“When I saw the tagline of this new book of personal essays—‘midlife indignities and how to survive them’—it rose to the top of my nightstand book pile. I felt comforted, self-forgiving and highly amused in equal measure.”—Carol Brooks, Editorial Director, First For Women
“This truly laugh-out-loud collection of essays from the former editor-in-chief of Real Simple tackles aging, motherhood, her love of dogs, a medical odyssey, the demise of the magazine industry, and more. —Zibby Owens, KatieCouric.com
“This book abounds with wisdom and humor, poignancy and warmth. Whether exploring the midlife fall from corporate (or corporeal) grace, the tragic loss of a family dog, or the literal if beloved mess of raising three sons in the suburbs, Kristin van Ogtrop is candid, inspired, and a pure pleasure to read.” —Cathi Hanauer, New York Times bestselling author of Gone and The Bitch Is Back
“Like a long-awaited coffee with your smartest, savviest friend, Did I Say That Out Loud? offers comfort, connection, and cackles of the best kind of laughter—the kind that makes you feel not just understood, but seen.”—KJ Dell’Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters
“Did I Say That Out Loud? had me laughing out loud as I devoured these utterly relatable tales of work, family, love, and the sometimes tragic-comic mishaps that seem to happen more frequently as we reach a certain age. Each chapter is like a letter from a great friend—the cool, relatable friend who not only worked for Anna Wintour but also swallows household objects by accident. Kristin van Ogtrop finds the perfect blend of humor and poignant honesty in this wonderfully original collection of essays.”—Ann Leary, author of The Good House
Former editor in chief of Real Simple and author of Just Let Me Lie Down, Kristin van Ogtrop returns with a heartwarming, hilarious examination of the middle part of life in the new essay collection DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD: Midlife Indignities and How to Survive Them (Little, Brown; April 13, 2021). I promise that, when you read this book, you will laugh, cry, and feel a little better about the bizarre year we’ve all just gone through together. Van Ogtrop writes, “By the time we all reach middle age, our bodies are dotted with scars”—each of us acquires battle scars along the journey through life as we deal with loss, grief, and change. In this surreal time, when we can’t leave the house without masks on and our to-do lists include stocking up on hand sanitizer and toilet paper, van Ogtrop’s message of resiliency and humor is sorely needed.
Writing with the intimacy of a lifelong best friend and the wisdom of a mother, van Ogtrop shares stories that come from her own life but are nonetheless universal: sudden illness, negligent adult(ish) children, embarrassing lapses of memory, sudden attacks of insomnia, menopause and all its surprises, and the cold reality of being a tired, cranky cog in corporate America. Perhaps most importantly, she sheds light on how we all must reexamine where we invest our time, particularly once we begin to realize that it’s not limitless.
DID I SAY THAT OUT LOUD? is a funny, optimistic guide to weathering the midlife storm and accepting the challenges of aging with grace—and appreciating all the unexpected good things still to come. Van Ogtrop will remind you that you have permission to laugh when things go wrong. Especially now.
Kristin van Ogtrop is the author of Just Let Me Lie Down: Necessary Terms for the Half-Insane Working Mom and the former longtime editor in chief of Real Simple and “The Amateur” columnist for Time. Her writing has appeared in countless publications and in the New York Times bestselling collection The Bitch in the House. She is a wife and mother of three, but sometimes loves her dogs more than anybody else.