I Regret Almost Everything

I Regret Almost Everything is McNally’s memoir. A typical memoir is defined as an individual’s self-written accounting of their own story. Traditionally, memoirs trace a specific, defining era in the author’s life. Some memoirs defy this literary convention by tracing the author’s experiences from birth to the present day. In I Regret Almost Everything, McNally embraces both of these memoir styles. The text primarily filters McNally’s life experiences through his foray into and experiences within New York City’s dining culture. At the same time, the text isn’t limited to McNally’s vocational circumstances. Instead, the memoir delves into intimate sequences from McNally’s childhood, his adolescence, his coming of age, his world travels, his marriages, his experiences as a father, his mental health journey, and his medical challenges. By incorporating these aspects of his experience into his vocational history, McNally renders a heartfelt, authentic representation of his lifelong Search for Meaning and Purpose.

The aforementioned aspects of I Regret Almost Everything also allow the text to function as a professional memoir, a confessional memoir, and a travel memoir. Professional (or celebrity) memoirs “cover important moments in the author’s rise to fame and success” (Dukes, Jessica. “