Review: My Life, Made Possibly By Pop Culture by DanielleTBD
Raise your hand if you ever thought about seriously marrying Saved By The Bell heart throb Zack Morris. Now raise your hand if you’ve ever turned that thought into a well-written, intriguing memoir.
If you haven’t stuck your hand in the air, chances are you’re not Danielle “DanielleTBD” Turchiano, a Los Angeles based freelance writer whose book My Life, Made Possible By Pop Culture was released last year. While not her first foray into the publishing world (Stars In Their Eyes, a novel about LA lifestyle was released in 2007) it’s the first time she has opened up personally about her early years, specifically about how television shaped her views on life, love and pretty much everything that she’s ever learned about the human race.
Okay. Maybe that last part is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is safe to say that Turchiano learned a lot from television.
The book is based on her long-standing blog of the same name (www.possiblebypopculture.com) and divided into several chapters, all of which touch on one or two formative years in Turchiano’s life. Within these chapters? A focus on a particular television show, actor or pop culture phenomenon that played a role in helping her through the experience. By starting from the very beginning (when she had no more than a few channels in her household and was forced to listen through the walls to catch programming not suitable for young children) and leading up to her current life as a 20-something entertainment professional, she creates am easy-to-follow road map – one that’s both interesting and relatable.
Turchiano may be writing about entertainment, but the lessons she talks about the stories she shares are real and heartfelt and she writes with the detail and prose of someone who knows her subject matter like the back of her hand (not surprising considering her background of working within the industry.) Her stories are presented with vividness (and at times, snark) and whether she’s recounting her desire to marry Jensen Ackles, her obsession over California Dreams or her rabid passion for Days Of Our Lives, we find ourselves drawn into her world, eagerly turning the page to find out what happens next. Using pop culture references to seamlessly integrate important aspects of her life, Turchiano is able to touch on personal recollections such as her mother’s illness, her dating life and her family history, which allows the reader to bridge an understanding between her experiences and how she found comfort through the media world.
My Life, Made Possible By Pop Culture is a fun, engaging and entertainment-filled read – but perhaps the best thing about the book is that it reflects pure honesty. More than fangirl’s babble of attractive leading men and favorite programs, Turchiano’s memoir is a candid and insightful assessment of a life that was shaped by the entertainment world – the lessons learned, the mistakes made, and the invaluable advice that can only come from Liz Lemon and Monica Geller.
Buy My Life, Made Possible By Pop Culture, available now! And look for my follow-up interview with Danielle to be posted soon!
Order a hard copy from Amazon.
Order a digital copy.
Danielle’s Website: Made Possible By Pop Culture
Follow DanielleTBD on Twitter: @DanielleTBD
