I'm Glad My Mom Died

Last updated

I'm Glad My Mom Died
I'm Glad My Mom Died Cover.png
Author Jennette McCurdy
LanguageEnglish
Genre Memoir
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
August 9, 2022
Pages320
ISBN 978-1-982185-82-4

I'm Glad My Mom Died is a 2022 memoir by American writer, director and former actress Jennette McCurdy based on her one-woman show of the same name. The book is about her career as a child actress and her difficult relationship with her abusive mother who died in 2013. This is McCurdy's first book and was published on August 9, 2022, by Simon & Schuster. [1]

Contents

Background

McCurdy had been a professional actress from age six until she announced that she had permanently stopped acting in 2017. [2] From 2009 to 2012, she was signed to Capitol Records Nashville, who released her self-titled debut studio album in 2012. [2]

McCurdy had previously written pieces in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and began writing personal essays shortly after. She sent some of the essays to her manager at the time, who encouraged her to write a book about her experiences. Rather than write a book, McCurdy created a one-woman show titled I'm Glad My Mom Died which she performed in Los Angeles and New York City. Plans to tour the show in other cities were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and she decided to write her material into a memoir. [1]

McCurdy stated that she had rejected $300,000 from Nickelodeon to not talk publicly about her experiences at the network, including actions of a producer at Nickelodeon described pseudonymously as "The Creator". [1] [3] [4] [5]

Book cover

The cover features McCurdy looking up and holding a pink urn with decorative paper spilling out. About the decision to use the photo for the book cover, McCurdy told Entertainment Weekly :

Confetti spilling out of an urn felt to me like a good way of capturing the humor in the tragedy, but I knew I didn't want to go as far as throwing the confetti or jumping in the air with a huge smile on my face or doing any other kind of body language / facial expression that could read as flippant. Ultimately I chose a facial expression that I think reads as sincere, a little pained, and a little hopeful. [6]

Synopsis

In the memoir, McCurdy discusses her childhood as a successful child actress, her brief foray into a career in country music, and the troubled and controlling relationship she had with her mother, Debra, who died from cancer in 2013. [7] [8] She describes a strained relationship with a producer at Nickelodeon she referred to only as "The Creator", who BuzzFeed News and other sources speculated to be Dan Schneider. [1] [3] [4] [9]

The book is divided into two sections, "Before" and "After", which describe the events of her life before and after the death of her mother. [10] [11]

Reception

The book sold out within 24 hours of going on sale at retailers such as Amazon, Target, and Barnes & Noble. [12] That same month it became a number one New York Times Best Seller for non-fiction in both hardcover and E-book, [13] selling over 200,000 copies across all formats in its first week of release. [14] As of early October 2023, it remained on the hardcover list 60 consecutive weeks. [15] According to Deadline, the book has sold nearly two million copies as of February 2023. [16]

I'm Glad My Mom Died was met with "rave" reviews from critics, with review aggregator Book Marks reporting that none of the nine reviews were negative or mixed. [17] [18] In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called the book "Insightful and incisive, heartbreaking and raw." [19] Kirkus Reviews , which also gave a starred review, wrote that the book is, "The heartbreaking story of an emotionally battered child delivered with captivating candor and grace." [20]

Nana Li Coomes of The Atlantic called it "a layered account of a woman reckoning with love and violence at once." [21] Dave Itzkoff of The New York Times wrote that the memoir was "a coming-of-age story that is alternately harrowing and mordantly funny." [1]

Sections of the book were referenced and discussed in the fourth episode of the docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV .

Accolades

Accolades received by "I'm Glad My Mom Died"
YearAwardCategoryResultsRef.
2022 Goodreads Choice Awards Best Memoir & AutobiographyWon [22]

Release history

Release history and formats for I'm Glad My Mom Died
CountryRelease dateEditionPublisherRef.
VariousAugust 9, 2022 [23]
  • Simon & Schuster Audio
 [24]
[25]

Translations

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Lynn Spears</span> American actress and singer (born 1991)

Jamie Lynn Marie Spears is an American actress and singer. Spears began her career as a child actress, when she played Zoey Brooks on the Nickelodeon teen sitcom Zoey 101 (2005–2008), and later reprised her role as Zoey Brooks in the sequel film Zoey 102 (2023). She plays Noreen Fitzgibbons on the Netflix romantic drama series Sweet Magnolias (2020–present). She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Gracie Award, two Kids Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She is the younger sister of singer Britney Spears.

