Comedy superstars Mindy Kaling and Aziz Ansari attended BookCon in New York over the weekend to promote their new books Why Not Me? and Modern Romance, and both of them teased some new details about what we can expect from their latest literary projects. As for Modern Romance, Ansari looked back on over a year and a half of research he conducted with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg, in which they learned that young people prefer texting over in-person interaction, people look for “what a whole village used to provide†in one person, and that “the more options you have, the harder it is to make a choice, and the less satisfied we are when we make a choice … You have a 24/7 singles bar in your pocket now.â€
Meanwhile, Kaling teased her upcoming book of comedic essays Why Not Me?, which will focus on her experience of being “a tiny bit famous†and figuring out her life “especially after watching friends start their own families.†Here’s what Kaling had to say when asked to explain the book title’s double meaning:
“The first one is the wistful meaning where I’m at an age where a lot of my friends are getting married, and I have a sense of a feeling of being left out,†she explained. “Another side is the ambitious side of me that for my entire life, though no one has ever bared a passing resemblance to me in television or film, why not me? Why can’t I do that?†The voiceover actress of Inside Out then “acted†the title’s dual tones — the latter also being, “Why the F— Not Me?†she joked.
Kaling went on to say that Why Not Me? will be much more honest and vulnerable compared to her hit 2011 book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns), focus on topics like body image, friendship, and the television industry, and feature a cameo by Greg Daniels in the form of an essay about being Kaling’s mentor. Why Not Me? hits stores on September 29th, while Ansari’s Modern Romance is out Tuesday, June 16th.