You Didn't Hear This From Me : Notes on the Art of Gossip

Can you keep a secret? It’s harder than it seems – after all, it’s only human to thirst after the juicy updates, jaw-dropping stories, and idle chatter that we typically collect over drinks with friends.

No one knows this better than journalist Kelsey McKinney, whose Normal Gossip podcast has accrued a listenership of millions. In YOU DIDN'T HEAR THIS FROM ME, McKinney explores the murkiness of everyday storytelling.

What even is gossip, and why is it considered a sin?

Why are we obsessed with the details of celebrity drama and tabloid headlines?

How do we use and abuse gossip – and why do we want to do it at all?

McKinney dives deep into a range of cultural cornerstones – from the Epic of Gilgamesh as told by chatbots, to the head-spinning betrayals in The Traitors – and captures the heart of gossiping: how enchanting and fun it can be to lean over and whisper something a little salacious into your friend’s ear. With wit and honesty, McKinney unmasks what we're actually searching for when we demand to know the truth – and how much the truth really matters in the first place.