Remember Me When I'm Gone

March 1, 2004
Leave it to King to take a decidedly morbid subject and turn it into something enjoyable. For this volume, the famous news and talk show host asked over 300 celebrities how they would like to be remembered after their deaths. The results range from the slapstick to the revelatory. Some of the contributions are spiritual, such as Mariel Hemingway's statement that after death she would exist"in the ever-new joy of God's love" and Kristin Chenoweth's plan to be"rejoicing with her Lord in heaven." Other parting lines are quite funny, among them Phil Donahue's ("Is the caller there?") and Dave Barry's ("Dave's not here"). Some of the contributions ring with pride and self-congratulation, such as Calvin Klein's"Calvin Klein by Eternity" and Tommy Hilfiger's"An all-American classic designer who brought class to the masses." Last but not least is King's own commentary:"I hope that fifty years from now when people talk about Larry King, they will say,"He did a hell of an interview!" A slight, eclectic book offering dashes of charm and more than a smidgen of self-congratulation, this volume will probably do best when displayed next to cash register with other impulse items.

February 16, 2004
Leave it to King to take a decidedly morbid subject and turn it into something enjoyable. For this volume, the famous news and talk show host asked over 300 celebrities how they would like to be remembered after their deaths. The results range from the slapstick to the revelatory. Some of the contributions are spiritual, such as Mariel Hemingway's statement that after death she would exist"in the ever-new joy of God's love" and Kristin Chenoweth's plan to be"rejoicing with her Lord in heaven." Other parting lines are quite funny, among them Phil Donahue's ("Is the caller there?") and Dave Barry's ("Dave's not here"). Some of the contributions ring with pride and self-congratulation, such as Calvin Klein's"Calvin Klein by Eternity" and Tommy Hilfiger's"An all-American classic designer who brought class to the masses." Last but not least is King's own commentary: "I hope that fifty years from now when people talk about Larry King, they will say,"He did a hell of an interview!" A slight, eclectic book offering dashes of charm and more than a smidgen of self-congratulation, this volume will probably do best when displayed next to cash register with other impulse items.

Copyright 2004 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.