JJ Barrows
In KINDA FUNNY: Stories by a Full-Time Comedian (with Four Part-Time Jobs), JJ Barrows brings her stories from the comedy stage to the comedic page-all the result of a young JJ finding her voice after stumbling into a stand-up comedy class (because it was cheaper than therapy), and learning how to laugh at herself and see the good in even the worst of circumstances. If you’re looking for a book about comedy, you’ll find it-kinda, but in this comedy-club-meets-therapy-session collection, you’ll also find stories that are kinda deep, kinda awkward, and even kinda spiritual.From aging parents, awkward first dates, and avoiding the dentist to traversing the difficulties of eating disorders, wrestling with faith and depression, and yet still stumbling into love after looking for thirty-five years in very odd places, JJ uses her experiences to reveal her understandings of humor, faith, mental health, and what it means to finally 'grow up,' if that’s even something we ever actually do. JJ shares how she learned to find comfort in the 'I don’t knows' and 'kindas' of life, and encourages readers to do the same. Through her entertaining stories, readers will begin to realize the possibility of being fulfilled without feeling complete, leaving room for belief in something bigger than ourselves and the curiosity to dig deeper. Yes, these are JJ’s stories, but in a way they belong to all of us, as they seek to answer questions we all face as humans. Readers will find a friend in JJ as they examine their own 'kindas' and realize that we don’t have to fit into one box. JJ’s stories remind us that there’s freedom in letting ourselves figure it out on no one’s timeline but our own.
