Nat Voisey

Tina Fey mentions in her book that no one knows what she does.

I had no idea she wrote Mean Girls or created the show 30 Rock. I also forgot (or didn’t know because I’m young,) that she was a head writer on SNL and a host on Weekend Update.¹

Tina Fey is incredible!

I also read Colin Jost’s book recently where he talks about being a head writer and Update host which is remarkably similar to Tina Fey’s, except he’s a Harvard Nerd and Tina Fey is a Chicago Improviser. 

I enjoyed her stories about pushing through men’s decisions:

• “The audience doesn’t want to see a scene between two women.” (p.109)
• Not making a commercial about menstrual pads solely because the men didn’t know what they were talking about.
• “I don’t care if you like it” by Amy Poehler

I’m learning about this at the moment. 

The first rule of improv is ‘yes, and’. To keep the ideas moving you have to agree with your partner and add something.

As an improviser, I always find it jarring when I meet someone in real life whose first answer is no. “No, we can’t do that.” “No, that’s not in the budget.” “No, I will not hold your hand for a dollar.” What kind of way is that to live?

P.105

Advice on “Me Time” when you’re a mom:

“Sleep when your baby sleeps.” Everyone knows this classic tip, but I say why stop there? Scream when your baby screams. Take Benadryl when your baby takes Benadryl. And walk around pantless when your baby walls around pantless.

P.303

Things Tina Fey learned from Lorne Michaels

My favourite part of this book were the Heroes of Prayer at the end of each chapter. 

Prayer is our humble answer to the inconceivable surprise of living. — Abraham Heschel

P.4

Canadian psychologist David G. Brenner describes prayer as “the soul’s antic language,” observing that “our natural posture is attentive openness to the divine.” 

P.4

“He remembers,” as the Psalmist says, “that we are dust.”¹ He understands we sometimes get tongue-tied, distracted, overwhelmed, and confused. 

P.16

I pray all the time. My prayers are not only talking to God. They are questions, they are dialogue, they are the burning of sage and incense. When I’m dancing in the pow-wow, every step is a prayer: I dance my prayers for the people. Sometimes I imagine my prayers, I fantasize my prayers; they’re not always audible. — Native American Pastor Richard Twiss

P.18

Sit in thy cell and thy cell will teach thee all. — Abba Moses

P.47

Perhaps it’s better after all to have a little faith in a great big unshakable God than a great big unshakable faith in a little god unworthy of the title. 

P.59

Miracle is just a word we use for the things the Powers have deluded us into thinking that God is unable to do. Walter Wink, Engaging The Powers

P.79

The passage says that “being in anguish, he prayer more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood.”² Jesus was suffering from a rare medical condition called hematidrosis, in which capillaries around the sweat glands can rupture under extreme anxiety and stress. 

P.116

Generally I find it more useful, therefore, to pray Where?rather than Why? prayers. Where were you, Lord, in our medical appointment today? Where are you now in our weariness and disappointment?

P.174