The Author Events Series presents Angela Nissel | Good Grief, Pass The Bread Mom is Dead
In Conversation with Tayyib Smith
Television writer, producer, and bestselling author of the acclaimed The Broke Diaries and Mixed charts her unexpected role as her terminally ill mother’s caretaker in this funny, moving, and unforgettable memoir.
Angela Nissel always wanted her mother’s approval. But two defining events created a barrier between them: renouncing Christianity and being admitted to a psychiatric ward— events that mirrored failed parenting to her mother.
Beating her depression, Angela moved to Los Angeles where she quickly achieved success as a television writer but soon after found herself dead broke and enduring a painful divorce. It was at this low point that she received heartbreaking news: her mother had cancer. Angela moves her mother to Los Angeles where she attempts to hide foreclosure notices and her live-in boyfriend while also trying to save her mother’s life with everything from crystals to celebrity doctors. Still, her mother succumbs to her cancer.
In this poignant and hilarious memoir, Angela chronicles her odyssey as she tries to remain “strong” like her mother in the face of grief. Delightfully self-deprecating, unsparing in its honesty, yet filled with wacky humor and joy, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead, is an unforgettable portrait of love, yearning, loss, and resilience that reveals the indelible power of introspection to save our lives.
Angela Nissel is author of the national bestselling comedic memoirs The Broke Diaries and Mixed, and a prolific television producer and writer whose credits include The Other Black Girl, Mixed-ish and Scrubs. Prior to her television career, she had illustrious careers as a temp for the IRS, a stripper, and a “sleep apnea auditor” watching people snore overnight in a local hospital. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys beating people half her age in video games.
Tayyib Smith is a dynamic entrepreneur working at the intersections of art, real estate, and economic vitality. As founding partner of The Growth Collective³, he focuses on breaking down systemic barriers in communities of color by providing essential advocacy, resources and capital. In real estate, his leadership at Smith & Roller Holdings promotes inclusive, holistic urban development. Through projects like Legacy Reclaimed – the 7th Ward Tribute and A Dream Deferred PHL, Smith highlights the power of cultural heritage in revitalizing neighborhoods. His board roles with organizations such as Kensington Corridor Trust, Prizm Art Fair, Black Star Projects further demonstrate his commitment to fostering economic vitality through the arts.
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