Dani Alpert

ABOUT THE BOOK

A comedic look at blind ambition, stubborn optimism, and perseverance.

Dani Alpert is an expert on the fortitude and delusion required to pursue childhood dreams that just won’t drop dead. Her stories are a case study in the human spirit’s tenacity and its unwavering ability to keep going in the face of crushing rejection. For many years, she toiled in the entertainment business, where the only responses she received were “Almost,” “So close,” or “Not quite.” Humor was the life vest that kept her afloat.

Some of Dani’s stories dive into the bowels of childhood, the creative psyche, and the birth of an aspiring Broadway baby. Other tales explore crippling adult fears and self-doubt and what happens when the ingénue becomes a member of AARP. Whether she’s describing her bumpy road trying to get a foothold in Hollywood, her retail adventures shopping for gas masks during COVID, or her idiotic decision to vacation at a romantic couple’s resort after a heart-wrenching breakup, Dani provides gentle shoves—pep talks wrapped in cautionary tales—for anyone still chasing their dreams but feeling stuck.

In the vein of Jenny Lawson and Laurie Notaro, Hello? Who Is This? Margaret? delivers tales of universally awkward, misunderstood, and human failings through wit, pop culture, and Dani’s losses and wins (mostly losses). Her humor—sometimes dark and distorted but always self-aware—is a salve for the messiness and absurdities of life, and speak to the hopeful in all of us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dani Alpert is the author of Hello? Who is This? Margaret?—a new collection of humorous essays—and the memoir, The Girlfriend Mom, winner of the 2020 Story Circle Network Gilda Award for comedy, honoring Gilda Radner. Her work appears in numerous outlets. Dani spent decades working in theater, television, and film, performing, writing, and directing. She’s a Pilates instructress and an advocate for the Down syndrome community. Dani’s first headshot was her mugshot taken after being arrested for tagging when she was a juvenile. She’s been trying to reclaim those glory days ever since.

SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• Why essays? You’ve previously published a memoir (The Girlfriend Mom.) What about the essay form appealed as a way to share your stories this time?
• What were your childhood dreams–and do you feel you’ve ever outgrown them?
• No matter how daunting or defeating a situation you find yourself in, you seem to end on a hopeful note. Where does this resilience and optimism come from?
• How does comedy and humor keep you afloat?
• Who do you find funny? Why does their humor resonate with you?
• Do you feel you need to periodically reinvent yourself? Or is it that certain aspects of who you are sometimes take center stage while others wait in the wings?
• Your essays often bare the messiness of your life. Did you struggle with where to draw the line? Were there stories you left untold or truths you felt compelled to share?
• How does your role as “author” or “writer” compare to the many other roles you’ve filled throughout your life (actor, comedian, teacher, advocate)?
• You are a card-carrying GenXer. What about your generation do you feel defines you or most influences your life?