Bitch Is the New Black: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Helena Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2010

Meet Helena Andrews, sassy, single, smart, and, yes, a bitch—but Tina Fey said it best, bitch is the new black!

When Helena Andrews heard this declaration on Saturday Night Live, her first reaction was How daaare you? But after a commercial break and some thought, she decided to poke at the stereotype that says "successful" and "bitch" are synonyms. Unafraid and frank, she comes to realize that being a bitch is sometimes the best way to be—except, of course, when it's not.

Bitch Is the New Black follows Andrews—sexy, single, and a self-described smart-ass—on her trip from kidnapped daughter of a lesbian to Washington, D.C., political reporter who can't remember a single senator's name. Told in Andrews's singular voice, this addictive memoir explores the roller coaster of being educated and single while trying to become an "actual adult" and find love.

In these candid yet heartfelt essays, she chronicles that ride from beginning to end: a childhood spent on an all-white island, escaping via episodes of The Cosby Show; being set up with Obama's "body guy" Reggie Love by Maureen Dowd; and the shocking suicide of a best friend. Through it all, Andrews and her gang of girlfriends urge each other to "keep it moving." But no one can stay strong all the time—not even the women we believe do so without trying.

As Andrews says, "Despite the fact that the most recognizable woman in the United States is black, popular culture still hasn't moved past the only adjective apparently meant to describe us— "strong." She is also flawed, tired, naive, greedy, gutsy, frightened, and kind: secret sides that come out in honest detail here.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

At 28 years old, having survived a tortured childhood raised by a peripatetic lesbian mother and a career as one of the few black writers for the New York Times and the only one for Politico.com, Andrews has surpassed the stereotype of the strong black woman and been deemed “perfect girl” by a boyfriend desperately trying not to commit. Andrews offers a caustic and humorous running account of her life, mad texting her girlfriends about dates and career horrors, as she navigates the prickly terrain of a modern America getting used to a black First Lady and struggling to rethink its image of black women in general. She recounts adventures with her dog Miles, who apparently—to her embarrassment—hates black men, and her search for Mr. Right, including a date with President Obama's bodyguard. She also offers painful recollections of near-abandonment by her mother, later growing up the only black child on Catalina Island, watching The Cosby Show with longing. Fans of her acerbic wit will appreciate this collection of essays. --Vanessa Bush

Review

“The scathingly witty author examines a wide variety of topics that, beneath the jokes and sarcasm, address weighty issues (depression, aging, abortion) with wry astuteness…An irreverent, savvy and sharp memoir.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“I didn’t like this book. I loved it....I’m giving copies to all of my girlfriends who have crazy families, love lives that revolve around IM, and, of course, I’m pretending I helped Helen write it.” (Angela Nissel, author of Mixed and The Broke Diaries )

“With honesty and wit...Andrews is not afraid to reveal anything, even her bra size.” (Washington Post )

“Bitch Is the New Black is an authentic fresh exploration of what it is to be young, black, and single right now—from a voice both outrageously funny and heartbreakingly honest.” (Shonda Rhimes, creator of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" )

“Andrews’ combination of personal anecdote and analysis of success and race makes her tales unique. And at the same time, her exploration of gender in America is one surely any woman can relate to.” (Bust Magazine )

“[A] bitingly funny — and honest — read....[Andrews] establishes herself as an individual, proving that the women who fit into the “strong (single) black woman” category are more complex than the one-dimensional persona lets on.” (Associated Press )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (June 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061778826
• ISBN-13: 978-0061778827
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #722,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Featured in Marie Claire, Glamour, The Washington Post, Essence, OUT and Uptown Washington journalist Helena Andrews is a purveyor of all things awesome. HarperCollins published her first book, a memoir in essays entitled BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK, on June 1st, 2010. Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes has optioned the book as a feature film for Fox Searchlight Pictures.

A former staff writer at Politico and New York Times Style Section contributor, Helena now writes a popular weekly column called "Single-Minded" on being "free, single and disengaged" for The Root, a division of The Washington Post.

On December 10th, 2009 The Washington Post published a front-page profile of Helena that set the Interwebs on fire! The article, "Single Minded Success," prompted responses from The Huffington Post, Jezebel and Racialicious among others. In it Helena explained why she wrote BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK: "What I'm trying to say about single black women [all women, really] is that you don't know them as well as you think you do. They may not know themselves as well as they think they do." She approaches single-hood with rare honesty and grit.

Helena has appeared on ABC's "Nightline," CBS's "Early Show," CNN, XM Radio, NPR and NY1. She's shared her unique take on everything pop culture from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" ("totes cray cray") to Disney's "Princess and the Frog" (magical indoctrination) with millions of fans across the country.

After graduating from Columbia University in 2002, Helena scored a sweet $5.15/hour internship at O, the Oprah Magazine. (Like all good indentured serv... er, interns, she survived on Ramen noodles, free food in the break room and the kindness of strangers.)

In 2005, Helena earned a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, which provided the solid reporting foundation necessary to answer phones as a news assistant in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.

From there Helena went on to cover Capitol Hill for Politico, which resulted in an allergic reaction to politics that was cured only slightly by writing a book. She is currently working on the film adaptation of BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK and (as a former pro cheerleader) living vicariously through "So You Think You Can Dance?" and every horrendous dance movie ever made, including but not limited to the "Step Up" franchise.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, June 1, 2010

By 

Ronnie "Ronnie" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bitch Is the New Black: A Memoir (Hardcover)

This is the second time I am reading the book and I am on page 12 laughing so hard! Pick it up, you'll get inside the mind of a smart, creative, funny and phenomenal woman, Helena Andrews!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome read!, June 1, 2010

By 

Adrienne "Adrienne" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bitch Is the New Black: A Memoir (Hardcover)

This book is an amazing read. I stayed up all night to finish it, and will be reading it again. It is a well written account of several stories from the young writer's life. The book includes anecdotes that will make you either laugh or cry. You will NOT be disappointed when you read this book.

18 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars You'll be disappointed at best, August 19, 2010

By 

GeorgiaGal - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bitch Is the New Black: A Memoir (Hardcover)

From the hype about this book, I started reading it with the expectation that I would be enlightened about why black women are largely single. Ha, fooled me! This book was a self-centered, arrogant rant about the author's life, with only tidbits here and there about black women's relationships with me. My girlfriend, for her birthday, invited several of her friends to a retreat, and she asked each of us to read the book. I only finished it so that I could participate in the discussion of the book, which turned out to be a discussion on how painful it was for each of us, well-degreed black women, to get through the book. The girlfriend who had asked us to read the book exclaimed, "there must be something that you liked about it!" Okay, I thought the writing style was engaging, but the content was horrible, disjointed, boring, convoluted, contrived, and way too detailed. If I were reading a book about Oprah Winfrey's life then, yes, I want all the tidbits; but for an author who few people have ever heard of before, I can't really get excited about her life story. I passed the book along to two other friends so that they wouldn't waste the money that I had wasted on it. I'm fine if they never return the book to me.