She Memes Well
Published June 15th 2021 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hardcover 293 pages
From comedian Quinta Brunson comes a deeply personal and funny collection of essays featuring anecdotes about trying to make it when you’re broke, overcoming self-doubt and depression, and how she’s used humor to navigate her career in unusual directions.
Quinta Brunson is a master of viral Internet content: without any traditional background in media, her humorous videos were the first to break through on Instagram’s platform, receiving millions of views. From there, Brunson’s wryly observant POV attracted the attention of BuzzFeed’s motion picture development department, leading her to produce viral videos there about topics like interracial dating, millennial malaise, and seeing your ex in public. Now, Brunson is bringing her comedic chops to the page in She Memes Well, an earnest, laugh-out-loud collection about her weird road to Internet notoriety.
In her debut essay collection, Quinta applies her trademark humor and heart to discuss what it was like to go from student loan debt-broke to “halfway recognizable—‘don’t I know you somewhere?’” level-of-fame. With anecdotes that range from the funny and zany—like her experience trying to find her signature hairstyle—to more grounded material about living with depression, Brunson’s voice is entirely authentic and eminently readable. Perfect for fans of Phoebe Robinson’s You Can’t Touch My Hair, Samantha Irby’s We Are Never Meeting in Real Life, and Issa Rae’s The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, She Memes Well will charm and entertain a growing, engaged audience.
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
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Even though it has its problems, I love BuzzFeed. I've been watching it for almost ten years and some of the recurring people on it almost feel like friends (even though they're totally not). I've even followed some of my faves onto different channels and platforms, like Safiya Nygaard or the Kitchen and Jorn Show. And if they write books, I totally buy them. So obviously this meant that when I found out that Quinta was releasing a book of her own, I was like YAAAAAASS.
Quinta's first BuzzFeed video was the International Doritos Taste Test, where apparently she was just a guest of Justin's (although she joined the team shortly after). This is just one of the facts you will learn about Quinta while reading this memoir. I also had no idea that she was internet famous even before BuzzFeed, because apparently she did a short comedy video called "He Got Money" from this sketch she did about a girl who's never been on a nice date.
SHE MEMES WELL touches on so many topics, and all of them work. You learn about her Jehova's Witness background, her thought on Black hair (and all the work that goes into it). She talks about working in the Apple store prior to doing comedy and how she ended up having to go back to the Apple store before finally making it big in comedy. She talks about not getting involved in internet drama and how it's hard being a woman and especially a woman of color on the internet. She talks about Black Lives Matter and how she had a cousin who was shot, which made her stakes in the movement extra extra personal. She talks about loving yourself and loving other people (be it romantic relationships or family) and about some of her favorite media that have inspired her, be it video games, books, music, or movies. I would honestly read an entire book where she just writes essays on her favorite movies, like Lindy West did with that one book S***, ACTUALLY.
After finishing this book, there really wasn't much else to say. I loved the randomly interspersed photographs, her outlook on life, and how she always tries to keep it real. I know a memoir is A+ if by the time I have finished reading it, I find myself wishing that the author was my friend. She was one of my favorite personalities on BuzzFeed and I'm glad she's doing well at staking it out solo, too.
4.5 to 5 stars
Rating: really liked it
Quinta is funny, but when she’s serious she tells so many truths about being a young, Black woman climbing up through a very white male internet-comedy industry. I enjoyed her observations about hair & parents.
As she’s grown in popularity, she doesn’t take anything for granted. Fame has surprised her, but this is a book about following your dreams and not giving up on yourself — even when you desperately feel like it while staring in the face of some white lady screaming at you in an Apple store because her iPad can’t read her dog’s paw! ◉_◉ A true and hilarious story, included in these essays.
I respect her grind, I enjoyed this memoir, and I really love an everyday regular-degular story about a Black woman following her dreams and doing the damn thing.
Complaints... the ending felt like she was just jamming shit in, I feel you, I get it. I understand one's need to do that... I get it. First books are like that. 2020 was a trying year. Your boyfriend also proposed... sounds like a healthy forgiving relationship, *shrug*.
Rating: really liked it
There ain't no better comedy show out there than "Black Lady Sketch Show." It is the only show I watch weekly--I've seen season 1 and 2 about ten times. LOVE love love love LOVE.
