.
This is a book for the fans. If you haven’t watched it, this book won’t matter to you or even make much sense. But if you are a fan, it’s another way to visit Stars Hollow. It is thought-provoking, sometimes funny, and sometimes sad, but always interesting. It is the type of book you can pick up, read an essay or two, and put down again. I didn’t – I read it straight through, but you don’t have to. I didn’t always agree with what was said, but I enjoyed hearing all the different perspectives on a TV show that has meant so much to me. I appreciate the sentiments involved with this project, and I hope all the Gilmore Girls fans out there will find this book and love it, too.
As a mother, I’d be Team Logan for my daughter; as me, Team Jess (I married my own Jess!)
11/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch
LIFE’S SHORT, TALK FAST: Fifteen Writers on Why We Can’t Stop Watching Gilmore Girls, edited by Ann Hood. W. W. Norton & Company; An Unauthorized edition (November 12, 2024). ISBN: 978-1324079453. 208p.
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