Kissing the World Goodbye

THE BOOK: Kissing the World Goodbye

PUBLISHED IN: 2022

THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Clark

THE EDITOR: Robin Ann Lee; S.R. Stewart

SUMMARY: Jennifer Clark’s latest book, Kissing the World Goodbye, is a memoir infused with recipes that invites the reader to crouch down and notice the small things in life we too easily overlook. Everything in this world, no matter how small, is worthy of consideration for Clark, from isopods barreling through Tasmanian soil to the origins of childhood nicknames. Big things matter, too, like siblionic love, a term she coins in an attempt to describe the indescribable connections between siblings. Within this funny, poignant, and often tasty memoir, Clark weaves in serious issues such as the perpetual closeness of various forms of loss, and family members, particularly her sister’s, easily moving on in the face of matters that weigh Clark down. And much weighs her down: naming fish, Ernest Borgnine’s eyebrows, cell phones, instapots, and more.

Bottom line: this lyrical journey reminds us life is messy, funny, fragile, and fleeting. For even as we kiss the world hello, we kiss it goodbye.

THE BACK STORY: “This family is a gold mine of stories.” My mother told me this for decades. After I heard similar feedback from nonfiction editors who had accepted some of my essays about my family (comments like: “Your sister may be one of the best things that could happen to a writer and you get to be sisters to boot!”), I decided to write Kissing the World Goodbye.

It was only after completing the manuscript that I noticed that food had somehow made appearances in each piece. When I asked my publisher if I could weave in recipes that connected with each story, they were totally open to the idea, so that is how the book turned into a memoir/cookbook.

WHY THIS TITLE: “Kissing the World Goodbye” is an essay within this memoir/cookbook and best captures the essence of the book. The original title of that essay was “Bash is Dead” which would have made for a terrible title.

WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO READ IT: If you have siblings or have ever wondered what it’s like to have siblings, you’ll want to dig into this book. If you are part of a book club, you’ll enjoy discussing Kissing the World Goodbye while snacking or sipping on one or two of the recipes included in its pages.

REVIEW COMMENTS:

Jennifer Clark’s memoir takes us right to the heart of the American family dramedy: the table, where the Zucchini Helper waits alongside Chicken Cordon Bleu—en casserole, of course, because this is Michigan. Clark braids family tales with recipes that you will want to try, if you grew up in the vast imaginary land sometimes called the Midwest. With an ironic edge and mordant wit that never compromises a deep and open heart, Clark invites us into a family that is nothing like yours and also a lot like yours, especially if you’ve ever felt like its only sane member, or the alien in the tribe, or the clan’s designated chronicler. Clark offers up her beloveds in all their exasperating, brilliant, incomparable uniqueness. When you close Kissing the World Goodbye, you will already be missing her scientist father, in his gentle, wise intimacy with tiny invertebrate creatures; her mother, who always has something up her sleeve and who vanquishes incompetent bankers; her brother, epidemiologist and inspirational chef; and above all her sister, the exasperating and relentlessly loving Holly, queen of Costco and maker of killer strawberry-jalapeño margaritas. Jennifer Clark, who has worked mostly in poetry, here mines the secret of memoir: that in the ragged particulars of our lives lies the vast human story, full of yearning, grief, loyalty, intimacy, laughter, and appetite. — — Gail Griffin, author of Grief’s Country: A Memoir in Pieces, a 2021 Michigan Notable Book

AUTHOR PROFILE: In addition to her latest book, Kissing the World Goodbye, which braids family tales with recipes, Jennifer Clark is the author of a children’s book and three full-length poetry collections. Her work has been nominated for a Rhysling Award, Best Microfiction, Best of the Net, and six Pushcart Prizes. She’s just finished another book, Intercede: Saints for Concerning Occasions (to be published by Unsolicited Press in May of 2025). You can find her at jenniferclarkkzoo.com and @jenniferclarkbooks.

AUTHOR COMMENTS: For some reason, I’ve received more feedback from readers on this book than any other one I’ve written. One of my favorites is from a reader who credits Kissing the World Goodbye with saving her marriage! She likes to read a little before falling asleep. Apparently, her laughter kept startling her husband who was trying to sleep. After several nights of this, he gave up and suggested she read the book aloud. She did and they laughed together.

SAMPLE:

LOCAL OUTLETS:

Michigan News Agency (http://www.michigannewsagency.net), Kazoo Books (https://kazoobooks.com), and This is a bookstore/Bookbug (https://www.bookbugkalamazoo.com/book/9781956692075)

WHERE ELSE TO BUY IT:

Unsolicited Press (https://www.unsolicitedpress.com/store/p368/clark.nonfiction.html, IndieBound, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble

PRICE: $16.95

CONTACT THE AUTHOR: Website: jenniferclarkkzoo.com Instagram: @jenniferclarkbooks