Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life by Cindy Williams - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

HuntingtonM15 · 04-19-2015, 11:41 AM

I'm not sure if this has been posted here yet (I didn't see it if it has) but Cindy has a new book coming out May 1st. I look forward to getting it!

http://www.amazon.com/Shirley-I-Jest...shirley+i+jest

Marvo301 · 04-19-2015, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I'm not sure if this has been posted here yet (I didn't see it if it has) but Cindy has a new book coming out May 1st. I look forward to getting it!

http://www.amazon.com/Shirley-I-Jest...shirley+i+jest

Sounds like an interesting book. I hope they get it in at my local library since I can't afford to buy any books right now.

shotzette · 04-25-2015, 04:02 PM

I received my copy earlier this week from Amazon and read the whole thing in one evening. For a rather short book, 163 pages, it packed a punch.

The best parts of the book are Cindy's early days, from her very traumatic childhood to the early days of Laverne & Shirley. She has many kind words for the people who helped her in her early days.

If you are expecting a juicy "tell all" book, this isn't it. The whole "Laverne vs. Shirley" lawsuit when she left the show and her split from Bill Hudson get minimal attention. I actually like and respect Cindy more after reading this. I highly recomend it for her fans.

PracTz · 04-29-2015, 01:41 PM

I read it and I liked the attention to detail re her own growing up and then as she interacted with different performers after she became a performer [really liked what she had to say about "The Conversation" and Harrison Ford's antics]-. Morever; I was intrigued about how she and Penny Marshall staged a coup to decorate the soundstage to what would have been more realistic for struggling working class 20-something women back then(and,of course, I liked how she talked about how they made sure THEY thought the lines made them laugh before they committed to them). Then, too,it was fun reading how Miss Williams became more confident to participate in physical stunts as time went on so it wasn't just Miss Marshall carrying that load.
However; I was somewhat disappointed that the main narrative came to screeching halt right about the time Miss Williams and the show parted company shortly after she found herself in the family way. I'm not saying she needed to dish but such details as to how she and [her now ex] Mr. Hudson met, why she decided to marry him [in spite of a very public record re how his marriage to Goldie Hawn ended] , how her parents reacted, how her two now-grown children have fared (and whether they've had any interaction with their more famous half-sibs by Miss Hawn) all goes unmentioned. I mean, apart from mentioning she was pregnant with her daughter and crediting her then 3-year-old son for saying it would be a good idea to remake "Father of the Bride" [and that setting Miss Williams into motion to do just that], there's nothing mentioned about her children. The reader learns more about the origins and fate of Boo Boo Kitty than of Miss Williams's family of origin and offspring. Even a passage of 'I love them but they're not public figures so I must respect their privacy by not detailing their lives' would have sufficed. Yes, maybe her life since L&S may not have been as interesting to the reader but if one is writing an autobiography one shouldn't have totally ignored it.

HuntingtonM15 · 04-29-2015, 02:57 PM

I look forward to getting my copy, and will hopefully get the chance to have Cindy sign it next week.

Coffeecup · 04-29-2015, 04:37 PM

It is sad to hear so many people have traumatic childhoods. If the book hits my library I may consider it. The last book on an actor I read was Florence Hendersons.

shotzette · 04-30-2015, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

However; I was somewhat disappointed that the main narrative came to screeching halt right about the time Miss Williams and the show parted company shortly after she found herself in the family way. I'm not saying she needed to dish but such details as to how she and [her now ex] Mr. Hudson met, why she decided to marry him [in spite of a very public record re how his marriage to Goldie Hawn ended] , how her parents reacted, how her two now-grown children have fared (and whether they've had any interaction with their more famous half-sibs by Miss Hawn) all goes unmentioned. .

Bingo! Thank you for putting it in such an articulate manner. I know she's had a life since L&S ended and her marriage went under, but you'd never know it from this book. I like the generosity of her spirit in this book, but you can tell truths without wallowing in the mud. I wish she had talked more about her romantic relationships with David L. Lander and Henry Winkler and not spent so much time on Andy Kaufman.

I loved the beginning of the book, but I wish she had kept up the momentum and the honesty.

HuntingtonM15 · 05-06-2015, 01:56 PM

I enjoyed the book. I thought it was well written and the stories were well told. I don't believe that every person who writes an autobiography should be expected to make it a "tell-all." Celebrities should be free to share what they want, and withhold whatever they want. Unless a book is marketed a certain way, I don't mind what the content may or may not be.

With that said, I do agree with shotzette in that it ended a bit abruptly, with not much mention really of the past 25 years of her life. Maybe she felt it wasn't notable enough to write about, or maybe she has plans for another book someday. I thought she kind of hinted at the possibility of writing more someday, but who knows. In any case, I did really enjoy reading Cindy's own words about the stories she decided to share with us.

