When comedian Wendy Spero ’97 graduated, there were a few things she knew for sure: she was a good African dancer, 35 percent of female students rarely had orgasms during actual intercourse, she was extra mad at society for objectifying women, and she had a great collection of amusing wind-up knickknacks from toy stores in the Connecticut area.
She highlights her experiences after this promising college career in her first book and autobiography, “Microthrills.” Released in August 2006, the book is based on her one-woman show of the same title about her relationship with her single, sex-therapist mother.
In “Microthrills,” the chapter about Spero’s years at Wesleyan starts with her first time smoking marijuana. Pleasantly surprised that she didn’t go crazy and jump out of a window, Spero became a dedicated pot smoker.
“[In college] I loved to get stoned and tell stories to groups of people. It was my favorite thing to do,” Spero told the Argus. “I think that my good friends knew that I liked performing and they’ve been really supportive over the years of my career.”
After college, Spero took what she learned from the University along with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and became a door-to-door knife salesperson. In the year after she graduated, Spero was the best knife salesperson in the tri-state area, winning a brand-new VCR at the knife-seller’s convention.
Spero writes that she had no idea in college that she would be a comedian. Only after her success in the knife business did she decide on her new career.
“The confidence to perform on stage came from the knife selling,” Spero said. “I had a whole routine I would go through for the customer.”
Spero’s relationship with her mother is dominant in much of her work and “Microthrills” is no exception. Even though so much of the book is about her, Spero’s mother won’t read a word of it, unlike Spero’s 99-year-old grandmother who read an edited version (that omitted a chapter about Spero finding her grandmother’s sex tape).
Spero’s mom did agree to record the audio book and has a track all to herself at the end about her Cornish game hen recipe.
“[My mom] has no sense of humor, self awareness, or irony,” Spero said. “She doesn’t know why she’s a quirky person, which makes her even more quirky.”
Spero also includes an overview her life today. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Amos, who she met at Wesleyan. According to Spero, life in L.A. is a lot different for a person born and raised in New York City.
“Costco is orgasmic,” Spero said. “There is something so cool about being able to buy in bulk and carry home large amounts of shit.”
One chapter in “Microthrills” is dedicated to Spero’s adventures in learning to drive in L.A. She recently put up a “new to driving” sign in the back of her car.
“People behind me seemed to be more understanding, but people in from of me who can’t see the sign still honk at me,” Spero said. “I was doing well with the sign, then I took the door off a Mercedes and lost all my confidence.”
Similar to her experiences as a new driver, Spero expresses doubts about her own venture into writing.
“As a stand-up comedian, or doing a one-woman show, you feel exposed, but in a good way; like you’re having a conversation with the audience,” Spero said. “With the book I’ve entered a whole new realm of paranoia. I don’t know how people are going to react.”
Spero has had experience writing for both The New York Times and Esquire Magazine, but she still expresses a certain lack of confidence.
“I almost want to add a disclaimer to my book, ‘I only had seven months to write this! I’m not really a writer,’” she said.
Now a professional comedian, actress, and writer, Spero has performed on Comedy Central, VH1, NBC, and the Food Network. Her new book “Microthrills” is available at Broad Street Books.
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