In My Remaining Years

A collection of morbidly funny, intensely personal essays by cult fave and multi-hyphenate artist Jean Grae

In My Remaining Years, by creative juggernaut Jean Grae, debunks the myth that coming-of-age narratives should be reserved for the kids, providing a much-needed rallying cry for those of us still trying to figure it out in our forties. These laugh-out-loud essays cover everything from aging gracefully (with and without botox), what happens when you look for community and almost start a cult, befriending childhood demons (Hi Mumm-ra!), gender fluidity in middle age, the cost of being too fabulous, and the various gymnastics we do to avoid becoming our parents, taking us from her childhood in 1980s New York City to present-day Baltimore. In these pages, Jean captures magic in a bottle, distilling the feeling of hanging out with your smartest, funniest, and most brutally honest best friend.

Jean Grae is a multidisciplinary artist, humorist, and former rapper with over 25 years of experience in the entertainment industry. She’s collaborated with influential musicians including The Roots, Robert Glasper, and her prolific body of work is featured at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2019, the Public Theater commissioned her one-person show, Jeanius, which played for a limited time to sold-out audiences in New York City. She currently resides in Baltimore with her shared-custody cat, Littles. In My Remaining Years is her first book.