Week 12 Prompt - Non-Fiction

 Bossypants by tina Fey

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum?

• Highly narrative 

2. What is the subject of the book?

• Bossypants tracks the life of Tina Fey from a young nerdy girl to her appearance on Saturday Night Live. Fey shares stories of college, motherhood, marriage, and what it’s like working in a male dominated field. 

3. What type of book is it?

• Autobiography

4. Articulate appeal:

• What is the pacing of the book?

• This has a little bit faster pace with one story leading right into another. 

• Describe the characters of the book.

• Tina Fey is the main character in this book and brings a lot of humor into the story. Other characters and their backgrounds (both acting and personal) are described any time Fey talks about them.  

• How does the story feel?

• Witty and engaging

• What is the intent of the author?

• Fey’s intent is to give readers an insight to her life and career. 

• What is the focus of the story?

• Tina Fey’s life and how she achieved a career in comedy. 

• Does language matter?

• Fey writes a lot of humor into her book so I would say language is important to this story.. 

• Is the setting important and well described?

• It has been quite a few years since I’ve read this book so I couldn’t remember specific details enough to answer this question. I went back through the book and read a few passages and noticed that the setting was never really described (at least in the passages that I read). Much more emphasis was placed on the people that were in the memories that she was recounting. It seems to be more important to know what project she was working (SNL, 30 Rock, etc.) and who she was working with at the time while reading her story. 

• Are there details and, if so, of what?

• There are a lot of details surrounding how things were during specific projects. In one chapter she talks about how during her first week at SNL one woman was passed over for a part because they thought a man in a dress would be funnier. She compares this first week on the job to when she left nine years later and says that that would have never happened then. That nine years later no one would think a man in a dress was funnier than the women they had on the show. A lot of details in other chapters revolve around the people that she worked with. 

• Are there sufficient charts and other graphic material? Are they useful and clear?

• Sketch notes with notes and corrections along with photos are included in the book. I think they really add to the book because it allows a kind of backstage look at parts of Fey’s life. 

• Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experiences?

• I would say yes. This book is about Tina Fey growing and learning as she creates a career in comedy for herself. She talks about everything that she experienced in her career and how she got to where she is now (or where she was in 2011).

5. Why would a reader enjoy this book?

1. Character: anyone who is a big fan of Tina Fey would really enjoy this book. 

2. Mood/Tone: readers will find a lot of humor in this autobiography so those who prefer to laugh while they read will enjoy this book. 

3. Plot: those who enjoy reading about the entertainment industry would enjoy this book.