Pop culture historian and bestselling author Jennifer Keishin Armstrong (Seinfeldia, When Women Invented Television) visits the AWM to discuss her new book about the making of a beloved television show. Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America tells the definitive story of the creation and legacy of Parks and Recreation, with exclusive interview content from its cast, crew, and creators, as well as an introduction by Nick Offerman.
Books will be available for purchase and Keishin Armstrong will sign them following the program.
This is an in person program at the American Writers Museum. This program will also be livestreamed, and you can register for the link to the online broadcast here.
More about Parks and Rec:
More than fifteen years after Parks and Recreation premiered, it has become a streaming and pop culture staple. It’s beloved for its jokes, characters, and expressions—the show even created a now widely observed holiday, Galentine’s Day. How did it all happen and how did the show transform from a ratings disappointment into a cult classic? Pop culture historian Jennifer Keishin Armstrong reveals all this and more in the definitive history of the show, which is as full of humor, optimism, and heart as Parks and Recreation itself.
Through new and exclusive interviews, as well as deep insight and smart and entertaining pop culture analysis, Armstrong tells the story of how Parks and Recreation came to be: how it grew from The Office’s success and Obama-inspired optimism, how producers assembled one of TV’s most lovable casts but barely survived a mediocre first season, how the show found its voice by getting more political and more romantic, and how it became a cultural force despite middling ratings during its network run, going on to become a television savior of the Trump era and a modern classic.
For fans of the show, readers who enjoy behind-the-scenes stories, and everyone who loves a nostalgic deep-dive, Parks and Rec is an exploration of its legacy as an enduringly lovable modern comedy classic full of optimism and heart. Lovingly told and deeply researched, Parks and Rec is the ultimate history of the show that taught us what’s important in life: friends, waffles, and work.
Praise for Parks and Rec:
“A magnificent job of chronicling the unlikely beginnings of the show—the way that Greg Daniels and Mike Schur conceived of the premise and the world, and then the rag-tag way they put the cast together…You’ll be treated within to all manner of winning anecdotes about the adorable and talented team of champions that made up our cast.”
—Nick Offerman, excerpted from the foreword to Parks and Rec
“Making Parks and Rec was fun, pure fun, achieved through joyous collaboration with an incredible collection of writers and actors and creative people. I miss it every day, and Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s book is as close as I (or anyone) can get to actually being there, working and laughing and making something we all loved so much.”
—Michael Schur, co-creator of Parks and Recreation
“Sweet as a plate of JJ’s waffles, Parks and Rec is a thoughtful celebration of the underdog sitcom that, for seven seasons, put an optimistic lens on liberal democracy and small-town life. Full of behind-the-scenes stories from the show’s writers, cast and crew, Parks traces the NBC sitcom’s transformation from mid-season misfire to witty, romantic television classic. A perfect gift for members of the Leslie Knope-o-verse—or anyone searching for a little sunlight in a dark time.”
—Emily Nussbaum, staff writer at The New Yorker and author of Cue the Sun!
New York Times bestselling author JENNIFER KEISHIN ARMSTRONG has written nine books, including Seinfeldia, Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted, Sex and the City and Us, and When Women Invented Television. She is the cofounder of the “Ministry of Pop Culture” Substack and a former local newspaper reporter. She lives in New Paltz, New York. She is also the co-host of the American Writers Museum podcast Dead Writer Drama.
Event Venue
American Writers Museum, 180 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601, United States
