{"product_id":"you-didnt-hear-this-from-me-mostly-true-notes-on-gossip","title":"You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip","description":"\u003ctable align=\"center\" border=\"0\" cellpadding=\"2\" cellspacing=\"0\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd class=\"productDetailSmallElements\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A beautiful, expansive ode to the joy of information exchange. An ode that, like the practice of gossip itself, can be all at once inviting, tender, enlivening, and rich with humor, complexity, and an abundance of joys.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eHanif Abdurraqib, New York Times bestselling author of There's Always This Year\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A whirlwind inquiry into one of society's oldest practices. McKinney writes about gossip with an intellectual rigor that borders on reverence.\" --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAssociated Press\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me\u003c\/i\u003e touches on everything from the historical concept of gossip as a sin to the \"Shitty Media Men List\" and the effect of the COVID pandemic on information-sharing, all in the effusive yet thoughtful voice that \n\u003ci\u003eNormal Gossip\u003c\/i\u003e fans are sure to recognize from McKinney's time with the podcast.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eVogue\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"McKinney uses part memoir, part cultural criticism to unpack the nuances of modern storytelling and how gossip has evolved from a simple secret between friends to a social and cultural phenomenon...as the resident gossip expert, no one is more equipped to handle the trickiest aspects of gab, even when gossip just might be the villain of the story.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eRolling Stone\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Smart and funny, it will find fans beyond [McKinney's] many listeners.\" \n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eArlington Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"[Kelsey] writes with the same joy that she shares gossip, making it fun and exciting, all while reminding us that storytelling is a craft that you have to master in order to succeed at both pursuits. There's no one else I'd rather see grapple with the moral gray areas of gossip, and Kelsey does an excellent job here.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Maris Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"From novelist and host of the popular podcast \n\u003ci\u003eNormal Gossip \u003c\/i\u003ecomes a study of gossip--but one that never forgets the joys of it. As someone who has long refused the notion that gossip is bad (just look at all the benefits!), I am looking forward to being further vindicated, not to mention delighted, and entertained.\" --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLitHub\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"McKinney takes a thoughtful and sharply written look at gossip and its role in shaping power, safety, and truth. With a blend of research and anecdote, \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me\u003c\/i\u003e is a robust consideration of an often-maligned topic.\" --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Incisive and vulnerable, gentle yet uncompromising, McKinney stakes a place among the best cultural critics of the age, without ever losing her sense of fun. I loved this book.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eLindy West, author of Shrill\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Gossip is the only cultural tradition I care about, and Kelsey McKinney has written its Bible. I cannot wait to gossip about this book with everyone I know for the rest of my life. KELSEY IS THE REAL GOSSIP GIRL XOXO\" \n\u003cbr\u003e --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSamantha Irby, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wow, No Thank You. and Quietly Hostile.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"YOU DIDN'T HEAR THIS FROM ME cements Kelsey McKinney's status as one of the greatest storytellers of our time. She dishes out secrets, tidbits, fables, and epics with the wisdom of an edler and the zeal of someone who was there when it all went down.* Although McKinney grew up believing that gossip was a sin, she reveals how gossip may also bea form of prayer - reminding us of our imperfect humanity and helping us search for the truth. This book sparkles from start to finish and ends with a blind item so juicy you'll need to put it down and text your best friend. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e *(If anyone could have teleported to 2100 B.C.E. to ask Gilgamesh if he really smooched his best bro, it would be Kelsey. And conversely, if Kelsey were born around 2100 B.C.E., she would have absolutely inscribed gossip in tablets that people would still be fighting over today--this is her impact.)\" \n\u003cbr\u003e --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSabrina Imbler, award-winning author of How Far the Light Reaches\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"I tore through this like I was sprinting for gold at the Olympic games. I can't remember the last time I read a collection that made me wonder, deeply, about the bonds of friendship, social sciences, and the Real Housewives all in the span of a single page. True dynamite when it comes to examining the ways we yearn to yap while also remaining funny as hell; a remarkably potent combination. Nobody is cooler right now than Kelsey McKinney. This book stuns.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Come for Kelsey McKinney's alluring voice, stay for her brilliant insights about words, secrets, gender, shame, pop culture, and technology. McKinney is not only our generation's most beloved raconteuse, she is a rigorous and deeply thoughtful writer who can quote Emily Dickinson and Doja Cat on the same page and make a reader feel both delighted and challenged to come along for the ride. \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me \u003c\/i\u003eis cogent and sharp, and I will be whispering around town about it for a long time.\" --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAmanda Montell, New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Magical Overthinking\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"I devoured this book like it was a series of 4-minute voice memos about someone Kelsey and I vaguely know. Her meditations gossip -- sometimes a powerful force for good, sometimes a sign of a diseased culture -- are, like the best gossip, so fun. RIP to the man killed by a walnut.\" \n\u003cbr\u003e --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBlythe Roberson, bestselling author of America the Beautiful? and How to Date Men When You Hate Men\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me\u003c\/i\u003e, a mix of cultural criticism, modern history, and personal memoir, breaks down the differences between harmless rumors and outright lies in order to show the important role gossip plays in human connection.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eTIME\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"An entertaining investigation of a hardwired human habit. \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me \u003c\/i\u003eraises thoughtful questions about an under-examined topic, and offers some delights and epiphanies along the way.