“Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation”

• Welcome to Pawnee by Jim O’Heir
• Published on November 19th, 2024 by William Morrow
• Genres: Non-Fiction, Autobiography, Humor, Television, Audiobook, Celebrity
• Tropes: Behind the Scenes, Hollywood, Meeting Your Heroes
• Anne’s Rating: 6 out of 10

Parks & Recreation will always be listed among my favorite television shows. I can’t tell you how many times I quote it in my day-to-day life, or how I’ve taken on traditions from within the show (Galentine’s Day, Treat Yo Self, etc). I think it might be the first real “feel good” comedy that I’d seen – and one that I often go back to and rewatch. It’s a funny show with a lot of heart. But I’m not here to sell you on a show that you likely also love. I’m here to talk about Jim O’Heir’s book, Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation.

Jim is one of the kindest, most thoughtful celebrities that I’ve ever had the chance to interact with. He has done a few shows at the New Theatre in Kansas City (where I live), and I ended up becoming Facebook friends with him. For the past three years, he has wished me a happy birthday. How cool is that? I’m sure it’s something he does for everyone he’s friends with, but dang. He doesn’t have to do it, and it means so much to me that he does. I’ve started looking forward to it every year. I think this is a very indicative example of the kind of guy Jim is: friendly, kind, and thoughtful.

I enjoyed hearing all about Jim’s experiences on Parks and Rec – and in the industry in general. It’s very clear that the years spent on this show were a joy for Jim, and something that he is rightfully proud of. I really loved how he didn’t just ask his costars to contribute to this book (there’s additional writing provided from Rhetta, Adam Scott, Chris Pratt, etc) but also the show’s creators and other “behind the scenes” contributors. O’Heir does tend to gloss over more tantalizing details (such as the departure of Paul Schneider) and give any strong takes, as he doesn’t want to upset his friends. His storytelling doesn’t go very deep – it’s all light, surface-level warmth and nostalgia.

That being said, I do think this book is billed a little inaccurately. It’s less of a Parks and Rec book and more of a Jim O’Heir memoir – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I liked hearing about Jim’s life and career and the challenges he’s faced. As someone who is also plus size, I relate to the different treatment and insecurities that come with that. But this book was very clearly billed as a seemingly Parks and Rec-focued book, which it isn’t. There are certainly stories from his time filming the show, but it’s by no means the main focus. In fact, not even all of the cast of characters depicted on the cover are mentioned.

Another thing that bothered me was how much of a spotlight was shown on Chris Pratt – a man who has earned a lot of criticism because of his ethical stances. A lot of this book felt like Jim trying his best to show us that Chris is actually a very good person and hasn’t done anything wrong – that he’s one of the nicest guys in town. It felt weirdly pointed. I get where he’s coming from as a friend – it’s hard to reconcile someone who has been very kind to you and a good friend with their less-than-kind actions and stances. The rose-colored view of Chris depicted in this book makes me feel like Jim is okay with the stances Chris has taken – stances that I am firmly against.

I don’t regret giving this audiobook a listen – it was very enjoyable. (Side note: I always love listening to autobiographies – they’re generally included with a paid Spotify account and it’s cool to hear the author read their own words). I recommend either getting a physical copy of the book or listening to the audiobook – I don’t recommend an ebook (the layout of the pages doesn’t translate well to ereaders). If you are a die-hard Parks fan – and a big fan of Jerry/Garry/Barry/Larry/Terry – I would pick this one up!