Staff Picks: Essay Collections to Make You Laugh (and maybe feel something too!)

Mon, 09/05/2022 - 12:33pm by emjane

Have you already read David Sedaris’s latest and are looking for more? Or are you (like me), still waiting your turn on the hold list? Either way, I’ve got great news – there are SO MANY wonderful humorous, yet insightful, essay collections out there. Here are just four of my favorites:

Vacationland by John Hodgman | Request Now

Let’s face it, most people still recognize John Hodgman as the PC in those long-running Apple commercials. But people who only know him as that are missing out because THE MAN CAN WRITE! (And, perhaps less surprising, he’s very funny). In Vacationland, an essay collection adapted from his one-man show, Hodgman chronicles tales from his childhood as an only child (or, as he calls it being a member of the “worldwide super-smart-afraid-of-conflict narcissist club”) to his path to adulthood and fatherhood. Hodgman is poignant without sappiness and his humor adds to his storytelling without feeling forced or overpowering. Gosh, I think I’ve just convinced myself to give this one a re-read!

 

 

I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley | Request Now

I heard Sloane Crosley’s essay “The Pony Problem” on the radio when she was doing promo for I Was Told There’d Be Cake and knew I needed to find the whole collection. (The recording doesn’t seem to be accessible anymore, but you can read the essay here – or check out the whole book!) Sure enough, the whole collection was relatable and engaging. I continue to read everything Crosley writes and while I’ve enjoyed them all to varying degrees, none have unseated Cake as my favorite!

 

 

 

 

My Life as a Goddess: a Memoir Through (Un)Popular Culture. By Guy Branham | Request Now

Comedian Guy Branham was always on the outside growing up as a gay, overweight kid in California. Perhaps because of that, he developed the wit and observation that give his collection of personal essays draw and charm. Branham went to law school before going down the entertainer path, and his propensity for research shows (in a good way!) Who knew that footnotes on nut farming in California could be so interesting!

 

 

 

 

 

Everything’s Trash, but It’s Okay by Phoebe Robinson | Request Now

Y’all, Phoebe Robinson is such a gem. No one is better at writing about real issues facing Black women (and others) and somehow making you LAUGH, without diminishing the topic at hand. I first got to know Robinson’s voice on her podcast (and subsequent HBO show) 2 Dope Queens and she seamlessly carries over her personality and goofy quirks to the written format. I learned so much from Phoebe’s shared experiences and opinions and will definitely continue to read whatever she writes (side recommendations for You Can’t Touch My Hair and other things I still have to explain and Please Don’t Sit on my Bed in Your Outside Clothes)