\" \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e --\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"McKinney's fans are sure to be just as obsessed with \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me \u003c\/i\u003eas they are with the \"Normal Gossip\" podcast ... Her voice is smart and funny, and her arguments for considering gossip valuable and meaningful are compelling and clearly heartfelt.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBookPage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBiographical Note\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eKelsey McKinney \u003c\/b\u003eis a reporter and writer who lives in Philadelphia. She is the co-creator of Normal Gossip, as well as a co owner and features writer at Defector.com. She has worked as a staff writer at Deadspin, Fusion, and Vox, and her reporting and essays have appeared in \n\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times, New York Magazine, GQ, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e and many others. Her first novel, \n\u003ci\u003eGod Spare the Girls\u003c\/i\u003e, was published in the summer of 2021 by William Morrow.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sharp, incisive....McKinney provides meticulous research and offers some genuine insights in her attempt to elevate gossip to a worthy subject of study\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"If gossip is so bad, why have humans always done it, and what are the ways in which it actually binds communities together? \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me\u003c\/i\u003e explores these questions through the lens of our social media, celebrity-obsessed culture with the same wit and candor that make McKinney's podcast so popular.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eW Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrief Description\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Can you keep a secret? As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, Kelsey McKinney was mourning the juicy updates, jaw-dropping stories, and idle chatter that she'd typically collect over drinks with friends. She realized she wasn't the only one missing these little morsels and her hunger for this aspect of normalcy took on a life of its own and the blockbuster Normal Gossip podcast was born. With listenership in the millions and gossip quickly becoming her day job, Kelsey found herself with the urge to think more critically about gossip as a form, to better understand the role that it plays in our culture. In YOU DIDN'T HEAR THIS FROM ME, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin and how can we better recognize when gossip is being weaponized against the oppressed? Why do we think we're entitled to every detail of a celebrity's personal life because they are a public figure? And how do we even define \"gossip,\" anyway? She dishes on the art of eavesdropping and dives deep into how pop culture has changed the way that we look at hearsay. But as much as the book aims to treat gossip as a subject worthy of rigor, it also hopes to capture the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend's ear. With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth - and how much the truth really matters in the first place\"--\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"[McKinney] swallows up all these disparate categories of story - rumor, conspiracy, legend - and cleverly digests them...By the time you finish this book, you will have traveled in so many strange and enriching directions.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eDefector\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Quotes\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"In a tone at once scholarly-adjacent and extremely chatty, [McKinney] spools out both personal stories and research about gossip's role in society as a whole.Smart, discussable, and extremely funny--I laughed out loud multiple times while reading.\"--\n\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eModern Mrs. Darcy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublisher Marketing\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eAN INSTANT \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e AND \u003ci\u003eUSA TODAY \u003c\/i\u003eBESTSELLER \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e- \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eNAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE MONTH BY \u003ci\u003eTIME MAGAZINE\u003c\/i\u003e, AMAZON, AND KOBO - NAMED MOST ANTICIPATED BY LIT HUB, PUREWOW, AND \u003ci\u003eW MAGAZINE \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e\"Gossip is the only cultural tradition I care about, and Kelsey McKinney has written its Bible\" \u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003e--\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eSamantha Irby, #1 \u003ci\u003eNYT \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eFrom the host of the Normal Gossip podcast, a delightfully insightful exploration of our obsession with gossip that weaves together journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir.\u003c\/b\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, Kelsey McKinney was mourning the juicy updates and jaw-dropping stories she'd typically collect over drinks with friends--and from her hunger, the blockbuster Normal Gossip podcast was born. With listenership in the millions, Kelsey found herself thinking more critically about gossip as a form, and wanting to better understand the role it plays in our culture. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \n\u003ci\u003eYou Didn't Hear This From Me\u003c\/i\u003e, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin, and how can we better recognize when it's being weaponized? Why do we think we're entitled to every detail of a celebrity's personal life? And how do we define \"gossip,\" anyway? As much as the book aims to treat gossip as a subject worthy of rigor, it also hopes to capture the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend's ear. \n\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth--and how much the truth really matters in the first place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations:\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e 01\/01\/2025 (EAN 9781538757406, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003eBooklist\u003c\/span\u003e 02\/01\/2025 pg. 15 (EAN 9781538757406, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e 03\/10\/2025 (EAN 9781538757406, Hardcover)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e McKinney, Kelsey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Grand Central Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePub Date:\u003c\/b\u003e 2025-02-11\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBISAC:\u003c\/b\u003e Social Science \/ Anthropology \/ Cultural \u0026amp; Social|Social Science \/ Popular Culture|Psychology \/ Essays|Religion \/ Judaism \/ Theology\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSubjects:\u003c\/b\u003e Interpersonal relations|Social aspects|Gossip|Communication\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.05 lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781538757406\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eASIN:\u003c\/b\u003e -\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSKU:\u003c\/b\u003e SP-9781538757406\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grand Central Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53034245194009,"sku":"SP-9781538757406","price":40.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0913\/0380\/5209\/files\/9781538757406_spiral.png?v=1787296259","url":"https:\/\/westbindery.com\/products\/you-didnt-hear-this-from-me-mostly-true-notes-on-gossip","provider":"West Bindery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}