So this is how come I decided on my next comedic autobio. It's a goody. Soooo irreverent, it brings forth the pandemic and shur downs. Also--wow. Second City credits ALWAYS impress the shit outta me.
Love her innovation, her newness. But her small diva-isms are apparent. Like, you are barely starting out (at least I hope your career is in its infancy!)--can you imagine when you actually go home with an Emmy? THEN you can deny fans pics and autographs. Til then, hope to see you MORE in WHATEVER capacity, Miss Brunson!
Rating: really liked it
According to the author, this book took about four years to write since she was very selective about which essays to include. The time was well worth it as each essay is unique, humorous, and relatable. Essays cover her early years, her move to LA, and her current success. I had never heard of Quinta before this book, but my kids had. I was very impressed by the care she seemed to take in writing this book. She really went above and beyond to make it meaningful and true. As a result, I think this book will be especially loved by her fans and those who have grown up with social media. She offers some really sound and helpful advice.
Rating: really liked it
I love a great collection of essays. I think Quinta does a great job of telling interesting stories that thoroughly grasp your attention. Some of the essays I got into the the others fell a bit flat but overall I think this is an ok debut novel. Get that money girl!
Rating: really liked it
This was a great collection of essays that showed not only how funny Quinta Brunson is, but more importantly provided insight into who she is as a person as well as her background and how she got started in comedy. I loved the mix of comedy in with real, honest talk and thought this was well done in essay format. I'm excited to watch and see what all she does as she is just getting started.
Rating: really liked it
This was, for the most part, such a fun and enjoyable read! I caught some of Brunson's Internet notoriety as it happened, but wasn't there for everything. I became a big fan of Quinta through her Twitter, but most especially after watching her in
A Black Lady Sketch Show. I was excited for her as her career continued to climb, and kept rooting for her.
Finally able to return to local libraries and checking out physical copies again, I immediately grabbed this from the shelf as soon as I saw it. With COVID ongoing and coming out of a deep depression, I kind of forgot this book existed, and was thankful for the reminder.
This memoir is filled with her experiences, what shaped her most, and felt like she composed them with care, and I really just enjoy her as a writer. I said for the most part because she is open and honest about the Black experience as it pertains to her coming from a Philly background, and unfortunately gun violence is all too common a Black experience. So, those moments were hard to read and I had to put the book down for some time. In fact, I was reading it at a cafe and found a place I could stop without finishing the chapter and just got up and left. Something I've almost never had to do. However, I returned to it and was able to finish and am grateful that I have.
There's probably a bit more I could say about this one, but I'll just end on this:
She Memes Well is definitely one of my favorite memoirs.
Rating: really liked it
I really liked reading this one mostly because it’s been fun to see Quinta’s career develop over the past few years and I now have a new appreciation for her work. I remember first seeing the he got money memes in high school and then seeing her pop up on buzzfeed and various shows. It made me really excited to see her be more of a lead on Black Lady Sketch Show, missed her in season 2 but it was still great!!! And now I’m even more excited to see her show next year, Abbott Elementary!!! I feel like her book has added so much context to her career especially when it comes to her history with comedy and all the work she’s put in even from when she was young. I really look up to funny women and I feel like we don’t get to hear that much about how they got to where they are so to be able to learn about Quinta a little more was super cool. I look forward to watching her future projects and to seeing how some of the concepts she talked about manifest in her comedy writing.
Rating: really liked it
This took a long time cause I kept picking it up and putting it down. It was a kindle book and I don’t love ebooks so they tend to take me longer. I felt like she was incredibly honest and transparent. She was open, she just hasn’t had a lot of remarkable experiences so it made the memoir a bit flat. The chapters where she talks about her career and being a content creator were the most interesting to me and I wish she had delved deeper into her creative process and the business side of things. Either way it made me like her more cause I knew her memes but didn’t follow her on social media so I didn’t know her well. In her memoir she comes across as super relatable.
ETA: After watching Abbott Elementary I REALLY wish she had talked more about her creative process and shared more of her collaborating professional relationships and stories. Kinda like Tina Fey and Amy Poehler did. Either way it was a solid memoir.
Rating: really liked it
Quinta is so funny. I really enjoyed this book. more thoughts to come.
