Review by Avery Caswell
Now, as a Maryland-based Associate Professor of English, Nancy Murray is the first to admit her path to the ivory tower was not a straight one. Her new memoir, No Experience Necessary (WayWord Books), is a spirited look at her lengthy and colorful resumé. Running the gamut from selling stereo speakers from a seedy van and myriad food service jobs, to becoming a sought after Joan Rivers impersonator, Murray’s work history is the literal definition of a storied career.
The poster child for resiliency, Murray remains undaunted as she moves up, and sometimes down, the career ladder. (The line, “once again, I was looking for a job” appears on more than one page.) Like a modern-day version of the Unsinkable Molly Brown, she makes a case for being, as Molly herself said, “interested in everything when you don’t know nothing.”
In No Experience Necessary, Murray demonstrates how the lowliest jobs can sometimes offer the most valuable insights. Cleaning others’ houses provided a window into her parenting skills; while waitressing, she has a Scarlett O’Hara-esque epiphany with a discarded dill pickle.
In her twenties, Murray crafted a personal mission statement, one she applied to every job she held. She vowed always to do right by the customer and her co-workers, even when it meant going against her employer. Eventually, she came to realize that she might have had it backwards. “I shouldn’t apply my mission to whatever job came along—I needed a job that aligned with my mission statement.”
Knowing that education was the key to achieving her goals, as a high school drop out, she had a lot of ground to make up. Equal parts frustration and hilarity propelled her toward earning not only her GED, but Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Ultimately, Murray realized “you get what you settle for” and drew her line in the sand. Determined to finish her M.F.A., she deftly managed a difficult boss by demanding what she was worth, rather than accepting what she was offered.
Fast-paced and witty, No Experience Necessary is Murray’s second memoir. Her first, One Child for Another, (Last Minute Press, 2015) was recognized by Baltimore Magazine as one of the Ten Best Reads in 2015. Her poetry, plays, and short stories have been published, produced, and performed regionally and internationally. She is a recent recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council creativity award for individual artists.
The purpose of memoir, as Morgan Harper Nichols once said is to, “Tell the story of the mountain you climbed. Your words could become a page in some else’s survival guide.” Murray’s work stories make a most excellent guide; her climb is inspiring, the view priceless.
Enjoy and evening with Nancy Murray on Friday, November 15 from 5 – 6:30 pm at the Pat Conroy Literary Center in downtown Beaufort. For more information visit www.waywordbooks.com
