About the Book

The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a humorous and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and hard-won wisdom, for fans of Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Kate Kennedy.

Book Synopsis

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

The debut poetry collection from Lyndsay Rush (aka @maryoliversdrunkcousin) is a humorous and joyful celebration of big feelings, tender truths, and hard-won wisdom, for fans of Maggie Smith, Kate Baer, and Kate Kennedy.

At long last, a book of poetry for people who didn't even know they liked poetry. And they're in good company: author Lyndsay Rush didn't know she liked it either. That is, until she embarked on an internet experiment under the Instagram username @MaryOliversDrunkCousin that turned into a body of work that struck a chord with women across the country; thanks to her signature wordplay, witticisms, and--against all odds--wisdom.

With titles like "Shedonism", "Someone to Eat Chips With", "It's Called Maximalism, Babe", and "Breaking News: Local Woman Gets Out of Bed", Rush's debut collection of poetry uses humor to grapple with the female experience--from questioning whether or not to have children, to roasting the patriarchy, to challenging what it means to "age gracefully"--and each piece delivers gut-punching truths alongside gratifying punchlines. Readers walk away from Lyndsay's work feeling seen, celebrated, and wholly convinced that joy is an urgent, worthwhile pursuit.

With over 140 convention-bending poems--most of which are never-before-seen--this book is quite literally A Bit Much.

Review Quotes

"A humorous and joy-filled collection of poems that celebrate the big and little feelings of life." --Southern Living

"This poetry collection about self-discovery offers readers a sense of camaraderie in its down-to-earth humor and keen emotional insights. This lyrical blend will resonate deeply with readers. It's a collection that's both memorable and refreshingly real." --Library Journal

"The début A Bit Much by Nashville's Lyndsay Rush is effervescent yet pithy, sometimes poignant, often vulnerable, and sprinkled with sass." --Southern Review of Books

"Irreverent...full of clever wordplay, deep feelings, and poignant observations about motherhood and the female experience." --SELF

"Deeply relatable, and bursting with joy, whimsy, abandon, and true, unencumbered delight. Mary Oliver said 'you do not have to be good'; I feel like her drunk cousin has added: 'but you ARE already fabulous, right in this moment, just as you are.'" --Melanie Zanetti, actor and voice over artist

"The wit! The wordplay! The teeny-tiny dagger embedded in the heart of every poem! Lyndsay Rush's collection is provocative, slyly observed, and legit laugh-out-loud funny. Every page is a f-ing delight. I LOVED it." --Sarah Knight, New York Times bestselling author of the No F*cks Given Guide self-help series

"A Bit Much has the kind of warmth, wisdom, and wit that will leave you crying, laughing, or cry-laughing. Lyndsay Rush's poetry brilliantly blends both the playful and poignant parts of womanhood through sharp observations, creative wordplay, and killer punchlines, placing you back in the scenes of your life when you most needed to feel seen. Every woman who has been made to feel like they deserve less will cherish A Bit Much." --Kate Kennedy, New York Times bestselling author of One in a Millennial

"Tender, smart, and downright funny." --Kate Baer, New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman

"Lyndsay's poems reinvent the tired societal messages women receive as feminist rallying cries. As funny as they are subversive, these poems will make you laugh, cry and share with all your friends." --Joy Sullivan, author of Instructions for Traveling West

About the Author

Lyndsay Rush is a comedy writer, cofounder of the branding agency Obedient, and the poet behind the popular Instagram account @maryoliversdrunkcousin. Her debut book of poems, A Bit Much was an instant USA Today Bestseller and her writing has been featured in Reductress, McSweeney's, New York magazine, and The New York Times. Lyndsay spent most of her adult life freezing in Chicago, but currently swelters in Nashville with her husband and young son.