Ali's well that ends well : tales of desperation and a little inspiration

Title:

Author:

Wentworth, Alexandra, author.

ISBN:

9780062980861

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

188 pages ; 22 cm.

Contents:

I got it -- Mad men, and a woman -- You ain't nothing but a hound dog -- Humanity -- All for pizza -- The island -- Rake it out -- It could happen to me -- Unhappy birthday to you -- Plastics -- Hidden treasure -- Deliverance -- Guess who's coming to dinner -- Homeward bound, I wish she was -- Friends -- Charades -- College -- College part 2 -- The runner -- Generation gap -- The final chapter.

Personal Subject:

Wentworth, Alexandra.

Subject Term:

Television actors and actresses -- United States -- Biography.

Women comedians -- United States -- Biography.

Women -- Humor.

COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- -- Humor.

American wit and humor.

Genre:

Autobiographies.

Humor.

Summary:

"Like many, Ali Wentworth spent the pandemic seesawing between highs, lows, and baking an unnecessary amount of chocolate cake. Between binging every tv show in existence to conquering TikTok to becoming a (semi) empty-nester, Ali experienced her share of turmoil (including an early case of Covid), but she also grew a little, learned a lot, and found comfort in some unexpected people and places." --

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Lake Elmo Library	921 WENTWORTH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	921 WENTWORTH	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Stillwater Public Library	921 WENTWORTH	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Bestselling author Ali Wentworth offers a comedic look at family, friendship, and lessons learned during the Covid-19 pandemic in her new collection of laugh-out-loud comic vignettes.

Like many, Ali Wentworth spent the pandemic seesawing between highs, lows, and baking an unnecessary amount of chocolate cake. Between binging every tv show in existence to conquering TikTok to becoming a (semi) empty-nester, Ali experienced her share of turmoil (including an early case of Covid), but she also grew a little, learned a lot, and found comfort in some unexpected people and places.

In Ali's Well That Ends Well, Wentworth turns her gimlet eye to the year no one saw coming. With her signature irreverent style, she shares the most hysterical, absurd, and sometimes trying episodes that her family endured during the terrible global pandemic. Thoroughly relatable, absolutely charming, and filled with moments both hilarious and poignant, this terrific collection once again showcases the comedic genius of a beloved star who is "the girlfriend you want to have a glass of wine with, the one who makes you laugh because she sees the funny and the absurd in everything" (Huffington Post).

Author Notes

Alexandra Wentworth was born on January 12, 1965 in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. She is an actress, comedain, author and producer. Wentworth was a cast member on the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color from 1992 to 1994, where she was known for impressions of Cher, Amy Fisher and Hillary Clinton. She has also made correspondent appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Oprah Winfrey Show. In 1995, she played Jerry's girlfriend Sheila ("Schmoopie") in the famous "Soup Nazi" episode of Seinfeld. Wentworth's most notable film appearances include Jerry Maguire, Office Space and It's Complicated. Wentworth hosts Daily Shot, a short daily talk show segment on Yahoo! Shine. Her book, Happily Ali After: And Other Fairly True Tales, made The New York Times Best Seller List in 2015.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Comedian Wentworth (Happily Ali After) strikes gold in this hilarious, touching, and wonderfully frank look at her life during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Hers is a warts and all tale, filled with amusing takes on everything from a missing neighborhood dog to indulging in episodes of Love Island Australia. Not much is off limits, and even more serious topics, including her lengthy battle with Covid, are wryly rendered: "Empty glasses were piling up on the side table, and my body was constantly exfoliated by all the saltine cracker crumbs in my bed." She also writes of long, leisurely family dinners; less-than-bountiful attempts at gardening; her famous husband, Good Morning America coanchor George Stephanopoulos, who, much to her dismay, can't manage to close kitchen cabinets ("during the global plague of our lifetime... he grabs his granola and LEAVES THE DOOR WIDE OPEN!"); and offers a tale of two very different neighbors that sardonically explores how the best and worst of humanity can arise in a time of crisis. Throughout, Wentworth delivers her quips and quibbles with a perceptive insight that's sure to keep fans entertained while knowingly nodding their heads. Life for Wentworth is one big adventure, and lucky for readers, she brings them along for the ride. (May)

Kirkus Review

A collection of comedic vignettes about life during the Covid-19 lockdown. In her latest book, actor and comedian Wentworth focuses on her life during the first year of the pandemic. The author contracted the virus in March 2020, forcing her to spend more than two weeks in isolation. She describes her surreal experience getting tested and the even more bizarre "fever dreams" that accompanied her illness, and she recounts how her husband's (ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos) trip to the pharmacy to pick up her medicine made tabloid news. Wentworth also explores how our housecleaning standards changed for many of us during lockdown, and she shares the shock she felt regarding the state of her home when she emerged from isolation: "It was on par with a frat house after March Madness. It was Animal House. Literally and figuratively. As of that moment I wanted to put my family on double secret probation." Like many of us, the author picked up some new hobbies during that time, including gardening and clamming ("Like diving for shells, there is a treasure-hunt element to the endeavor that I find irresistible"), and ate lots of junk food--not to mention spending an inordinate amount of time surfing the internet and watching TV. Once restrictions lifted, Wentworth ventured back out into the world, and she writes about getting lost and seeing a bear on a girls' hiking trip and playing charades with Alan and Arlene Alda, Alec Baldwin, Marlo Thomas, and Phil Donahue. The author also shares poignant experiences from the time, including sending her daughter to college. "Think Cast Away, with my daughter as Wilson the volleyball," she writes. While many readers will find plenty of relatable and/or laugh-out-loud moments, the author's stories frequently diverge from the topic and include random, head-scratching details. A light, amusing work for fans of Wentworth's quirky sense of humor. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

I Got It	p. 1
Mad Men and a Woman	p. 11
You Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog	p. 21
Humanity	p. 29
All for Pizza	p. 37
The Island	p. 47
Rake It Out	p. 57
It Could Happen to Me	p. 67
Unhappy Birthday to You	p. 75
Plastics	p. 79
Hidden Treasure	p. 87
Deliverance	p. 97
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner	p. 113
Homeward Bound, I Wish She Was	p. 123
Friends	p. 131
Charades	p. 139
College	p. 149
College Part 2	p. 157
The Runner	p. 165
Generation Gap	p. 171
The Final Chapter	p. 179
Acknowledgments	p. 187

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Kirkus Review

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