Kari Lizer
Writer & Producer
Debut Book
Aren't You Forgetting Someone?
April 07, 2020
What does it feel like to have your kids leave the house at the same time your parents might need to move in? With self-deprecating humor, sharp wit, and Ephron-esque aplomb, Kari Lizer gives an honest account of finding herself in the middle of growing up, growing old, and still figuring it all out.
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Empty nest means confronting hard, vulnerable truths about raising children, and learning how to find yourself when you realize your kids-who-have-become-adults need you, the mother, less and less. The center has shifted and reconciling how to become a mother in the periphery pushes Lizer to contemplate the passage of time, loss, love, grief, and identity. Her material sometimes lingers in darkness, but the reader is too busy laughing out loud at Lizer’s self-deprecating humor, and the sharpness of these truths escape into the ether.
Praise & Reviews
With wry humor and a good dose of self-deprecation, TV writer Kari Lizer reflects on being an empty nester when her children go off to college, leaving her alone with several dogs and chickens. Lizer's voice enhances the essays with her animation, warmth, and a healthy dose of prickle.
From AudioFile
Kari Lizer, the creator of many TV shows, including “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” has written a collection of funny, poignant essays about her children leaving home. With funny scenes like her five-hour unappreciated journey to pick up her daughter at the airport, complete with a running inner monologue, this book will stay with you long after your kids are gone.
Writing
Live Like You're Dying (You Are),
"I'm dying. I realized it last week when the seat of my jeans gave way in the freezer section of the supermarket...."
#NOT ME
"I thought self-isolating would be a dream for me because like my youngest son, who is a loner after my own heart, said, “My life is exactly the same except now my friends can’t complain that I never want to go anywhere.” I am free to be. Me."
I’m sorry. I’m not a joiner. I know for most people, aligning themselves with like-minded individuals brings comfort, makes them feel like they belong, but for me, it makes me feel less special.
Podcasts & Interviews
About Kari Lizer
Kari Lizer is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer, director, recovering actress, unapologetic feminist, and mother. She is best known as the creator and executive producer of The New Adventures of Old Christine, the hit CBS sitcom that ran for five seasons.
A fierce advocate for women in the industry, Lizer’s work is deeply rooted in her experience of womanhood, exploring the challenges, contradictions, and everyday absurdities that come with it.
In her debut book, Aren’t You Forgetting Someone?: Essays from My Mid-Life Revenge, she reflects on life through a collection of sharp, funny essays—an unfiltered look at motherhood, aging, and being a woman in a world that prefers its women quiet.She lives between Los Angeles and Vermont with her dogs, horses, chickens, tortoise, and (occasionally) her children.