Bess Kalb is an Emmy-nominated comedy writer and the bestselling author of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me, a New York Times Editor’s Choice. She wrote for eight years on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and has written for the Emmy Awards, the Academy Awards, and the 2020 Democratic National Convention. She is the head writer and executive producer of the WGA Award-nominated Yearly Departed, an Amazon Comedy Special, and is currently adapting Nobody Will Tell You This But Me into a feature film with Sight Unseen Pictures.
"A funny, touching and timely reminder of the solace to be
found in kindred spirits." —People
“I delighted in Bobby’s joy. I cried twice.” —Miranda
Popkey, The New York Times Book Review
"A poignant and funny look at four generations of
women." —Stephanie Merry, The Washington Post
"A unique take on a close daughter-grandmother relationship; a
beautiful tribute to Kalb's grandmother, Bobby. Told in her
hilarious grandmother’s voice, Bess’s memoir chronicles her
family’s story and the love story between these two fabulous
women." —Zibby Owens, Good Morning America
"Reliably funny...poignant on the aftermath of loss. Written
from the sometimes acerbic, sometimes sweet and always laser-sharp
perspective of [Kalb's
grandmother,] Bobby Bell ... in between
are loving recollections of their relationship, including
snippets of conversations and voicemails and a steady supply of
life advice."—Chris Barton, Los Angeles Times
“I have never read anything that feels truer to my experience of
having a Jewish grandmother than Nobody Will Tell You This But
Me. Bess Kalb’s memoir is told from the perspective of her
grandmother, Bobby, and Bess captures her voice beautifully. Funny,
heartwarming, deeply moving.”
—Emily Burack, Hey Alma
"A love story that resonates across generations . .
. Grandma Bobby's personality radiates from the page. Like a
set of nesting dolls, those stories begin as Grandma Bobby recalls
the life story of her own mother, [whose] profound
vulnerability—and genius at survival—marks the matrilineal
line. With determination, creative thinking and practical
planning, Bobby helps lift herself and her family out of their
gritty working-class roots and into a comfortable lifestyle she
eagerly shares with her granddaughter, Bess. The two were
instant soulmates . . . The way Kalb honors her grandmother is
a testament to their connection. Original, moving, and
funny." —Alison Buckholtz, The Florida Times-Union
“Funny, tender and incredibly moving . . . Both a family history
and a celebration of the bond between grandmother and
granddaughter—a book that gives you a solid cathartic weep and a
renewed sense of joy in family ties.” —Mackenzie
Dawson, New York Post
“I have not been as profoundly moved by a book in years. If you
have a mother or grandmother, or ARE a mother or a grandmother,
this is required reading. Bess Kalb's fictional-factual tribute to
the relationship she had with her grandmother—the way her history
was passed to her by blood, along with bright memories and Jewish
guilt and fierce, fierce love—could have been my own story. When I
stop crying, I'm calling my mother immediately and making her read
it.” —Jodi Picoult
“Tender, funny, fresh, and unconventional, Nobody Will Tell
You This But Me manages to make something new and wonderful
out of a family memoir. Kalb has a light, lovely touch and a big
heart, which combine to make this book irresistible.” —Susan
Orlean
“I am in love with the all-consuming, hilarious, primal
relationship between Bess Kalb and her late grandmother, Bobby
Bell. This memoir made my heart swell, my eyes alight in amazement
and joy. Bobby regales her granddaughter with her infinite wisdom,
which is almost always over the top and a little bit critical but
delivered with love's exuberance.” —Al Woodworth, Amazon Book
Review
“Lively and fascinating, funny yet poignant. There are laughs
galore throughout the book . . . [yet] Kalb processes her own
grief as she writes, sharing how she reacted in the days following
her grandmother’s death. Kalb pulls off [a] daring
approach brilliantly—in a bold stroke of literary bravura, she has
turned the formula for writing memoirs inside out, bringing her
grandmother’s distinctive voice back to life and sharing it with a
legion of lucky readers . . . Enthralling.” —Alice
Cary, BookPage [starred review]
“Nobody Will Tell You This But Me is precisely that—a book no
one other than Bess Kalb would think to create. It’s an invented
form that has bursts of comic lines as good as in any movie, and
pathos as deep as in any novel. I love this book.” —Mike Birbiglia,
author of Sleepwalk with Me and The New One
“We are the stories we leave behind, and so we must depend on the
storytellers who carry forward our memories. 'Grandma Bobby' gave
Bess Kalb gifts of love and language (and lunches at the Plaza!),
and in this deeply moving and powerful book, Bess repays
her in full with a magnificent act of conjuring. Bobby, and the
line of stubborn women of which she was the keystone, lives on in
this act of love. This book made me miss my own grandmother, who
didn’t have Bobby’s style, but was just as fierce. I wish I had
listened to her as carefully as Bess did to Bobby.” —Peter
Sagal, host of NPR's Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!
"Thank you Bess Kalb for giving us Bobby. She is hilarious and
honest and heartbreaking and completely alive in these
pages—and I love her." —Gary Janetti, author of Do You
Mind If I Cancel?
“An endearing, bittersweet, entertainingly fresh take on the family
memoir. Kalb employs an unconventional yet highly effective and
charming narrative, channeling the voice and personality of her
grandmother, Bobby Bell, who snares readers' attention right from
the first, [as] Kalb sharply reimagines her inner thoughts and
remembers her fiercely nurturing criticism. The narrative
skillfully captures Bobby's wit, worldly advice, well-intentioned
meddling, and enduring love for her granddaughter. Readers familiar
with the Bobby in their own families will appreciate the stoic
overprotectiveness and exasperation that come with being a parent
and grandparent. As the book progresses, the story becomes both sad
and poignant—the photos and the imagined conversations make for
sometimes heartbreaking reading, honoring a beloved grandmother’s
legacy.” —Kirkus [starred review]
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