Party Of One

Dave Holmes

ISBN 10: 0804187983 / ISBN 13: 9780804187985

Published by Random House USA Inc, 2016

About this Item

From comedian, Esquire contributor, and former MTV VJ Dave Holmes, the hilarious memoir of a perpetual outsider fumbling his way toward self-acceptance, with the music of the '80s, '90s, and '00s as his soundtrack Dave Holmes has spent his life on the periphery, nose pressed hopefully against the glass, wanting just one thing: to get inside. Growing up, he was the artsy kid in the sporty family. At his high school and Catholic college, he was the closeted gay kid surrounded by crush-worthy straight guys. And in his twenties, in the middle of a disastrous career in advertising, he accidentally became an MTV VJ overnight when he finished second, naturally, in the Wanna Be a VJ contest, opening the door to fame, fortune, and celebrity you know, almost.But despite all the close calls, or possibly because of them, he just kept trying, and if (spoiler alert) he never quite succeeded, at least he got some good stories out of it. InParty of One, Dave tells the hilariously painful and painfully hilarious tales in the vein of Rob Sheffield, Andy Cohen, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, Paul Feig, and Augusten Burroughs of an outsider desperate to get in, of a misfit constantly changing shape, of a guy who finally learns to accept himself. Structured around a mix of hits and deep cuts from the '80s, '90s, and '00s from Bruce Springsteen's Hungry Heart to Wilson Phillips's Impulsive to En Vogue's Free Your Mind and beyond and punctuated with interludes like So You've Had Your Heart Broken in the 1990s: A Playlist, this book is for anyone who's ever felt like a square peg, especially those who found their place in the world, as we often do, around a band, an album, or a song. It's a laugh-out-loud funny, deeply nostalgic memoir about never fitting in, never giving up, and letting good music guide the way.

Seller Inventory # CIN0804187983G

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Party Of One
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Publication Date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0804187983
• ISBN 13: 9780804187985
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

From former MTV VJ Dave Holmes, the hilarious memoir of a perpetual outsider fumbling towards self-acceptance, with the music of the '80s, '90s, and today as his soundtrack
 
Dave Holmes has spent his life on the periphery, nose pressed hopefully against the glass, wanting just one thing: to get inside. Growing up, he was the artsy son in the sporty family. At his all-boys high school and Catholic college, he was the closeted gay kid surrounded by crush-worthy straight guys. And in his twenties, in the middle of a disastrous career in advertising, he accidentally became an MTV VJ overnight when he finished second, naturally, in the Wanna Be a VJ contest, opening the door to fame, fortune, and celebrity—you know, almost. 

In Party of One, Holmes tells the hilariously painful and painfully hilarious tales—in the vein of Rob Sheffield, Andy Cohen, and Paul Feig—of an outsider desperate to get in, of a misfit constantly changing shape, of a music geek who finally learns to accept himself. Structured around a mix of hits and deep cuts from the last four decades—from Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart" and En Vogue's "Free Your Mind" to LCD Soundsystem’s “Losing My Edge” and Bleachers’ “I Wanna Get Better”—and punctuated with interludes like "So You've Had Your Heart Broken in the 1990s: A Playlist" and “Notes on (Jesse) Camp,” this book is for anyone who's ever felt like a square peg, especially those who have found their place in the world around a band, an album, or a song. It's a laugh-out-loud funny, deeply nostalgic story about never fitting in, never giving up, and letting good music guide the way.

– NPR “Best Books of 2016”: Staff Picks, Biography & Memoir, For Music Lovers, Funny Stuff, Non-fiction Categories

About the Author

DAVE HOLMES is a writer, comedian, and television personality who has hosted shows for MTV, CBS, Bravo, Comedy Central, E!, FX, and Ovation. Recently named one of NPR’s 10 Favorite Pop Culture Personalities, he is a editor-at-large for Esquire.com, an on-air personality on SiriusXM’s The Spectrum, and a performer at the iO West and Upright Citizens Brigade theaters . He lives in Los Angeles.