Synopses & Reviews
“This is so well written. [When a book like this] comes along, it’s, like, ‘Thank you!’ What a great way to spend an afternoon, an evening, reading these essays. . . . Absolutely great.”—Jon Stewart
“[Merrill] Markoe is easily as funny as David Sedaris. She’s capable of manic riffs and acerbic skewering. Still, her good nature shines through.”—The Washington Post
In this hilarious collection of candid essays, including two pieces new to this edition, New York Times bestselling author Merrill Markoe reveals much about her personal life—as well as the secret formula for comedy: Start out with a difficult mother, develop some classic teenage insecurities, add a few relationships with narcissistic men, toss in an unruly pack of selfish dogs, finish it off with the kind of crystalline perspective that only comes from years of navigating a roiling sea of unpleasant and unappeasable people, and—voilà—you’re funny! Cool, Calm & Contentious is honest, unapologetic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always shot through with Merrill Markoe’s biting, bracing wit.
“This has been a great year for funny women. . . . Let’s call Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling exhibits A and B. Both owe a debt to those who came before, including Merrill Markoe.”—The Boston Globe
“Markoe’s goal is to find the absurdity in everyday life. That, coupled with her sharp wit, makes her writing sublime.”—BookPage
“Laugh-out-loud humor.”—Tampa Bay Times
“Not only crazy-funny, but crazy-heartbreaking.”—The New York Times
Review
"This is so well written. [When a book like this] comes along, it's, like, 'Thank you!' What a great way to spend an afternoon, an evening, reading these essays....Absolutely great." Jon Stewart
Review
"[Merrill] Markoe is easily as funny as David Sedaris. She's capable of manic riffs and acerbic skewering. Still, her good nature shines through." The Washington Post
Review
"This has been a great year for funny women....Let's call Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling exhibits A and B. Both owe a debt to those who came before, including Merrill Markoe." The Boston Globe
Review
"Markoe's goal is to find the absurdity in everyday life. That, coupled with her sharp wit, makes her writing sublime." BookPage
Review
"Laugh-out-loud humor." Tampa Bay Times
Review
"Not only crazy-funny, but crazy-heartbreaking." The New York Times
Review
"Now that I've read Merrill Markoe's latest book, I've learned a lot — about virginity, fetishism, sociopaths and narcissists, and how she explained the BP oil spill to her dogs. Also that Merrill is funnier, smarter, and more honest than anyone any of us knows. Just accept it — I have." Winnie Holzman, creator of My So-called Life, co-author of Wicked
Review
"Alarming and reassuring....Wait, that's impossible." George Meyer, writer, The Simpsons
Synopsis
This is so well written. When a book like this] comes along, it s, like, Thank you What a great way to spend an afternoon, an evening, reading these essays. . . . Absolutely great. Jon Stewart
Merrill] Markoe is easily as funny as David Sedaris. She s capable of manic riffs and acerbic skewering. Still, her good nature shines through. The Washington Post
In this hilarious collection of candid essays, including two pieces new to this edition, New York Times bestselling author Merrill Markoe reveals much about her personal life as well as the secret formula for comedy: Start out with a difficult mother, develop some classic teenage insecurities, add a few relationships with narcissistic men, toss in an unruly pack of selfish dogs, finish it off with the kind of crystalline perspective that only comes from years of navigating a roiling sea of unpleasant and unappeasable people, and voila you re funny Cool, Calm & Contentious is honest, unapologetic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always shot through with Merrill Markoe s biting, bracing wit.
This has been a great year for funny women. . . . Let s call Tina Fey and Mindy Kaling exhibits A and B. Both owe a debt to those who came before, including Merrill Markoe. The Boston Globe
Markoe s goal is to find the absurdity in everyday life. That, coupled with her sharp wit, makes her writing sublime. BookPage
Laugh-out-loud humor. Tampa Bay Times
Not only crazy-funny, but crazy-heartbreaking. The New York Times"
Synopsis
In this hilarious collection of candid essays, including two pieces new to this edition, New York Times bestselling author Merrill Markoe reveals much about her personal life — as well as the secret formula for comedy: Start out with a difficult mother, develop some classic teenage insecurities, add a few relationships with narcissistic men, toss in an unruly pack of selfish dogs, finish it off with the kind of crystalline perspective that only comes from years of navigating a roiling sea of unpleasant and unappeasable people, and — voilà — you're funny! Cool, Calm and Contentious is honest, unapologetic, sometimes heartbreaking, but always shot through with Merrill Markoe's biting, bracing wit.
About the Author
Emmy Award–winning writer Merrill Markoe lives in Los Angeles, California, the garden spot of America, with four dogs and a man. She has authored three books of humorous essays and the novels Nose Down, Eyes Up; Walking in Circles Before Lying Down; and It's My F---ing Birthday and co-authored (with Andy Prieboy) the novel The Psycho Ex Game. A lot of additional information about her — including a long bio, goofy videos, etc.—can be found at merrillmarkoe.com. After great amounts of hesitation, she is also on Facebook. But since she thinks about pulling the page down on a daily basis, check fast.