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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionseBook editionsI'm Down: A Memoirby Mishna Wolff
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldnt tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter Down. Unfortunately, Mishna didnt quite fit in with the neighborhood kids: she couldnt dance, she couldnt sing, she couldnt double dutch and she was the worst player on her all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool and painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent to a rich white school, she found she was too “black” to fit in with her white classmates. Im Down is a hip, hysterical and at the same time beautiful memoir that will have you howling with laughter, recommending it to friends and questioning what it means to be black and white in America. Mishna Wolff was one of the 2009 Sundance Screenwriting Lab fellows. She is a humorist and former model, who grew up in Seattle. She lives and writes in New York City. Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldnt tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter down. Unfortunately, Mishna didnt quite fit in with the neighborhood kids: she couldnt dance, she couldnt sing, she couldnt double dutch and she was the worst player on her all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool, and painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent to a rich white school, she found she was too “black” to fit in with her white classmates. Im Down is a perceptive and funny memoir that will leave readers questioning what it means to be black and white in America. “Mishna Wolff was a white girl who grew up in a poor black neighborhood. This funny, engaging, and perceptive memoir tells the story of how she managed to negotiate these two very different worlds, and emerge with her sanity—and identity—intact.”—Tom Perrotta, author of Little Children and The Abstinence Teacher “And you thought you had a hard time fitting in when you were growing up? Try on Mishna Wolff's bizarre childhood for size . . . Im Down explodes racial and cultural stereotypes with self-deprecating wit, wry humor and keen observation.”—Janelle Brown, author of All We Ever Wanted Was Everything “In a parallel universe—one, say, where Richard Pryor could be merged with Mark Twain and re-born with two x-chromosomes—the result would probably be Mishna Wolff. And her memoir, I have no doubt, would be as beautiful, funny, touching and irresistible as I'm Down.”—Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight and Pain Killers “Hilarious and sometimes tragic, Mishna Wolff's book is the expertly woven tale of a girl caught between two lives, two races, and two classes.”—Christian Lander, author of Stuff White People Like “A really, really funny book about the slings and arrows of growing up, of being a kid, of figuring out where you belong, of figuring IT out. The royal IT. Mishna's writing is fast, hip, edgy and so funny.”—Michael Showalter, comedian and actor “Hilarious, bittersweet, and full of soul (in every sense of the word).”—Wendy McClure, author of Im Not The New Me “This buoyant memoir is rich in detail but never feels over embellished . . . Im Down certainly has serious thoughts on its mind (Wolff actually grew up quite poor and hungry), but the tone manages to be light and triumphant because of the hilarious child-goggles Wolff wears while spinning her tales.”—Entertainment Weekly ( Synopsis:Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. This hip, funny memoir will have readers questioning what it means to be black or white in America. Synopsis:Mishna Wolff grew up in a poor black neighborhood with her single father, a white man who truly believed he was black. “He strutted around with a short perm, a Cosby-esqe sweater, gold chains and a Kangol—telling jokes like Redd Fox, and giving advice like Jesse Jackson. You couldnt tell my father he was white. Believe me, I tried,” writes Wolff. And so from early childhood on, her father began his crusade to make his white daughter Down. Unfortunately, Mishna didnt quite fit in with the neighborhood kids: she couldnt dance, she couldnt sing, she couldnt double dutch and she was the worst player on her all-black basketball team. She was shy, uncool and painfully white. And yet when she was suddenly sent to a rich white school, she found she was too “black” to fit in with her white classmates. Im Down is a hip, hysterical and at the same time beautiful memoir that will have you howling with laughter, recommending it to friends and questioning what it means to be black and white in America. About the AuthorMISHNA WOLFF is a comedian and former model who grew up in Seattle. She divides her time between New York City and Los Angeles. What Our Readers Are SayingAdd a comment for a chance to win!Average customer rating based on 1 comment: 
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