Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit'rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong is coming April 7, 2026

 

After reading this book, I needed to take some time to watch a few episodes to see if it was really as revolutionary as Armstrong made it seem. 

Just kidding.

PARKS AND REC is what (along with Maker's Mark) got me through the covid lockdown. It it a love song to comedy, collaboration, and community, created by extremely talented and brilliant people working at the top of their game. And Armstrong sketches it out perfectly with the respect it deserves.

The format is chronological and I was surprised at how much lead up there was to actually locking down the show and getting it going as compared to the production. It has a real inside-baseball feel to it. All the players are introduced, the process is deconstructed and the influence is beautifully defined. 

It is extremely well written and I barreled through it, which is rare for me reading nonfiction. I am not sure if that was because I love the show so much or because Armstrong kept waving interesting bits of lore that kept me reading. Either way, it was delightful. The only way I could have loved it more would be if there was a 375 page appendix of recaps of every single episode through Armstrong's discerning lens. But I suppose you can't have everything!