Angela Nissel
Encyclopedia
Angela R. Nissel is an author best known for her first book, The Broke Diaries: The Completely True and Hilarious Misadventures of a Good Girl Gone Broke. She is also a writer and co-producer for Scrubs
and is working on a television series with Halle Berry
, who optioned both of Nissel's books.
Nissel was born and raised in Philadelphia. She attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
, where she majored in Creative Writing, and also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1998 with a degree in medical anthropology
.
Her book The Broke Diaries has been featured on Oprah
. She was featured on 20/20 with her mother, which also featured her book, Mixed.
On October 28, 2006, Nissel made her debut as a panelist on NPR
's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
". She also founded the music-related website Okayplayer.com with Ahmir Thompson (drummer for The Roots
).
packages and passed them out near bookstores. She also promoted it in her signature when she posted on Internet forum
s.
praised the book as being "the New Economy's version of Down and Out in Paris and London
, George Orwell
's 1933 book about the urban poor."
Mademoiselle
, April 2001 - "...the deft way Nissel transforms the ordeals of poverty into funny, reassuring anecdotes makes it an almost enviable condition."
named the book one of the ten best non-fiction books of 2006, saying, "“Readers will be grateful that she's willing to revisit her challenging past: Colorful anecdotes, marvelous dialogue and a thoughtful narrative make this memoir a delight.”
Entertainment Weekly
said, "As poignant as it is painfully funny."
Booklist
says, “Nissel is humorous, poignant, and proud yet also empathetic and generous as she recounts her constant struggle to answer the perennial question persons of mixed race seem required to ask of themselves in our society—where do I fit in?.... All readers stand to learn from her account.“
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Illuminating…Nissel's writing is very funny and very sharp.”
Halle Berry
says, "Mixed is a hilarious must-read for anyone searching for the enchanting path to self-discovery. Angela Nissel's precise account of living the mixed race experience not only hit home with me, but the journey is deliciously enlightening and heart-rending at the same time. It's a journey well worth taking."
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
and is working on a television series with Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
, who optioned both of Nissel's books.
Biography
Nissel's second book, Mixed: My Life in Black and White, is a comedic look at growing up as the child of a biracial couple.Nissel was born and raised in Philadelphia. She attended the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts
The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts is a magnet school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students major in one of six areas: Creative Writing, Instrumental Music, Visual Arts, Theater, Dance, and Vocal Music...
, where she majored in Creative Writing, and also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in 1998 with a degree in medical anthropology
Medical anthropology
Medical anthropology is an interdisciplinary field which studies "human health and disease, health care systems, and biocultural adaptation". It views humans from multidimensional and ecological perspectives...
.
Her book The Broke Diaries has been featured on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. She was featured on 20/20 with her mother, which also featured her book, Mixed.
On October 28, 2006, Nissel made her debut as a panelist on NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. It is distributed by NPR in the United States, internationally on NPR Worldwide and on the Internet via podcast, and typically broadcast on weekends by member...
". She also founded the music-related website Okayplayer.com with Ahmir Thompson (drummer for The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
).
Books
Nissel's first book was promoted in non-traditional ways. In one case, her friend applied "Buy The Broke Diaries!" stickers to ramen noodleRamen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
packages and passed them out near bookstores. She also promoted it in her signature when she posted on Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...
s.
The Broke Diaries
USA TodayUSA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
praised the book as being "the New Economy's version of Down and Out in Paris and London
Down and Out in Paris and London
Down and Out in Paris and London is the first full-length work by the English author George Orwell , published in 1933. It is a memoir in two parts on the theme of poverty in the two cities. The first part is a picaresque account of living on the breadline in Paris and the experience of casual...
, George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's 1933 book about the urban poor."
Mademoiselle
Mademoiselle (magazine)
Mademoiselle was an influential women's magazine first published in 1935 by Street and Smith and later acquired by Condé Nast Publications....
, April 2001 - "...the deft way Nissel transforms the ordeals of poverty into funny, reassuring anecdotes makes it an almost enviable condition."
Mixed
Kirkus ReviewsKirkus Reviews
Kirkus Reviews is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month...
named the book one of the ten best non-fiction books of 2006, saying, "“Readers will be grateful that she's willing to revisit her challenging past: Colorful anecdotes, marvelous dialogue and a thoughtful narrative make this memoir a delight.”
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
said, "As poignant as it is painfully funny."
Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
says, “Nissel is humorous, poignant, and proud yet also empathetic and generous as she recounts her constant struggle to answer the perennial question persons of mixed race seem required to ask of themselves in our society—where do I fit in?.... All readers stand to learn from her account.“
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Illuminating…Nissel's writing is very funny and very sharp.”
Halle Berry
Halle Berry
Halle Berry is an American actress and a former fashion model. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and won an Academy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 2001 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming...
says, "Mixed is a hilarious must-read for anyone searching for the enchanting path to self-discovery. Angela Nissel's precise account of living the mixed race experience not only hit home with me, but the journey is deliciously enlightening and heart-rending at the same time. It's a journey well worth taking."
External links
- Official website
- Memoir: Mixed, But Mixed Up No More, a March 2006 Fresh AirFresh AirFresh Air is an American radio talk show broadcast on National Public Radio stations across the United States. The show is produced by WHYY-FM in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its longtime host is Terry Gross. , the show was syndicated to 450 stations and claimed 4.5 million listeners. The show...
interview with Nissel