Guard your loins this Wednesday, July 2nd! Joan Rivers will be in D.C. to speak about her new book, Diary Of A Mad Diva (Berkeley, $27) and probably whatever else she wants, with Hanna Rosin at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue. The program starts at 7:30 p.m.
The story behind the Diary Of A Mad Diva is that Rivers’s daughter Melissa gave her a diary for Christmas. At first Rivers balks at the gift, but then “realizes” she “has a lot to say.” She starts reflecting on her daily life, work, trips around the world…and virtually everything and everyone she encounters. They are all eligible for Rivers’s comedic bashing.
Rivers, 81, has made a career of laying on the snark. Like many comedians, she is highly observant, witty, and self-deprecating. Her diary features some relatable rants, such as her feelings on people who say “my work is my vacation,” and her amazement that Michael Jackson made it to 50 years old.
But the written word clearly provides freedoms even cable television does not. Rivers takes aim at Anne Frank (who she considers a far inferior diarist), blind people, and, dear God, over and over again, genitalia. Kristen Stewart’s lawyer has already contacted Rivers’s lawyer over defamation in the book.
Diary Of A Mad Diva isn’t for everyone; one person’s “good-[nature]” is another’s “mean-[spirit]”, and some readers would find the book to be too much of the latter. But nobody can argue with Rivers’s breadth of success and multi-generational experience with Hollywood fodder. Her fans are bound to enjoy a diary only Joan Rivers could write, as well as Wednesday’s event.
Rosin is a senior editor for The Atlantic, editor and founder of Slate’s DoubleX blog on women’s issues, and author of The End of Men, so there will surely be a lot to discuss. Sixth & I tells DCist that Rosin may touch on topics like aging gracefully, Lena Dunham, D.C. fashion, and more.
In addition to being a stand-up comedian and Emmy-winning TV host, Rivers is a producer, director, CEO, bestselling author and Tony-nominated actress. She currently hosts E!’s Fashion Police and has a WE tv reality show with her daughter, Joan and Melissa: Joan Knows Best?. Diary Of A Mad Diva is her twelfth book.
Tickets must be purchased over the phone or online for $40, which includes a copy of the book. A Q&A will follow the discussion. There will not be a book signing, but signed book labels will be available. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
