Jul 28, 2026 · 1 hr 9 min · 17 segments
For Anne Lamott, it goes Jesus, the cat, and then everyone else. Amy hangs with the 'Bird by Bird' author and talks about how she deals with bad reviews, binging on 'Below Deck' and People magazine…
Anne LamottGuest
Amy PoehlerHost
Tina FeyGuest
And we do forget, you've, there, there are times when you, you absolutely feel that way, and you just, and you absolutely forget about the carcass that you're in, uh, and how long it's been around.
I asked you to do this, um, first part because you and I have talked about Anne Lamott and how much we like her and like her writing, and I think there will be people listening to this pod today that will be diehard fans of hers and then people that might be discovering her work for the first time.
If you were to talk to somebody who had never read her, um, how would you describe her as a writer?
I would describe her writing as very honest and funny, and, um, it's like meeting a new friend, when you meet a friend who you instantly go, "Oh, you're, you're one of my people," you know? Um, because she's so direct and she's so...
I give that book to people all the time, anyone interested in writing, any kid, you know, going to college.
Um, and yeah, d- you know, Anne's books, I, I've turned to them many times in my adult life for to, to, to take comfort.
They, they are a comfort, you know? Um, Traveling Overseas and Operating Instructions and Some Assembly Required, the different phases in your life, that those books are all a tremendous comfort and they make you, they help you feel less insane.
I mean other than comedy writers like yourself and others, but like this is the first like pr- writer, writer, writer.
And I, I think, um, I was thinking too like, "Oh yeah, what can I a- ask her?" Um, and I was torn.
Like in some ways I was like, "Well, I can't ask her to like minister to us." [laughs] 'Cause I wanted to be like, "Anne, why is God taking only the good people? Do you know, Anne, why? What's happening?"
It's so funny you say that, Betty, 'cause I, I feel like my instinct is to keep saying, "Anne, how can we help, help..." Like, "Anne, can you tell me-
And we do forget, you've, there, there are times when you, you absolutely feel that way, and you just, and you absolutely forget about the carcass that you're in, uh, and how long it's been around.
I asked you to do this, um, first part because you and I have talked about Anne Lamott and how much we like her and like her writing, and I think there will be people listening to this pod today that will be diehard fans of hers and then people that might be discovering her work for the first time.
If you were to talk to somebody who had never read her, um, how would you describe her as a writer?
I would describe her writing as very honest and funny, and, um, it's like meeting a new friend, when you meet a friend who you instantly go, "Oh, you're, you're one of my people," you know? Um, because she's so direct and she's so...
I give that book to people all the time, anyone interested in writing, any kid, you know, going to college.
Um, and yeah, d- you know, Anne's books, I, I've turned to them many times in my adult life for to, to, to take comfort.
They, they are a comfort, you know? Um, Traveling Overseas and Operating Instructions and Some Assembly Required, the different phases in your life, that those books are all a tremendous comfort and they make you, they help you feel less insane.
I mean other than comedy writers like yourself and others, but like this is the first like pr- writer, writer, writer.
And I, I think, um, I was thinking too like, "Oh yeah, what can I a- ask her?" Um, and I was torn.
Like in some ways I was like, "Well, I can't ask her to like minister to us." [laughs] 'Cause I wanted to be like, "Anne, why is God taking only the good people? Do you know, Anne, why? What's happening?"
It's so funny you say that, Betty, 'cause I, I feel like my instinct is to keep saying, "Anne, how can we help, help..." Like, "Anne, can you tell me-
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