<i>The Amanda Show</i> American sketch comedy television series

The Amanda Show is an American sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider and starring Amanda Bynes that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999, to September 21, 2002. A spin-off of All That, another Nickelodeon variety show featuring Bynes, The Amanda Show's cast members include Drake Bell, Nancy Sullivan, John Kassir, Raquel Lee, and Josh Peck. Writers for the show include Christy Stratton, Jenny Kilgen, Dan Schneider, John Hoberg, Steven Molaro, and Andrew Hill Newman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniella Monet</span> American actress, entrepreneur and singer (born 1989)

Daniella Monet Gardner is an American actress, entrepreneur, singer and television personality. Her early roles include Megan Kleinman on the CBS sitcom Listen Up (2004–05), Rebecca Martin on Nickelodeon's Zoey 101 (2006–07), and Inga Veinshtein in the mystery film Nancy Drew (2007). She had her breakthrough playing Trina Vega on Nickelodeon's Victorious (2010–2013), and continued to work extensively with the network, voicing Mitzi on Winx Club (2012) and playing Bertha in the Fred films and TV series (2011–2012). Her other film appearances include the independent features Taking Five (2007) and Aloha Surf Hotel (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Bamford</span> American stand-up comedian and actress

Maria Bamford is an American actress and stand-up comedian. Her work often uses self-deprecating and dark topics, including her dysfunctional family, depression, anxiety, suicide, and mental illness.

<i>Golden Dreams</i> 2001 film by Agnieszka Holland

Golden Dreams is a film about the history of California. It was a featured attraction at Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, opening with the park on February 8, 2001. It starred Whoopi Goldberg as Calafia, the Queen of California. On September 7, 2008, the last showing of the film to the public was made. The theater was razed in July 2009 and was replaced by The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure. However, the exterior replica of the Bernard Maybeck's Palace of Fine Arts remained. The final showing took place as a private showing for cast members on March 26, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennette McCurdy</span> American filmmaker and former actress (born 1992)

Jennette Michelle Faye McCurdy is an American writer, filmmaker, former actress, and singer. McCurdy's breakthrough role as Sam Puckett in the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012) earned her four Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She reprised the character in the iCarly spin-off series Sam & Cat (2013–2014) before leaving Nickelodeon. McCurdy also appeared in the television series Malcolm in the Middle (2003–2005), Zoey 101 (2005), Lincoln Heights (2007), True Jackson, VP (2009–2010), and Victorious (2012). She produced, wrote, and starred in her own webseries, What's Next for Sarah? (2014), and led the science-fiction series Between (2015–2016).

<i>iCarly</i> American teen sitcom (2007–2012)

iCarly is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay, a teenager who creates and hosts her own web show called iCarly with her best friends, Sam and Freddie in the apartment loft that she and her older brother, Spencer live in. As the web show quickly becomes an internet phenomenon, the characters are tasked with balancing their normal teenage lives with the wacky situations their newfound fame lands them in. By the fourth season, their school friend, Gibby also works with them on the web show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Kress</span> American actor (born 1992)

Nathan Karl Kress is an American actor and television director. Kress began his career at the age of three, notably appearing in several television commercials and providing the voices of Easy and Tough Pup in the comedy-drama film Babe: Pig in the City (1998). He resumed acting seven years later on the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! (2005), and thereafter had regular appearances on several Nickelodeon productions, including Toplin on the sitcom Drake & Josh (2007). Kress rose to prominence for portraying Freddie Benson on the Nickelodeon sitcom iCarly (2007–2012), which earned him five Young Artist Award nominations. He reprised his role in the revival series of the same name (2021–2023). He also subsequently voiced Wedge Antilles in the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels (2016–2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Figglehorn</span> Fictional character

