Q&A With Sally Brooks 

It’s exciting that today I get to do a Q&A with author, comedian & podcaster Sally Brooks. Sally is the author of her debut memoir Going To Maine coming out September 10^th 2024. Sally’s podcast is The Ridiculist. 

Q: Sally, would you please give a brief description of your memoir Going To Maine? 

A: Absolutely! Going to Maine is a memoir about the thing I haven’t been able to shut up about for 20 years— the 2003 thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail that I did with my childhood best friend, Erin. My elevator pitch is “Equal parts journey of self-discovery, buddy comedy, travel narrative, and love story; Going to Maine is a Appalachian Trail memoir with the feel of a beach read.”

Q: How long did it take you to write Going To Maine? Why is now the right time to write & publish your memoir?

A: Oh boy…I worked on Going to Maine off and on for about 15 years! I finally got serious about finishing and trying to publish it about mid-way through the pandemic. 

I think that we are all in need of a bit of escapism and adventure at this moment in time, even if that comes from reading a book. People who have read early copies of Going to Maine have said that it provides just that– a fun escape.

Q: What lessons do you hope readers learn after reading Going To Maine? 

A: My main goal is that readers will find enjoyment and entertainment from the book. If they take anything, I hope that it’s the confidence to do the thing that makes them nervous, to take the adventure when it presents itself (in whatever form that might be for them).

Q: If you are currently writing your next book, is it another memoir or will you try your hand at fiction this time?

A: Both, actually! I’m working on a memoir about pursuing a stand-up comedy career, tentatively titled Middling, and a novel loosely based on the time my mom was run out of Chicago by the mob (allegedly). 

Q: What is it like being a comedian? What is your advice for anyone who wants to be a comedian?

A: Comedians experience the highest of highs (a whole audience laughing at something you wrote) and the lowest lows (a whole audience NOT laughing at something you wrote) almost every time they perform. For all of the fun, there is also constant rejection, loneliness and unfairness built into the craft, so you have to get tough fairly quickly. It’s an amazing job, but a very hard pursuit. 

My best advice for aspiring comedians is to write and get on stage as much as you can. The only way to be a comedian is to do stand-up comedy. And just know that it takes a long time to get good, but if you put in the time and effort, you will! There is really nothing like the feeling of a great set. 

Q: Sally, would you like to talk about your podcast The Ridiculist? Feel free to provide a link to the podcast!

A: Yes, I love to talk about my podcast! The Ridiculist is a comedy podcast that I host with fellow stand-up comedian Jen O’Neill. Each week we scour the internet for the silliest listicles and top 10s and share them with our listeners. We end each episode with our own top 5 list of the week (very serious stuff like top 5 childhood crushes or top 5 Movies that make you feel weird). It’s an hour of fun! Find links to listen at tr.ee/KSEZuM2irH