No Kidding: Women Writers on Bypassing Parenthood

In No Kidding, comedy writer Henriette Mantel tackles the topic of actually not having kids. This fascinating collection features a star-studded group of contributors—including Margaret Cho, Wendy Liebman, Laurie Graff, and other accomplished, funny women—writing about why they opted out of motherhood. Whether their reasons have to do with courage, apathy, monetary considerations, health issues, or something else entirely, the essays featured in the pages of No Kidding honestly (and humorously) delve into the minds of women who have chosen what they would call a more sane path.

Hilarious, compelling, and inspiring, No Kidding reveals a perspective that has too long been hidden, shamed, and silenced—and celebrates an entire population of women who have decided that kids are just not right for them.

Henriette Mantel is a television writer and producer. A stand-up comic and actress as well (she was Alice in the Brady Bunch movies!), Mantel wrote and directed the acclaimed documentary An Unreasonable Man about Ralph Nader. She has also written for many comics, including Ben Stein and Jerry Seinfeld.

Mantel lives in New York City.