Fred Figglehorn is a fictional character who appears in the YouTube video series Fred created by American Internet personality Lucas Cruikshank from 2006 to 2015 and revived from 2020 to 2021. The characters' initial popularity yielded other spin-off series and a relationship with Nickelodeon, including three movies and a television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Shively</span> American actor (born 1990)

Matthew James Shively Jr. is an American actor best known for his role as Ryan Laserbeam on the Nickelodeon television series True Jackson, VP. Beginning in June 2011, he began appearing on two more Nickelodeon shows: Winx Club as Sky and The Troop as Kirby. He co-starred in the ABC television program The Real O'Neals which debuted on March 8, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Martin (American musician)</span> American jazz musician

Andy Martin is an American jazz trombonist and Los Angeles studio player. He has recorded 12 albums as a leader or co-leader highlighted by the widely acclaimed record with the Metropole Orchestra. He is a member of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and was the featured soloist with Bill Holman big band for 15 years. Martin is also a member of the Pacific Jazz Orchestra led by Chris Walden, and has been in Tom Kubis' big band since its inception. Andy has recorded and toured with many renowned artists such as Poncho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, Quincy Jones, Michael Buble, John Legend, David Foster, Earth Wind and Fire, Lady Gaga, Lizzo, Cold Play, Metallica, Black Eyed Peas, Jennifer Hudson, Josh Groban, and The Who.

<i>Best Player</i> 2011 television film

Best Player is a 2011 comedy television film that aired on Nickelodeon on March 13, 2011. The movie stars Jerry Trainor and Jennette McCurdy, from the show iCarly. Filming started on October 24, 2009, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada and wrapped up production on November 18, 2009.

Gayle Brandeis is the author of Fruitflesh: Seeds of Inspiration for Women Who Write (HarperOne), Dictionary Poems, the novels The Book of Dead Birds (HarperCollins), which won Barbara Kingsolver's Bellwether Prize for Fiction in Support of a Literature of Social Change, Self Storage (Ballantine) and Delta Girls (Ballantine), and her first novel for young readers, My Life with the Lincolns (Holt). She has two books forthcoming in 2017, a collection of poetry, The Selfless Bliss of the Body, and a memoir, The Art of Misdiagnosis

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not That Far Away</span> 2010 single by Jennette McCurdy

"Not That Far Away" is a song recorded by American singer and actress Jennette McCurdy from her debut EP of the same name. Written by McCurdy, Blair Daly and Rachel Proctor, it was released to country radio on May 24, 2010, and as a music download on June 1, 2010.

<i>iCarly</i> season 5 Season of television series

The fifth season of iCarly began airing on Nickelodeon on August 13, 2011, and finished its run on January 21, 2012.

<i>Jennette McCurdy</i> (album) 2012 studio album by Jennette McCurdy

Jennette McCurdy is the only studio album by American singer, writer and former actress Jennette McCurdy, released on June 5, 2012, by Capitol Records Nashville. McCurdy was 19 years old at the time of the release and co-wrote six of the ten songs on the album. The majority of the album was produced by Paul Worley, who also produced her debut extended play, Not That Far Away (2010), while Jay DeMarcus of Rascal Flatts produced the album's first two tracks. One single was released from the album, "Generation Love", which charted for seven weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaking at number 44.

Sam & Cat is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider that aired on Nickelodeon from June 8, 2013, to July 17, 2014. It is a spin-off of iCarly and Victorious, two TV shows that Schneider also created. The series stars Jennette McCurdy as Sam Puckett from iCarly, and Ariana Grande as Cat Valentine from Victorious. The girls meet by chance during a bizarre adventure and become roommates, then start a babysitting business to earn extra money.

