Releasing a memoir which discusses details of your most embarrassing, dark, confronting and scarring moments growing up is challenging enough, let alone having your mother read it. Let alone having your mother, who is largely featured in the book, disagree with a large proportion of what you’ve written. Let alone then presenting it on a platform for the whole world to hear. But that’s the kind of woman Rosie Waterland is- one with some serious guts.
In 2015, Rosie Waterland released her first memoir, The Anti Cool Girl. It explores important and definitive moments in Rosie’s turbulent childhood and early adulthood. Rosie’s mother Lisa is an important “character” in the book; her alcoholism, and sometimes questionable parenting style, threw their family into some confronting situations. For this reason, I’m not sure that Rosie ever expected her Mum to read the book properly. But in 2016, she did, and according to the podcast, she had a lot to say about it. Over 22 episodes of Mum Says My Memoir is a Lie, Rosie reads a chapter from her memoir, and herself and her mother Lisa discuss the ins and outs of each story, and what really happened.
Each episode is honest, confronting, but often completely laugh out loud funny. Lisa’s insights into what happened behind each story Rosie tells provides an understanding of what life must have been like for her. It’s thought provoking, and makes you feel empathetic for this woman and the family that she created. Rosie and Lisa have a very different, closer relationship than the one written about in the book, and so some of the discussions of moments in the memoir have never been spoken about before. What results is a raw discussion about family life, mental health, relationships, embarrassing moments, and life lessons.
I first encountered Rosie Waterland’s work when she was writing Bachelor recaps a few years ago. It was her quippy, honest and often outrageous voice that captured me, and she applies that in telling the story of her life so far. Some of the memoir/podcast deals with extremely personal and confronting moments in Rosie’s life, which I think can help most of us feel less alone, and hopefully understand other people’s experiences better.
Rosie and her mother Lisa do get into quite heated arguments over aspects of Rosie’s life, both of which arguing a side you may not agree with. But I implore you to listen, and learn about these women’s perspectives. Rosie’s voice often brings forward controversial opinions, but she speaks from the heart, and tells her story with such spirit and fantastic humour that it shouldn’t be missed.
This podcast is a great deal because you get to listen to Rosie’s memoir for free, with the added commentary from Lisa and Rosie themselves. It needs to be listened to from start to finish, in the order of chapters. These are some of my favourite chapter titles that might give you an idea for what you’re in for.
Chapter 1: You Will Be Fed Up Before You’ve Even Left The Womb
Chapter 5: Jesus Will Propose To Your Sister, And Not You. Dick.
Chapter 8: Your Dad Will Finally Die, And You’ll Be Relieved
Chapter 14: You Will Lose Your Virginity, Followed By Your Mind
Chapter 21: You Will Learn How To Be A Functioning Adult, And Realise You Don’t Care About Being A Functioning Adult
Mum Says My Memoir is a Lie will make you laugh and cry, often simultaneously.
Rose Kerr