Comedian and actress Quinta Brunson shares her personal and funny stories about overcoming obstacles in life. Without any formal media training, Brunson created and launched her first video series on Instagram in 2014. Her videos quickly became the first to break through on the platform. In She Memes Well, Quinta talks about how she went from flat broke to half-recognized in her debut collection. Quinta Brunson hilarious, she spent about four years writing this book, which is a lot of work, but it was well worth it. Each essay is unique, funny, and very relatable. Thank you, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, for the gifted copy.
Rating: really liked it
A journeyI think if you picked up this book for laughs you will miss out on the things that make Quinta a performer. Essentially she takes her us on a journey of she became internet famous aka she memes well. I really appreciated how she described where and how she draws inspiration and it's literally from her family, friends, and experiences. She also shares wisdom on what has kept her grounded and areas she sees still working through. I really appreciated her insights and this book was so unexpected.
CN: violence, death, drug use, slut shaming, internet bullying
Rating: really liked it
Quinta Brunson was just a Philly girl living in a LA world with dreams of working in comedy when she became a meme sensation overnight! After her “Girl Who’s Never” videos started to garner the attention of the public and her move from the Apple store to BuzzFeed, Quinta was finally able to work on her internet content, sketch comedy, writing, and show pitches. In She Memes Well, Quinta B. talks about all the things that make her the self-proclaimed “semi-famous, expert Mario Party-playing, comedy-loving bad cook” that she is today; from her first meme experience to her appearance as a series regular on “A Black Lady Sketch Show”, Quinta uses this collection of essays to share her stumbles along her path from memedom to stardom.
Reading this felt like I was sitting on the couch with one of my homegirls and as a lover of Philadelphia, this book gave me all the nostalgia and homesick vibes for my beloved hometown. The anecdotes in each chapter mixed with her added humor made this a very down-to-earth and cool way of getting to know Quinta and I never knew we shared so many things in common, such as our height (I actually might be shorter than her lol), our love of Pharrell Williams, having four siblings, bonding with our nephews through video games, and of course our love for all things Philly!
My favorite chapters definitely had to be Quinta’s Classics, her time as a member of the high school fight Avengers 😂, the many life lessons you can learn from Mario Kart, Ahali, and her three great loves. I also liked how she explained the difference between being a celebrity and being famous and how she is in it for the craft as opposed to the notoriety. I’m glad that I got to read this as the Well Read Black Girl book club read for July and that I was able to attend the amazing zoom discussion with Quinta (she answered my question & I’m lowkey hype she said me name lol). I highly recommend this for those who have also read and enjoyed The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae.
Also, don’t forget to support Quinta by watching her new show “Abbott Elementary” when it premieres on ABC!
Rating: 💰💰💰💰💰/5 (5 money bags out of 5 because “Oooh, he got money!”)
Rating: really liked it
I’ve been a fan of Quinta since her days at Buzzfeed. She seems so down-to-earth and would likely be someone I’d become instant friends with based on our shared interests. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about her unwavering ambition and her journey to “internet stardom.”
Rating: really liked it
Nothing to write home about, and nothing to review about!!
Rating: really liked it
This book is a collection of personal essays in a memoir-style where the author discusses what it was like to go from a girl who loved the World Wide Web to a girl whose face launched a thousand memes. The theme is around having growth as a person while aligning with the development of the internet. It is funny, but it tracks the internet's digital-sharing age while also tracking the author's personal-sharing age.
One part that I loved is that the author involves the reader from the beginning and says, "All right, settle in. Here we go. This is why I'm doing it." We went along with the author and got to experience and relive all the things that had happened to her along the way. Somehow, we all got to share and celebrate. I found it highly compelling how she wrote about her experience of being black in America and her amazing education. What a unique way to be educated, through that lens of black history taking center stage.
My favorite line in the book was, "Does a like replace a lunch?" She also wrote, "I probably sound like a cranky, old person right now, but I just care about genuine connection because it has given so much. How often do you physically engage with what your friends are going through? Does a comment fill the same space as a call? Does a like replace a lunch? If you're lucky enough to have multiple close friends, even if they aren't life-long ones, what are you doing to show them that you value those people, that you want to maintain the relationship? What more can you do besides sending a meme or an emoji reaction? Sure, social media can bring us together, but it will not always foster those connections that can get us to grow together."
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/qui...
