"Crying In H Mart" Is Getting The Movie Treatment

“I feel great. I’m somewhat reluctant to share very much about my personal life ‘cause I feel like so much has already been shared, but it just seems like I needed to do this,” Whoopi said when I ask her how she’s feeling about sharing a very special part of her heart with readers. “I try to listen to my instincts and everything said, ‘Now’s the time. You might as well do it,’ and so I wrote it,” she continued.

And while that passionate impetus ignited the flame, she also admitted that she was beginning to forget things, so she wanted to make sure she remembering as much as she can by telling these stories now.

One thing that hasn’t changed for the actress is how much she sees and hears her mother, not just in herself, but in other family members. “I see it all the time. I hear her, and now my grandkids hear her as well. I have a great-granddaughter — who’s 10 and never got to meet my mother — but my oldest granddaughter talks to her like she is my mother,” she said with a fond smile. It never ceases to amaze me how connected we are to our ancestors even if we’ve never had the pleasure of being in their company.

Whoopi feels incredibly fortunate she was able to have grown up in a household where her mother and brother were. “Listen, I’m really lucky that she was my mother. I feel like it was a good pairing. Same with my brother. I just don’t know what life would’ve been like had I been born to different people with all of my idiosyncrasies,” she said.

And that’s one of the things that stood out to me throughout Bits and Pieces. Whoopi’s mother truly created an environment that fostered the individual personalities of her children, while also teaching them valuable lessons that still live within Whoopi today.

“Most of my being is a product of growing up in this particular household; how I listen to people, why I listen to people, how I will and will not allow people to speak to me,” she stated without hesitation, “All of these things that go into her raising children who were aware of themselves and where they might fit in the universe, and her knowing the universe was much bigger than even she understood, so that I could end up anywhere on any planet; the same with my brother. We could end up anywhere and we’d be alright.”

Her mother also made sure that Whoopi and her brother knew not to judge people at first glance until you actually spent time with them, and to be unafraid to disagree with people. “If people don’t want to be your friend after you disagree, then they’re not people for you to be with,” she shared.

The other thing Whoopi recalls about her mother is how intentional she was about not allowing herself to be boxed in by her circumstances as if they were the beginning and ending point of her life. “She just never would accept the world other people kept trying to put her in. She was like, ‘Look, I will do whatever I need to do to get away from this and elevate myself.’ Her attitude was if you’re not curious, you’re not living,” Whoopi said.

The more we talked, the more she expressed her gratitude for her mother and brother again. “I don’t know how it could’ve been any better,” she said with pride. “We were three strange people who really loved each other and because she [her mother] loved us, we knew we weren't different like people thought we were,” she reiterated.

She then briefly addressed her dyslexia with me. While that could bring many down — especially actors young in their career — Whoopi's didn't.

“Dyslexia didn’t mean I was not smart. Dyslexia meant that I perceived things differently. She [Whoopi's mother] said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with that. You just have to get used to teaching people because they don’t know how to listen the way you do. You’re listening with different ears. You have to know that everyone is trying to absorb the information that’s out there, but we don’t all hear it the same way…’” Whoopi pointed out.

Before our conversation comes to a close, I can’t help but talk about our shared love of all things horror. I literally clapped with delight when I came to the part in the book where she mentions it because it’s something I used to think I had to apologize for as a kid.

Yet, here’s this monumental actress who loves the genre just as much. When I ask her which three horror movies she’d watch back to back, she lit up before saying, “The Haunting — Robert Wise’s version, The Exorcist — a quintessential horror movie in her opinion, and Poltergeist, or Nightmare on Elm Street.”

She recalled that horror movies used to come on television every Saturday night, and she’d watch them because she was too young to go to parties. “I love all of the old Universal monsters, all the Hammer monsters. I want a movie about all of them.”

When she’s not watching horror movies, Whoopi feeds her imagination by listening to audiobooks at night. She said, “For me, imagination still comes from someone telling me a story and I can end up wherever I end up in the book.” As far as whether people allow themselves to be in touch with their inner child, she said people can lose it because they don’t realize how important that inner child plays.

“But they find it. They go looking for it,” she said with that familiar smile I can’t believe has followed me from my television to my computer screen.

Based on our conversation and the way she poured her love into Bits and Pieces, it’s easy to understand that the timing of her memoir couldn’t be more perfect — that intention plus action matters.

