Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons: Tales of Redemption from an Irish Mailbox

by Greg Fitzsimmons

PARENTS: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME

Greg Fitzsimmons has made a lot of what appear to be bad decisions. It’s what he was raised to do. Most parents would hide or destroy any evidence so clearly demonstrating their child’s failures, but—lucky for us—Greg Fitzsimmons’s family has preserved each mistake in its original envelope like a trophy in a case, lest he ever forget where he came from.

Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons is Greg’s life, told through this cavalcade of disciplinary letters, incident reports, and newspaper clippings that his parents received from teachers and school officials. Greg picks up where his parents left off with his own collection of letters received during college and throughout his successful career as a writer, producer, and stand-up comic.

Revealing the larger story of how Greg’s distinctly dysfunctional Irish-American family bred him to blindly challenge anyone, anytime, anywhere, over anything, Dear Mrs. Fitzsimmons comes full circle to show that the Fitzsimmons torch has been passed on proudly to a new generation.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Comedy, Memoir, Biography Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Greg Fitzsimmons is an American stand-up comedian, television writer/producer and radio host.

Reviews

[Steve]

zero stars - couldn't even get past the foreword.

Vulgarity does not equal humor.

[Kellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

High-larious and irreverent.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

A touching story of an Irish childhood, a young man trying to find himself in relation to his father, and an aggressive heart trying to live in a world that doesn't want to accept it. Greg is lucky he's not in prison...and so are we.

[Aletha Dunston · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Some parts definitely made me smile, and I think it would be a blast to listen to Greg tell these stories over dinner. I liked the inclusion of letters and notes throughout his life, but the book fell a little flat for me.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am not sure where the trend came from where people write memoirs... just because. This is a clear example that a lot of comedy come from darkness. Disturbing with very little actual humor.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and entertaining listen. I appreciated the strong ties the comedian has with his family. Not laugh out loud funny, but amusing. And much better than Amy Poehler’s book!

[Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and insightful autobiographical stories of the author’s life and times as a comedian.

[Maririnc · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember listening to Greg’s stories on the Howard Stern show and he would crack me up. So I picked up his book since it was on my TBR list for so long. I liked how he included the letters and notes that he had received throughout the years. I don’t mind the vulgar language (come on, I listed to the Howard Stern show!!) and I thought his stories were pretty entertaining. I’m also glad that he was able to stop drinking and admit that he had an anger problem. Not everyone can do this, so I have a lot of respect for him. I’m just wondering how much his daughter ended up like him as she grew up and if she has the same type of stories. :)

[Randall · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK it was a memoir, so I'm not going to critique the content. It is his life and I would have made different choices, but Greg is very much in touch of why he does or did what he did, and gives a pretty good self-assessment. For me this book was not the comic entertainment I was looking forward to. This was more of a personal journal entry that if it were my story, I would rather it be read after I was dead than while my children were still young. This is a strong case for, "Do as I say, not as I do."

[Beth Gordon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Comedian Greg Fitzsimmons spends over half this book talking about being a delinquent in his youth and his fractured relationship with his father due to both of their affinities with their vices.

The last part of this book is his often failed attempts as he tries to make a life as a comedian. Pictures and clippings, typically things had to do with school like notes from his teachers, are interspersed.

In a memoir I like to come away with knowing more about the author, but that didn’t happen in this case so hence the lower rating.

[Jim Martell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

Greg Fitzsimmons manages to be hilarious (as always) while opening up about deeply personal matters. I am a huge fan so my opinion may be slightly biased, but I can’t imagine anyone not enjoying Dear Mrs Fitzsimmons. Eagerly awaiting volume 2, now that the kids are older and he faces and overcomes new challenges, personal and professional. Grab the pen Fitzdog...but don’t reduce frequency of either of your podcasts. I am dangerously reliant on them.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a typical comedy album and got so much more. There was depth and a traceable story line which while specific to the author, rings true for many raised in the Irish Catholic community during the 70s and 80s. It showed both sides of the coin, there’s nothing more fun than a family gathering where you will most likely laugh for hours and there’s the darker side that acknowledges the substance abuse and the scars that leaves when the laughter ends.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Greg's podcast for years. I can't believe it took me this long, but I really enjoyed his book....I knew it would be funny, but was surprised how much I enjoyed the stories about Greg's family....It's an easy, fun read.