<i>Swindle</i> (2013 film) TV film by Jonathan Judge

Swindle is a 2013 television film starring Noah Crawford, Chris O'Neal, Jennette McCurdy, Noah Munck, Ariana Grande, Ciara Bravo, and Fred Ewanuick. Based on Gordon Korman's novel of the same name, the film tells the story of Griffin, a boy who retrieves his friend's valuable baseball card from an unscrupulous collectibles dealer with the help of his friends. Sneak peeks promoting the film aired on Nickelodeon during three Sam & Cat episodes and the final episode of Big Time Rush. The film premiered August 24, 2013 to an audience of over 4.2 million viewers. The film was released on DVD on March 19, 2014, and on Blu-ray on December 4, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Guillén</span> American actor (born 1990)

Javier "Harvey" Guillén is an American actor. He is best known for his role as the human familiar Guillermo de la Cruz in the television series What We Do in the Shadows.

<i>iCarly </i>(2021 TV series) American comedy television series

iCarly is an American comedy television revival of the 2007 Nickelodeon series of the same name. The series stars Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor, Nathan Kress, Laci Mosley, and Jaidyn Triplett, with Cosgrove, Trainor and Kress reprising their roles from the original run. It premiered on Paramount+ on June 17, 2021, to positive reviews. The second season premiered on April 8, 2022, while the third season premiered on June 1, 2023. In October 2023, the series was cancelled after three seasons.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Itzkoff, Dave (August 3, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy Is Ready to Move Forward, and to Look Back". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  2. 1 2 Spencer, Ashley (August 5, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy lived a teen star dream. Silently, she was suffering". The Washington Post . Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  3. 1 2 Cartan, Sabrina (August 18, 2022). "A Former Nickelodeon Star's Memoir Has Become the Summer's Big Hit Book. It's Very Clear Why". Slate.
  4. 1 2 ""This Phony, Bizarre Sphere": Jennette McCurdy's Shocking Final Days at Nickelodeon". Vanity Fair. August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  5. ↑ Spencer, Ashley (August 5, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy lived a teen star dream. Silently, she was suffering". Washington Post . Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  6. ↑ Marcus, Jones (April 4, 2022). "See the cover for former Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy's memoir I'm Glad My Mom Died". Entertainment Weekly.
  7. ↑ "Debra McCurdy (1957-2013) - Obituary". www.weremember.com.
  8. ↑ Sturges, Fiona (March 24, 2023). "I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy audiobook review – a painfully funny memoir". The Guardian.
  9. ↑ Koul, Scaachi (August 8, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy Is Glad Her Mom Is Dead (Along With Her Nickelodeon Career)". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  10. ↑ ""This Phony, Bizarre Sphere": Jennette McCurdy's Shocking Final Days at Nickelodeon". Vanity Fair. August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Jennette McCurdy rises above childhood trauma with new book". AP NEWS. August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  12. ↑ Hartzog, Oscar (August 12, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy's Revelatory Memoir Sells Out on Amazon, One Day After Release". Rolling Stone. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Combined Print & E-Book Nonfiction". The New York Times. August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
  14. ↑ Dwyer, Kate (August 17, 2022). "Jennette McCurdy's Memoir Is the Hit No One Was Ready For". The Wall Street Journal . ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 17, 2023.
  16. ↑ White, Peter (February 8, 2023). "Jennette McCurdy Signs With CAA". Deadline. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  17. ↑ "Book Marks reviews of I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy". Book Marks . Literary Hub . Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  18. ↑ Leone, Sophia (November 13, 2022). "SU needs more speakers like Jennette McCurdy who are outspoken on critical issues". The Daily Orange . Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  19. ↑ "I'm Glad My Mom Died". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  20. ↑ "I'm Glad My Mom Died". Kirkus Review. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  21. ↑ Coomes, Nina Li (August 19, 2022). "Don't Judge 'I'm Glad My Mom Died' by Its Title". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ "BEST BOOKS OF 2022". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  23. ↑ McCurdy, Jennette (August 9, 2022). I'm Glad My Mom Died. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   978-1982185824.
  24. ↑ "I'm Glad My Mom Died (Audible Audio Edition)". Amazon. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  25. ↑ I'm Glad My Mom Died (Audio CD). ISBN   179714796X.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.