'The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation' announced on heels of the comedienne's posthumous Grammy win is expected to be published on May 5.
- February 12, 2015
AceShowbiz -
Joan Rivers's life story will be told through the eyes of her daughter Melissa Rivers who pens a book in honor of the late comedienne. Titled "The Book of Joan: Tales of Mirth, Mischief, and Manipulation", it is due to arrive on May 5.
"In our family we always believed that laughter was the best medicine," Melissa says. "I wanted to write a book that would make my mother laugh. I hope it makes you laugh, too."
She "will share funny, poignant, and irreverent observations, thoughts, and tales about the woman who raised her." Among the personal anecdotes from her childhood was the time she was delivered as birthday gift to Johnny Carson by her parents when she was just 9 months old.
"These were just the tip of the iceberg when it came to life in the family that Melissa describes as more Addams than Cleaver," her publisher says. "And at the center of it all was a tiny blonde force of nature."
In related news, Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich explains why Joan Rivers was excluded from "in memoriam" segment. "I try and put a time limit on the 'In Memoriam' and just have to make choices at some point," he said. "No disrespect [was meant] at all. I actually knew Joan and worked with her from time to time."
Among the late stars remembered at the awards show was Robin Williams. Although Joan was absent from the tribute segment, she posthumously won the best spoken word album for her narration of "Diary of a Mad Diva".
"I think it was just that her Grammy involvement was certainly less than Robin's," he continued, referring to the fact that Williams won four Grammys. "There's only so much we can do, and we have to make hard choices when it comes to things like that."