HuntingtonM15 · 05-06-2015, 10:57 PM

I've said it before on these boards and I will say it again--Cindy Williams is an all around class act! I went to see a play that she and Eddie are currently starring in locally, at the same theater they previously did a play six years ago.

I waited at the stage door after the show. Eddie came out first and was happy to sign a picture. Cindy came out a few minutes later and was extremely excited that I had a copy of her book to be signed. She said that it was officially the first copy she had signed. Eddie took a look at it, too, since he hadn't seen it before. Cindy flipped it over to the back cover for him to see the quotes, and she read the Harrison Ford one outloud: "A great read--I couldn't put it down. Not a word of it is true. Cindy Who?" Eddie said, "That's funny," and Cindy immediately said, "I know!"

She thanked me profusely multiple times, and even took a picture of me with her phone holding the book! I'm sure it came out horribly, but it's funny thinking that Cindy Williams has a picture of me in her phone. She chatted a bit more, before getting in the car with Eddie. And just like she did six years prior, she offered me a ride back to my car! I did not take her up on it, but she is so sweet to have offered.

PracTz · 05-24-2015, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HuntingtonM15

I've said it before on these boards and I will say it again--Cindy Williams is an all around class act! I went to see a play that she and Eddie are currently starring in locally, at the same theater they previously did a play six years ago.

I waited at the stage door after the show. Eddie came out first and was happy to sign a picture. Cindy came out a few minutes later and was extremely excited that I had a copy of her book to be signed. She said that it was officially the first copy she had signed. Eddie took a look at it, too, since he hadn't seen it before. Cindy flipped it over to the back cover for him to see the quotes, and she read the Harrison Ford one outloud: "A great read--I couldn't put it down. Not a word of it is true. Cindy Who?" Eddie said, "That's funny," and Cindy immediately said, "I know!"

She thanked me profusely multiple times, and even took a picture of me with her phone holding the book! I'm sure it came out horribly, but it's funny thinking that Cindy Williams has a picture of me in her phone. She chatted a bit more, before getting in the car with Eddie. And just like she did six years prior, she offered me a ride back to my car! I did not take her up on it, but she is so sweet to have offered.

It says something about Mr. Mekka's character that he not only has happily worked with Miss Williams long after the show was over but also didn't seem to take any issue with the fact that Miss Williams misspelled his surname 'M-e-C-C-a' instead of 'M-e-K-K-a' in her tome. I know she didn't mean any harm but a little Googling [or even a phone call to Mr. Mekka before the final printing] wouldn't have hurt.

TMC · 06-10-2015, 02:54 AM

http://www.etonline.com/news/165914_..._new_tell_all/

Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life will dish on life on the classic sitcom's set, including her romance with Andy Kaufman.

Chocolate Moose · 06-10-2015, 09:21 AM

Getting mine soon! Looking forward!

MichaelKeith · 06-10-2015, 09:40 AM

Great story about the autograph, HuntingtonM15. Good to hear that some celebrities are just down-to-earth good people. She seems a real class act.

Marvo301 · 02-14-2016, 07:33 PM

I picked up this book at the library yesterday and read the first four chapters last night. I'm really enjoying it. It's like sitting down and chatting with Cindy over a cup of coffee!

shotzette · 02-15-2016, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PracTz

It says something about Mr. Mekka's character that he not only has happily worked with Miss Williams long after the show was over but also didn't seem to take any issue with the fact that Miss Williams misspelled his surname 'M-e-C-C-a' instead of 'M-e-K-K-a' in her tome. I know she didn't mean any harm but a little Googling [or even a phone call to Mr. Mekka before the final printing] wouldn't have hurt.

Actually, that is something that the author who assisted her with the book, David Smitheren should have taken care of. Or his assistant, the editor, the fact checker (person who is literally paid to take care of stuff like this), or a host of other people. I just hope that Eddie Mekka gained some career attention from the mention. He's a very talented performer and I'd like to see him do something more lucrative than summer stock musicals.

04-19-2015, 11:41 AM	#1
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life by Cindy Williams I'm not sure if this has been posted here yet (I didn't see it if it has) but Cindy has a new book coming out May 1st. I look forward to getting it! http://www.amazon.com/Shirley-I-Jest...shirley+i+jest