[Shannon]

Could not get past page 65. The only funny parts were the foreward by Stern & one line about being Irish & sprouting orange pubes.

[Maureen Tumenas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my style.. despite the Irish, despite Boston.. Don't like his version of comedy. But, when he wasn't trying to be funny/shocking, etc... the story he told was decent.

[Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the book makes the meh 2/3 worth it. I do enjoy all the letters and the guest letter readers in this audiobook message.

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not have high hopes after listening to the vile forward by the heinous Howard Stern, but the book somewhat redeemed itself after the inauspicious start.

[Heidi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not all that funny

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was funny. kind of like reading bout my uncles.

[Caren · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I often enjoy comic memoirs. This one left me limp. A few funny stories; that is all.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all. Yes, there’s a few letters but mostly it’s a rambling memoir. I laughed a few times and found parts interesting but mainly I couldn’t wait to be finished.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prior to picking up this book on Audible, I had not heard of Greg Fitzsimmons. I was drawn to the idea that a book could be based on disciplinary letters and I was interested in the guest readers that accompany Greg (Zach Galiflianakis, Andy Dick, Natalie Maines, Adam Corolla to name a few.) I found out that Greg is a smart ass comedian/writer with little respect for authority. His life’s story was an entertaining listen. I laughed out loud more than once and was also moved to tears when he read a letter is young self had written to his father.

[Zack Teibloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Love the format. His mom keeping the letters home really helps structure this one. I’m a fan of his comedy from podcasts and knew a decent amount of his stories but it was still funny and interesting and an above average comic memoir, of which I’ve read many.

[Jason Schmit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a big fan of the podcast. I love his sense of humor, quick wit, fearlessness, and overall outlook on most things. He always manages to take things far enough to strike a chord in me and rattle me out of the typical ebb and flow of my life. His show really keeps me balanced.

With that said, being a fan, I had heard many of these stories before, often times with greater detail or depth and shared in the context of his conversations with various guests. I also know that Greg has ADHD. This book is ok. I enjoyed it. But it was written with the focus of someone with ADHD. He glides through topics, sometimes from paragraph to paragraph. There is lots of plots to his life but it is missing the depth or detail I really crave from him. Every once in awhile he shares how he feels, gets deeper into the core... But for the most part I never felt like he wasn't telling the truth, just never quite letting us in.

In some respects, that is to be expected if you are following his relationship with his father. He is a mixture of what he craved from his father and how is father presented himself. It's an interesting dynamic. Greg's letters to his parents are some of the best moments. So I don't really fault that... It just doesn't reach that "classic" or "lasting" level it could if he just spent more time on story details or what those moments meant to him.

Greg is also incredibly sweet and genuine which is cut with quick, dark crassness that makes each side of his personality just that much more rich. Overall, glad I read that. But I found myself wanting it to be done so I could get back to his podcast.

Oh... And the concept of the book? Fantastic. Really enjoyed that element of the book.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greg Fitzsimmons is a stand-up comic whom I have never heard of. He does have some impressive credentials as he has appeared on the Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Conan O'Brien shows. He also hosts a show on Sirius radio, and has appeared twice on Comedy Central.

The book is the story of his life. He was born of Irish parents and brought up in, what one might call, a typical Irish home. His father moved the family numerous times in trying to establish himself as a radio personality. He did hit the jackpot in New York and became a famous radio talk show host.

Greg and his siblings lived a pretty good life in New York. However, Greg was somewhat of a non-conformist. He was continally getting into trouble in school (Grade School, High School, and College). The book contains many of the letters that were sent home to his parents.

Greg highlights his struggles in becoming a stand-up comic. He probably would not have made it had it not been that this was the one thing that he wanted to do in his life, and his ability to stick to his dream under very trying circumstances.

As with most entertainers, Greg must fight and beg for spots in comedy clubs hoping that this will lead him to the cherished spots on television. After years of hard work, he finally achieves his goal and is recognized in the industry.

Greg gives the reader an honest, although sometimes painful, look into his family. Greg must reconcile himself to his father's death at a fairly young age and shows what he has learned from life and has applied it to his own family.

The book will be best received by those who know Greg.

