I’m a huge Whoopi Goldberg fan. From her acting (Ghost is one of my Top 5 Movies Of All Time) to her standup and everything in between. Back in 2019 I went to New York City for her of “The Unqualified Hostess” book signing. It’s a book to help you be the hostess with the mostest, which I already consider myself. I didn’t need a self-help book in that department but I couldn’t pass up a chance to meet Whoopi and she didn’t disappoint…but not allowing pictures with her did.
When she announced another signing at the same Barnes & Nobel for the release of her new book “Bits And Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, And Me”, I instantly bought a ticket. The line to get in was outside, so I was very thankful for warm weather and scaffolding to block the sun. I arrived just shy of two hours early and the line was already around the corner. I found myself between a guy who wisely brought a chair and a family with a dog in a pink dress (adorable) and a screaming kid in a stroller (so not adorable). The line moved indoors, as the 1:00 start time approached. The event was held behind a curtained area, to keep the experience intimate for the front of the line, and to prevent people further back from yelling at Whoopi. The Keeper Of The Line said this was a problem in the past as she put a Post-It with my name in the book so Whoopi could personalize it.
Whoopi was seated behind a desk big enough to prevent folks from getting too close. A bodyguard was on hand, just in case anyone tried to make their way around the desk, which a few did in the short time I was waiting. There were a handful of attendants and thankfully someone on staff to take the pic I had been hoping for. Whoopi did look at me when I entered the room…or tent…or whatever you call it, because the stroller kid was behind me. Whoopi cooed as the kid rolled in and I rolled my eyes. Whoopi was sweet and spent time with each person and posed for pics. We shared a laugh because my Post-It note got stuck when she tried to remove it, which gave me time to fan-girl about her and Ghost. I happily left with my book, pic and memories.
“Bits And Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, And Me” is full of Whoopi’s memories of the roles her mother and brother played in molding her into the person she is today, celebrating their lives and grieving the loss of them. Whoopi grew up poor but her mom provided the best well-rounded experiences for her and her brother. The book is full of sweet snapshots of things Whoopi remembers before becoming famous and gives a behind the scenes look at highlights in her career that she shared with her mother and brother. Because it was just the three of them, their bond was strong and made losing them even harder.
The part of the book I found most surprising was Whoopi’s love of horror (not slasher) movies and her desire to play a monster on screen, like an old-school Frankenstein or Dracula. I hope the next Wes Craven reads her memoir because that’s something the world needs, a Whoopi Goldberg horror flick. I’m thinking a classic love story between Denzel Washington and his recently deceased wife Whoopi who he has to bring back from the dead using his knowledge of medicine and the occult or the two of them playing one of thousands of alien couples who are infiltrating gated communities across the globe for world domination…sort of a modern-day version of the mini-series “V”. I could be on board with Whoopi trolling the suburbs for brains.
In my gay opinion, there are only a few truly great actresses from the 80’s who can still bring me out to a movie theater or book store on star power alone, Whoopi is tops of that list!