04-29-2015, 01:41 PM	#4
PracTz Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2002 Location: United States of America [Happily Living in the 20th Century] Posts: 2,711	"Shirley I Jest" B Minus I read it and I liked the attention to detail re her own growing up and then as she interacted with different performers after she became a performer [really liked what she had to say about "The Conversation" and Harrison Ford's antics]-. Morever; I was intrigued about how she and Penny Marshall staged a coup to decorate the soundstage to what would have been more realistic for struggling working class 20-something women back then(and,of course, I liked how she talked about how they made sure THEY thought the lines made them laugh before they committed to them). Then, too,it was fun reading how Miss Williams became more confident to participate in physical stunts as time went on so it wasn't just Miss Marshall carrying that load. However; I was somewhat disappointed that the main narrative came to screeching halt right about the time Miss Williams and the show parted company shortly after she found herself in the family way. I'm not saying she needed to dish but such details as to how she and [her now ex] Mr. Hudson met, why she decided to marry him [in spite of a very public record re how his marriage to Goldie Hawn ended] , how her parents reacted, how her two now-grown children have fared (and whether they've had any interaction with their more famous half-sibs by Miss Hawn) all goes unmentioned. I mean, apart from mentioning she was pregnant with her daughter and crediting her then 3-year-old son for saying it would be a good idea to remake "Father of the Bride" [and that setting Miss Williams into motion to do just that], there's nothing mentioned about her children. The reader learns more about the origins and fate of Boo Boo Kitty than of Miss Williams's family of origin and offspring. Even a passage of 'I love them but they're not public figures so I must respect their privacy by not detailing their lives' would have sufficed. Yes, maybe her life since L&S may not have been as interesting to the reader but if one is writing an autobiography one shouldn't have totally ignored it.

06-10-2015, 09:21 AM	#12
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,899	Getting mine soon! Looking forward!
	__________________ How long a minute is, depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

04-25-2015, 04:02 PM	#3
shotzette Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2004 Posts: 1,782	I received my copy earlier this week from Amazon and read the whole thing in one evening. For a rather short book, 163 pages, it packed a punch. The best parts of the book are Cindy's early days, from her very traumatic childhood to the early days of Laverne & Shirley. She has many kind words for the people who helped her in her early days. If you are expecting a juicy "tell all" book, this isn't it. The whole "Laverne vs. Shirley" lawsuit when she left the show and her split from Bill Hudson get minimal attention. I actually like and respect Cindy more after reading this. I highly recomend it for her fans.

04-29-2015, 02:57 PM	#5
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	I look forward to getting my copy, and will hopefully get the chance to have Cindy sign it next week.

04-29-2015, 04:37 PM	#6
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	It is sad to hear so many people have traumatic childhoods. If the book hits my library I may consider it. The last book on an actor I read was Florence Hendersons.

05-06-2015, 01:56 PM	#8
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	I enjoyed the book. I thought it was well written and the stories were well told. I don't believe that every person who writes an autobiography should be expected to make it a "tell-all." Celebrities should be free to share what they want, and withhold whatever they want. Unless a book is marketed a certain way, I don't mind what the content may or may not be. With that said, I do agree with shotzette in that it ended a bit abruptly, with not much mention really of the past 25 years of her life. Maybe she felt it wasn't notable enough to write about, or maybe she has plans for another book someday. I thought she kind of hinted at the possibility of writing more someday, but who knows. In any case, I did really enjoy reading Cindy's own words about the stories she decided to share with us.

05-06-2015, 10:57 PM	#9
HuntingtonM15 That Bothers Me Moderator Forum Star Join Date: Jun 20, 2003 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 11,060	I've said it before on these boards and I will say it again--Cindy Williams is an all around class act! I went to see a play that she and Eddie are currently starring in locally, at the same theater they previously did a play six years ago. I waited at the stage door after the show. Eddie came out first and was happy to sign a picture. Cindy came out a few minutes later and was extremely excited that I had a copy of her book to be signed. She said that it was officially the first copy she had signed. Eddie took a look at it, too, since he hadn't seen it before. Cindy flipped it over to the back cover for him to see the quotes, and she read the Harrison Ford one outloud: "A great read--I couldn't put it down. Not a word of it is true. Cindy Who?" Eddie said, "That's funny," and Cindy immediately said, "I know!" She thanked me profusely multiple times, and even took a picture of me with her phone holding the book! I'm sure it came out horribly, but it's funny thinking that Cindy Williams has a picture of me in her phone. She chatted a bit more, before getting in the car with Eddie. And just like she did six years prior, she offered me a ride back to my car! I did not take her up on it, but she is so sweet to have offered.

06-10-2015, 02:54 AM	#11
TMC Member Forum Idol Join Date: Jan 09, 2001 Posts: 126,305	http://www.etonline.com/news/165914_..._new_tell_all/ Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life will dish on life on the classic sitcom's set, including her romance with Andy Kaufman.

06-10-2015, 09:40 AM	#13
MichaelKeith Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 01, 2007 Posts: 1,139	Great story about the autograph, HuntingtonM15. Good to hear that some celebrities are just down-to-earth good people. She seems a real class act.

02-14-2016, 07:33 PM	#14
Marvo301 I'm NOT a Blockhead! Forum Celebrity Join Date: May 17, 2002 Location: The Great White North Posts: 21,456	I picked up this book at the library yesterday and read the first four chapters last night. I'm really enjoying it. It's like sitting down and chatting with Cindy over a cup of coffee!