[Spencer Seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of stand-up comedians, and Greg Fitzsimmons is one of my favorites. I especially like his FitzDog radio podcast. The premise of this book was good - he used letters from teachers and colleagues and family members as a frame for an autobiography, and his life was interesting, especially because of his candor. However, he never got into how he knew stand-up comedy was his chosen career, his vocation. He talks about the role stand-up plays in his life, but not how being funny and coming up with great jokes was always something he could do, or something he easily learned how to do. From my perspective, I think being a good stand-up comedian has to be the most difficult career to maintain, let alone the whole process of being the only one in the room who's there to make people laugh and everyone is staring at you thinking, "You better be funny for my $25." I would have loved to have read more about his process of stand-up comedy instead of it just being a career path, an aside to the travails and trials of Greg's life. The book was mainly about the trouble with authority he's had throughout his life and how he managed to make it this far, including his concern about his children's rebelliousness and how he's going to be a father to children who are just like him. He's a very good writer, but the book has a dour edge to it. I didn't laugh out loud once, unlike the hysterical SeinLanguage by Jerry Seinfeld. But if Greg Fitzsimmons comes to town, don't miss his act. I saw him at the Funny Bone earlier this year and he was hilarious. It's too bad I didn't get more insight into his philosophy of comedy, or where that comedy comes from inside him.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Number 2983751983 cheap Borders find. I didn't know the author from a whole in the wall, but upon further inspection he's a well known comedian who often finds himself on the panel at Howard Stern's show. Stern writes the forward which kind of sets the tone for the book which is very Howard Stern-y...whom I kind of hate, so thankfully Fitzsimmons doesn't have exactly the same humor, which saved the book for me. Now it could have been a funny look at what a terrible child he was, and what kind of adult he turned into, but much like Kathy Griffin's book, he doesn't do only this and instead includes chapters about his parents and family and why they weren't perfect and somewhat tries to make it funny, but it doesn't really fly. Now I understand you need to know where he came from to understand why he is how he is, but especially after reading Chelsea Handler and Tina Fey's book, I know that this can be done in a completely enjoyable and humorous way. Naturally, that is what I was expecting this to be. Some comedians however don't utilize the funny they're used to and use their memoirs as outlets to finally express when they're using comedy as a cover up. When I see a book by a comedian, I want to laugh out loud, not feel awkward when I'm reading because I don't know what to feel. That's not to say the book is a complete waste, there are definite good points, I just wouldn't have been happy if I had paid more than $2.00 for it.

[Charlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The focus in this book is on Greg Fitzsimmons' family life and the influence of his father and radio host, Bob Fitzsimmons and it is a through-way for all the stories and anecdotes Greg relates. It's a funny and surprisingly touching memoir for such an acerbic, sharp-witted comedian. From the stories Greg relates, his interesting outlook on life seems to stem from his issues with rage and authority figures. And what I found most interesting about this book, was the illustration that class clowns and students who don't take education and their future as seriously as they should, don't always have to change to prosper. They could be lucky enough to find a career or life path that suits their unconventional approach to life and become fine upstanding citizens, even if they behave outrageously. Though I questioned the sanity behind some of the things Greg does in his book, he always comes off as a likable rascal that is is telling you his stories slightly tongue-in-cheek. Just imagine a comedian taking an important gig, with the only criteria being not to say the F-word, and then going up and specifically gearing his set to how he should not be saying the F-word while saying it many times. It's terrible. And delightful. And that probably sums up everything about this book.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was written by one of the comedians who I know from the old VH-1 show, BEST WEEK EVER (god, how that show died a horrible horrible death). I didn't know anything about him, but for some reason, I do like picking up books by comedians that I barely know. I end up enjoying them a bit. Not loving them, but always interesting. This definitely fell somewhere in the middle.

He writes a lot about his upbringing and his relationship with his parents, especially his father. He grew up at a good time. Lots of things just fell into his lap that most likely would not have happened today. But while his family didn't have a lot of money, his father was around the DJ circuit in NYC, so that brought a fair amount of prestige, if not money. While his father has since passed on, he talks about turning out okay and a bit on his life now, after coming out west (typical east coast transplant though, living on the Westside!). All in all, a decent read. You'll like it more if you were a fan, but from a even fan (don't like or dislike) it was an okay, quick read. These books are good for people who like autobios, but not willing to invest the time in large tombs.