My own childhood is full of memories where my mother and older sister were the center of my universe. For a while, it was just the three of us in our small home before my stepdad and stepbrother came into the picture. The days spent with with them consisted of free trips to the library, Wild Adventures, feeding ducks at Lake Ella in Tallahassee, Florida, and so much more — not that different from Whoopi's days with her family.

It's always heartwarming when you get a chance to talk to other people and realize that our experiences aren't always that different. It's why I can confidently say that readers will be surprised at how full their hearts are by the time they reach the last page of Bits and Pieces. It’s a beautiful look at not just Whoopi's soul, but the endearing moments she shared with her family, her ancestry, and ultimately with all of us along the way.

Pre-Order Whoopi Goldberg's Memoir "Bits and Pieces" Today:

Bits and Pieces

Be sure you order your copy of Whoopi Goldberg's memoir Bits and Pieces today. You're truly in for a treat — and just in time for Mother's Day!

Who Is Dolly Alderton?

Dolly Alderton is a former columnist for The Sunday Times and is now an author of 4 incredible, best-selling books. With almost 300,000 ratings on Goodreads for her debut memoir, she's solidified her status as a rising star in the literary world. Many liken her voice to be today's Bridget Jones or Nora Ephron due to her whip-smart writing and honest storytelling. She creates characters that jump off the page into real life with you and writes about her own life as if she were your best friend. Dolly is definitely an author you should know, so let's break down all of her best works for you to read!

Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir

This incredibly vulnerable Dolly Alderton book is a relatable memoir that explores what it's like to be a young woman navigating life in the current world. Dolly Alderton writes about her experience in life, love, dating, men, and food. You name it, she talks about it. She candidly depicts her pits and peaks managing whatever life threw at her. The book is also deeply rooted in friendship, specifically Dolly's relationship with an old childhood friend named Carly. This is the most painful part of it all.

Dolly confronts the heartbreaking truth that you will not have the same friendship as you once did as you age and evolve. She even writes the painful sentiment, "Everything will change. The love we have for each other stays the same, but the format, the tone, the regularity, and the intimacy of our friendship will change forever.” Her writing is painfully honest, but it'll also have you sitting on the edge of your seat to see what misadventure will happen next. You can't help but root for her in this amazing memoir. Everything I Know About Love was adapted into a British TV series in 2022 starring Emma Appleton, Bel Powley and Aliyah Odoffin. Season 1 is streaming on Peacock.

Ghosts: A Novel

Now moving on to her debut novel, Ghosts, you'll encounter Dolly Alderton's engaging storytelling but with an even funnier wit and flair. Published in 2021, this book tells the story of Nina Dean, a successful food writer in her early thirties. She decides to download a dating app and meets a handsome gentleman named Max. It goes, surprisingly, very well. They hit it off immediately and he even claims that he'll marry her on their first date.

But then she gets ghosted by Max the charmer, and Nina starts to spiral as all of her problems seem to hit at once. Not only is she grappling with the societal and cultural pressures to settle down, but she also must cope with her father's dementia diagnosis and her mother's mid-life crisis. There's a healthy dose of self-reflection and humor that'll keep you hooked until the very end.

Dear Dolly: Collected Wisdom

Asked and answered! This Dolly Alderton book is a compilation of the best guidance from her "Dear Dolly" column with The Sunday Times. In the classic Dolly Alderton way, she gives sage advice and shares funny anecdotes from her own experiences on everything from break ups to body image.If you're feeling lost, confused, or unsure about if you're on the right path in life, then this book will help you through it! Plus, Dolly Alderton is just so charming and thoughtful in her responses that you will be asking for even more!

Good Material

Good Material is the latest Dolly Alderton book, which debuted in November 2023. It offers quite a different feel from her previous works as it's written from a male's perspective. She reveals the story of couple Andy and Jen, who have recently ended their relationship. Andy is gutted by the breakup and hopes to win back his now ex-girlfriend all the while trying to launch his standup career. Throughout most of the book, we see the story from Andy's side. Once you think you have the whole story, a surprising perspective shift will help illuminate what the true downfall of the relationship was, and shed light on Jen's point-of-view. If you're looking for a book to help you cope with a recent breakup, this one is definitely for you. After tearing through this read, we can't wait to see what Dolly Alderton is cooking up next.

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