humor / form / essays

A collection of early writings by some of today's well-known writers that they have submitted as their worst work, along with the author's commentary about that particular piece of writing. Includes contributions from Dave Eggers, Rick Moody, Gillian Flynn, and many others.

"A sharp, funny, and honest collection of real-life stories from Kelly Ripa, showing the many dimensions and crackling wit of the beloved daytime talk show host"--.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Notaro isn't exactly a domestic goddess--unless that means she fully embraces her genetic hoarding predisposition, sneaks peeks at her husband's daily journal, or has made a list of the people she wants on her Apocalypse Survival team (her husband's not on it). Notaro chronicles her chronic misfortune in the domestic arts, including cooking, cleaning, and putting on Spanx while sweaty (which should technically qualify as an Olympic sport). Housebroken is a rollicking new collection of essays showcasing her irreverent wit and inability to feel shame. From defying nature in the quest to make her own Twinkies, to begging her new neighbors not to become urban livestock keepers, to teaching her eight-year-old nephew about hoboes, Notaro recounts her best efforts--and hilarious failures--in keeping a household inches away from being condemned. After all, home wasn't built in a day. Praise for Laurie Notaro "Notaro is a scream, the freak-magnet of a girlfriend you can't wait to meet for a drink to hear her latest story."--The Plain Dealer "If Laurie Notaro's books don't inspire pants-wetting fits of laughter, then please consult your physician, because, clearly, your funny bone is broken."--Jen Lancaster, author of I Regret Nothing "Hilarious, fabulously improper, and completely relatable, Notaro is the queen of funny."--Celia Rivenbark, author of Rude Bitches Make Me Tired"--.

"You fall down. You get hurt. You get up again. You know Jennifer Weiner as many things: a bestselling author, a Twitter phenomenon, and "an unlikely feminist enforcer" (The New Yorker). She's also a mom, a daughter, and a sister; a former rower and current runner; a best friend and a reality TV junkie. Here, in her first foray into nonfiction, she takes the raw stuff of her personal life and spins it into a collection of essays on womanhood as uproariously funny and moving as the best of Tina Fey, Fran Lebowitz, and Nora Ephron. Jennifer grew up as an outsider in her picturesque Connecticut hometown ("a Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot") and at her Ivy League college, but finally found her people in newsrooms in central Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and her voice as a novelist, activist, and New York Times columnist. No subject is off-limits in this intimate and honest essay collection: sex, weight, envy, money, her mom's late-in-life lesbianism, and her estranged father's death. From lonely adolescence to modern childbirth to hearing her six-year-old daughter's use of the f-word--fat;--for the first time, Jennifer dives deep into the heart of female experience, with the wit and candor that have endeared her to readers all over the world. By turns hilarious and deeply touching, Hungry Heart is about yearning and longing, love and loss, and a woman who searched for her place in the world--and found it as a storyteller"--.

"In this new collection of original personal essays, Shane [Dawson] goes even deeper, sharing never-before-revealed stories from his life, giving readers a no-holds-barred look at moments both bizarre and relatable, from cult-like Christian after-school activities, dressing in drag, and losing his virginity, to hiring a psychic, clashes with celebrities, and coming to terms with his bisexuality."--Front cover flap.

"With over 500,000 readers a month at her enormously popular blog, AwesomelyLuvvie.com, Luvvie Ajayi is a go-to source for smart takes on pop culture. I'm Judging You is her debut book of humorous essays that dissects our cultural obsessions and calls out bad behavior in our increasingly digital, connected lives--from the importance of the newest Shonda Rhimes television drama to serious discussions of race and media representation to what to do about your fool cousin sharing casket pictures from Grandma's wake on Facebook. With a lighthearted, razor sharp wit and a unique perspective, I'm Judging You is the handbook the world needs, doling out the hard truths and a road map for bringing some "act right" into our lives, social media, and popular culture. It is the Do-Better Manual"--.

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Notaro isn't exactly a domestic goddess--unless that means she fully embraces her genetic hoarding predisposition, sneaks peeks at her husband's daily journal, or has made a list of the people she wants on her Apocalypse Survival team (her husband's not on it). Notaro chronicles her chronic misfortune in the domestic arts, including cooking, cleaning, and putting on Spanx while sweaty (which should technically qualify as an Olympic sport). Housebroken is a rollicking new collection of essays showcasing her irreverent wit and inability to feel shame. From defying nature in the quest to make her own Twinkies, to begging her new neighbors not to become urban livestock keepers, to teaching her eight-year-old nephew about hoboes, Notaro recounts her best efforts--and hilarious failures--in keeping a household inches away from being condemned. After all, home wasn't built in a day. Praise for Laurie Notaro "Notaro is a scream, the freak-magnet of a girlfriend you can't wait to meet for a drink to hear her latest story."--The Plain Dealer "If Laurie Notaro's books don't inspire pants-wetting fits of laughter, then please consult your physician, because, clearly, your funny bone is broken."--Jen Lancaster, author of I Regret Nothing "Hilarious, fabulously improper, and completely relatable, Notaro is the queen of funny."--Celia Rivenbark, author of Rude Bitches Make Me Tired"--.

"YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT hilariously, and candidly, explores the journey of the twenty-first century woman. As both a tomboy and a late bloomer, comedian Jessi Klein grew up feeling more like an outsider than a participant in the rites of modern femininity. In YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT, Klein offers-through an incisive collection of real-life stories-a relentlessly funny yet poignant take on a variety of topics she has experienced along her strange journey to womanhood and beyond. These include her "transformation from Pippi Longstocking-esque tomboy to are-you-a-lesbian-or-what tom man," attempting to find watchable porn, and identifying the difference between being called "ma'am" and "miss" ("Miss sounds like you weigh ninety-nine pounds"). Raw, relatable, and consistently hilarious, YOU'LL GROW OUT OF IT is a one-of-a-kind book by a singular and irresistible comic voice"--.

"A young writer explores what some of the greatest women in literature have meant to her--and how these timeless characters still serve as a guide for the way we lead our lives"--Provided by publisher.

"Presents a guide that puts Python's myriad references into context for the legion of fans, scholars, and pop culture aficionados that still strive to "get" Monty Python"--Provided by publisher.