You Didn't Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney

You Didn’t Hear This From Me

Subtitle: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip

Author: Kelsey McKinney

Genre: Nonfiction

Publish Date: February 2025

Read: April 2025

Favorite Quote: The people who are afraid of the Gossip Trap (or Cancel Culture, Woke Mobs, the Media, or whatever you want to call the kind of social pressure that can create change) are the ones who have reason to be: they have outsized power in our society and they want to hold on to it.

Synopsis: What is gossip, really? Kelsey McKinney wants to tell you. While so many people are taught gossip is bad/sinful/unproductive, gossip is how humans have survived since the dawn of our species. From what berries to eat, to which men are dangerous, gossip is inherently how women communicate - and why men dislike it so much. So, is gossip truly bad or is gossip a threat to patriarchy?

Why does this book beguile? Here’s a secret: I LOVE gossip. I was so excited to read this book because I’ve always been told not to gossip and I’ve always argued that my gossip is a public service. I’m not spilling private secrets about people and I’m not disparaging people behind their backs. I’m sharing critical information.

Kelsey McKinney does a great job diving into communication in many forms and describing what gossip is, what it is not, and how it can benefit people and communities. She also explores social media and how gossip has evolved to include complete strangers, how rumors spread, and why they spread so easily regardless of whether or not they are true.

Link*: You Didn't Hear This From Me: (Mostly) True Notes on Gossip by Kelsey McKinney

If you’re interested in this, read*: Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell