Quinta Brunson Reveals Childhood Dreams in New Book

Before the internet met and fell in love with Quinta Brunson, she was in Philly dreaming about her potential and fantasizing about the world outside the bounds of her state. By the time Quinta entered her adolescence, she was more determined than ever to follow in the footsteps of the comedians she admired. Producing her own series on Instagram titled Girl Who Has Never Been on a Nice Date and joining Buzzfeed as a producer and actor in her early twenties, she forged an undeniable path that superseded any of her expectations and became a cultural marker online — in the form of memes.

Her wit, along with her hilarious, timely expressions has taken over social media and captivated millions worldwide. From Milly Rocking across the pyramids of Giza and iconic phrases in tow including “he got money” and “people be gay”, so many of Quinta’s visuals and isms have been engrained in the lexicon of mainstream popular culture. Today, Quinta is a multi-hyphenate extraordinaire who has starred and appeared in a myriad of television series, most notably co-starring and writing for the HBO sketch comedy series A Black Lady Sketch Show and will star, and co-executive produce Abbot Elementary, set to appear on ABC this fall.

Prioritizing intentional content, and collecting several bags in the process, Quinta lays it all on the line in her debut book, She Memes Well which reads like a coming-of-age story. The collection of essays thoughtfully maps the evolution of the starlet, detailing her origins, passions and unveils a vulnerable side of the sharp-tongued, vibrant woman whose face has launched a thousand memes.

Before the book dives into who she is now, Quinta thoughtfully walks readers through her origin story, highlighting that while most girls strived to embark on traditional job paths, Quinta always wanted more. “I remember being a very focused and confident 15-year-old but almost being embarrassed because of that. I remember feeling a little bit like the odd person out because I was so focused and saw something that felt inconceivable. So I didn't talk about what I wanted much because it seemed like pipe dreams.” Harnessing that power, Quinta would later open up to a boyfriend about what she truly wanted which would later manifest into something far greater.

Known for her infectious smile and clever comedic delivery, Quinta details how the book allowed for an aspect of vulnerability that she seldom showcases online. “You can talk to anyone who's written a book, you can’t even be prepared for the emotional journey in it. I keep describing it as things that you and your life have turned into a sentence, then you now have to open up and turn them into paragraphs, and you have to open those up and turn them into chapters. A lot of it is like opening up wounds, especially me being a stand-up comedian. I have made punchlines to make people laugh, but the book requires you to expand on those things. And that in itself is crazy. It's similar to therapy, but you're your own therapist.”

But Quinta says doesn’t want She Memes Well to be the perfect guide. Recognizing the ups and downs within her life, the comedian showcases the beauty of authenticity throughout the pages. “I want younger girls to read about honest stuff about relationships. I don't want them to only have the dreamy versions of life. I want them to hear about love and sex from someone who has had quite a bit of it [laughs]. I just hope that this book opens that up for them.”

Indulging in amusing anecdotes about her foray into media, the politics of social media and going even as far to create a chapter on “How to Mind Your Own Damn Business”, the book represents all sides of what makes the 31-year-old so lovable — her hilarious nature and saying whatever is on her mind. Vocalizing that this book is a must for all kids who have grown up on the internet and speak meme culture fluently, Quinta strives to keep it real. “I want to be honest with them about my womanhood. And I hope it helps them navigate the rest of their life because I think Gen Z is in a very interesting place, even more so than millennials were and I want us to start nurturing them a bit more.”

With Black girls and Black women being at the forefront of creating and cultivating trends on the internet and going viral routinely, oftentimes without credit, she relishes being able to craft her own narrative on her own terms. “I'm happy to be an option in the ever-changing landscape of Black womanhood in the media. One thing I hope to do, with not only this book but with the rest of my career is push the idea of handling your own narrative. People can manipulate your story, your face, whatever it is that they want it to be and that's not just in the meme world, but even in your in your work life, like in my acting world, in my creating world, I still like to have a handle on my own business and not really leave that up to other people.”

A theme that reflects this flawlessly is highlighted in a chapter titled “Rough Edges”, where Quinta laments about her hair, trips to the salon, and the politics associated with Black hair care. Divulging into the struggle of maintaining the perfect edges and having her image up for critique publicly, is one of the standouts in the book as she wrestled with what it means to embrace all forms of yourself.

Looking back to her 15-year-old self and if she would offer any advice on what she knows now, the comedian says, “I would say to myself that you're doing everything right. When I think about my younger self, I feel like I'm very in line with what I wanted. Maybe it didn't go exactly how I thought it would, but I did it.”

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue