You Didn't Hear This from Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip

"Gossip is the only cultural tradition I care about, and Kelsey McKinney has written its Bible" - Samantha Irby, #1 NYT bestselling author

From the host of the Normal Gossip podcast, a delightfully insightful exploration of our obsession with gossip that weaves together journalism, cultural criticism, and memoir.

As the pandemic forced us to socialize at a distance, Kelsey McKinney was mourning the juicy updates and jaw-dropping stories she'd typically collect over drinks with friends--and from her hunger, the blockbuster Normal Gossip podcast was born. With listenership in the millions, Kelsey found herself thinking more critically about gossip as a form, and wanting to better understand the role it plays in our culture.

In You Didn't Hear This From Me, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling. Why is gossip considered a sin, and how can we better recognize when it's being weaponized? Why do we think we're entitled to every detail of a celebrity's personal life? And how do we define "gossip," anyway? As much as the book aims to treat gossip as a subject worthy of rigor, it also hopes to capture the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend's ear.

With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth--and how much the truth really matters in the first place.