Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

From the publisher:

A behind-the-scenes look into the creation and legacy of The West Wing as told by cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, with compelling insights from cast and crew exploring what made the show what it was and how its impassioned commitment to service has made the series and relationships behind it endure.

Step back inside the world of President Jed Bartlet’s Oval Office with Fitzgerald and McCormack as they reunite the West Wing cast and crew in a lively and colorful “backstage pass” to the timeless series. This intimate, in-depth reflection reveals how The West Wing was conceived, and spotlights the army of people it took to produce it, the lifelong friendships it forged, and the service it inspired. 
 
From cast member origin stories to the collective cathartic farewell on the show’s final night of filming, What’s Next will delight readers with on-set and off-camera anecdotes that even West Wing superfans have never heard. Meanwhile, a deeper analysis of the show’s legacy through American culture, service, government, and civic life underscores how the series envisaged an American politics of decency and honor, creating an aspirational White House beyond the bounds of fictional television. 
 
What’s Next revisits beloved episodes with fresh, untold commentary; compiles poignant and hilarious stories from the show’s production; highlights initiatives supported by the cast, crew, and creators; and makes a powerful case for competent, empathetic leadership, hope, and optimism for whatever lies ahead.

“What’s Next pulls back the curtain on the making of the iconic show, just in time for a pre-election rewatch.” –People

“[This] lively, engaging booktakes a deep dive into the series, including its origin, creators, casting, key episodes from its seven seasons, and more… Fans of the series (aka “Wingnuts”) will enjoy these on- and off-camera stories, and those who have never watched an episode will find out what they’ve missed.” –Booklist

“An entertaining history of the show grounded in extensive interviews with its stars, writers, and crew…the insider stories amuse, and meditations on the show’s legacy highlight its influence on real-life politicos.” —Publishers Weekly

“The authors gained excellent access to key figures on the show… plenty of insider trivia… [a] thorough exploration of a prestige-TV standard-bearer.”—Kirkus

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The West Wing is one of my favorite TV shows, and I constantly rewatch it. I know it is pure fantasy, but I love the fantasy and want to live in the Aaron Sorkin-created world where politicians work hard to make life better for their constituents.

I received the hardcover from the publisher over the summer. I still have trouble reading print books, so I read it a little at a time, which worked out perfectly because I got to savor it in a way that I don’t always get to do when I read on my Kindle. It is an extraordinary read about an extraordinary show.

The authors are two of the cast members: Melissa Fitzgerald played Carol Fitzpatrick, CJ’s assistant, and was there from the beginning throughout the series. Mary McCormack started during season five, and played Deputy National Security Adviser Kate Harper. Melissa was so inspired by the episode “In Excelsis Deo” that she ended up as the Director of Justice for Vets, a non-profit organization focused on veterans’ treatment courts that has since been rebranded as All Rise. Many of the cast have helped out with the foundation as well. A TV series that inspires public service is a rarity.

This book is for fans of the show. I am a diehard Wingnut and proud of it. If you love the show, you will love this book. If you don’t understand the popularity of the show – now celebrating its 25th anniversary! – then this book will make it clear why it is still popular so many years later. The West Wing was in the infancy of what is now thought of as prestige television, along with The Sopranos and The Wire, all from the same era. The cast was perfect, the writing incomparable, and the storylines interesting and engaging. The West Wing introduced the “walk and talk,” now a fairly common way of filming. Even the music by W. G. Snuffy Walden was unforgettable.

What’s Next is a must-read for any fan of the show. I loved it.

11/2024 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

WHAT’S NEXT by Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack. Dutton (August 13, 2024). ISBN: 978-0593184547. 608p.

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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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