12 books in 12 months: #1 Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling’s book did not disappoint. If I were quoted on the jacket it would say, “Witty, insightful, and a window into the world that’s shaped Mindy Kaling into the comedienne we love today. If you’re not familiar with Mindy Netflix/Hulu/Google her work ASAP.”

As expected I laughed a lot. I’m a relatively new fan of Mindy’s work and at many points I can hear her voice in my head saying what she’s written. She's quickly become one of my favorite women in comedy. She's smart, sassy, and honest. And the character she portrays on The Mindy Project reminds me a bit too much of myself at times.
Highlights for me include looking at her childhood pictures. Especially the one on the back cover where she’s wearing large round glasses (like I used to), a cardigan with a button down underneath, and there’s a puppet on her hand. I just love looking at pictures of people during their preteen years. I can’t exactly explain why but I’m always interested in seeing how people looked as children.

Back cover of Mindy's book.

Other parts I enjoyed reading about were her former day jobs, working with Amy Poehler, dating, and the instructions for her funeral (dress code: chic devastated).

Hilarious.

One of the best chapters is titled Matt & Ben & Mindy & Brenda. In 2002 Mindy and her friend Brenda co-wrote and starred in the play Matt and Ben: Friendship Isn’t Always About Good Will while living in New York City. At the time the duo were a hot commodity in Hollywood. Mindy shared they entered the play into the New York Film Festival and it was later named Best Play out of 500 shows. The show was transferred to Off-Broadway then took on a life of its own. Because of the play Mindy was hired as a writer for six episodes of The Office, a new show with a mid-season start. Within that chapter (and the entire book) here's what resonates the most.

If I can give one bit of advice to any drama major, high school theater kid, or inmate who is reading this in a prison library with dreams of being cast in the prison play, it’s this: write your own part. It is the only way I’ve gotten anywhere. It is much harder work, but sometimes you have to take destiny in your own hands. It forces you to think about what your strengths really are, and once you find them, you can showcase them, and no one can stop you. I wasn’t going to be able to showcase what I did best in an Off-Off-Broadway revival of Our Town. I was going to do it playing Ben Affleck.

While I no longer have dreams of being a Broadway star what I take from it is find out where your talents lie, hone them, and find a career/hobby/passion that fits. It’s a lesson I needed to be reminded of. The journey that I’m on is not always easy but it’s reassuring to read how another artistic person is making creativity work for them.

“One must be careful of books, and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

-Cassandra Clare, The Infernal Devices