Does This Make Me Funny? - by Zosia Mamet (Hardcover)

About the Book

"From the singular mind of Zosia Mamet, a collection of charmingly witty and achingly vulnerable essays about the challenge and magic of growing up in show business"--

Book Synopsis

From the singular mind of Zosia Mamet, a collection of charmingly witty and achingly vulnerable essays about the challenge and magic of growing up in show business

You may know Zosia Mamet from her role as Shoshanna on Girls, or for being one of Hollywood's original nepo babies (or as she says, "So if I'm a nepo baby I'm like a B minus one at best and maybe not even a full one. I'm like a nepo baby lite, a nepito baby, if you will").

What you might not know is that as a toddler she visited theaters where her mom was rehearsing and crawled around on the floor, scrunching herself between seats; that she earnestly believed in Santa Claus for way too long; that she spent years navigating body image issues in hopes of finding elusive self-love; and that she was so overwhelmed and overjoyed when finally meeting her idol David Sedaris that she hid in the bathroom and melted into a "glitter puddle."

The essays in Does This Make Me Funny? introduce us to Zosia Mamet in all her glory--from her early days growing up in literary and dramatic circles, to her years as a young adult pining for acceptance and love, to her first attempts to make it as an actor, to where she and Shosh are now. A gripping, funny, and earnest look at what it means to be a girl in the world and how to define yourself amid the bustle of show business, Does This Make Me Funny? is a captivating debut from a natural-born storyteller.

Review Quotes

"...'Does This Make Me Funny?' isn't the lighthearted Hollywood romp you might imagine. The arch phrasing also confirms what fans already know: She really is very funny."
--New York Times

"Mamet has written a sneakily solid and earnest memoir in essays."
--Vulture

"The Girls star insists she's nothing like her former TV character, but she's got Shosh's off-center charm plus the humor and wisdom to make these essays shine."
--People

"Zany and charming."
--Harper's Bazaar

"Zosia Mamet's essays are sometimes hilarious and sometimes poignant; often, they are both. As an actress and nepo baby--a 'B minus one at best'--she gives us a front-row seat to what it was like to grow up in the entertainment industry, and somehow manages to make this rarefied experience deeply relatable. Ninety-nine percent of girl readers will wince in recognition."
--Naomi Fry, New Yorker staff writer

"Zosia makes you laugh and then breaks your heart and then makes you laugh again in this beautifully honest and brutally hilarious collection of essays. Her tales of relationship and show biz heartbreaks and triumphs are wildly personal and yet incredibly relatable. I didn't want the stories to end!"
--Andrew Rannells, actor and writer

"Zosia is an incredible actress in the same ways she shines here as an incredible writer -- hilarious, open-hearted, and full of courage.... No matter the love you may have for Zosia Mamet and the roles she has played, her willingness to show you her insides in these essays--the singular way in which she sees the world and how she contends with her own fears, insecurities, and longing for love that come along with her role of simply being human--will make you love her even more."
--Stephanie Hsu, actress

"Zosia Mamet is a wildly unique unicorn who grew up in the wildest, most nontraditional circumstances, who somehow manages to also be relatable, if not the readers best friend. Her book gives unprecedented access to inside the castle of showbusiness, while also having the semi universal experience of how to go through life as -gasp- a girl. This book is a must for all girls and everyone who knows a girl."
--Whitney Cummings, comedian

"Funny and moving ... contains some of the best descriptions of acting since Al Pacino's Sonny Boy."
--Kirkus

"There's more heft here than in standard-issue showbiz memoirs: Mamet's struggles with self-doubt and self-definition resonate, and her jokes land more like attempts at maintaining good humor in the face of a cruel world than pure silliness. This is a must for Girls fans, aspiring actors, and young women attempting to figure out who they are."
--Publishers Weekly

"...A highly readable personal essay collection...Mamet's vulnerable and empathetic essays will resonate with fans of Girls and readers struggling with self-worth, eating disorders, or mental illness."
--Library Journal, starred review

About the Author

Zosia Mamet is perhaps best known for her starring role in the Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning HBO series Girls. She can currently be seen starring in Peacock's comedy series Laid and was recently seen in the ensemble Netflix series The Decameron. Mamet also garnered critical acclaim for her SAG-nominated performance in the Emmy-nominated Max series The Flight Attendant. When she isn't on screen, you can find her at the barn riding her horse, or at home with her husband and snuggling their dog.