Go Ask Ali by Ali Wentworth

After several weeks reading some terrific but occasionally taxing books, I was looking through my library's collection for something lighter when I came across "Go Ask Ali" by Ali Wentworth. 

Wentworth is an actress, comedian and entertainer I recognized, but I wasn't sure where I'd seen her work. I went without filling in the sizable blanks in my memory and just enjoyed the book-- which turned out to be one of those rare finds I was excited to return to whenever I got behind the wheel or needed to take the dog around the block. Of course, after finishing up I did pause long enough to find her online and figure out that I'd seen much of her work and enjoyed her performances. 

But after this book, I'll always consider her a writer and humorist first-- and a good one. 

This is light fare, but there were plenty of nuggets I'll want to recall:

• When you get around to writing your book (or books), don't be shy. Use the introduction to encourage readers to go ahead and buy everyone they know a copy. Worth a shot. 
• "Trust your gut." She begins the book recounting stories where friends got married despite having deep, visceral reactions to doing so at the altar. Your gut knows. Listen to it. 
• Find (and try to be) the most interesting and gracious person you can. Wentworth mentions a friend she met at a dinner party who lived a joyous and inclusive existence. She liked pitching a big tent and party; found friends and foes fascinating company; say "yes" to everything and everyone. Ali and her family adored her and brought her cakes she couldn't eat in her final days, but loved to surround herself with. We should all want to be and work to be that kind of rallying presence. It was a touching story and chapter. 
• Marry well. Wentworth mentions being married to a well-known watcher of politics and foreign affairs. She never names him. It's George Stephanopoulos. She doesn't share much about him, but I found the details she did disclose made me like him more (and confirmed even an unflappable person like him can become unhinged when separated from a cell phone signal for too long). 
• You need a circle of friends. A "bitch and stitch" circle, she calls it. It's good for you, and takes the "best friend" duties off of your spouse. Good advice.
• Instagram: "It's like being blasted with everyone's Christmas card 50 times a day." #Truth. 

She has a lot more advice to offer, including "Don't hire a hot babysitter" (which got a whole chapter). The last chapter offers a roundup of other advice, but it was the stories and examples of how she lives a life focused on her children, surrounded by friends, informed and supported by her family and history and in solidarity (mostly) with her spouse, that I'll remember. 

Tip: If you found this review online and haven't read the book, do yourself a favor and invest in the audio version on Audible or at your local library. When Wentworth isn't writing and narrating her own books, she should be reading them.