A whopping 6 years ago, teresaelectro reviewed this book of humor essays, and it’s been on my TBR list since then. I finally got around to it, and Irby had me from the dedication. She covers a variety of topics, but a lot of the focus is on relationships and tracks the progression of her romantic relationships from the gross guys who essentially think she should be grateful to have sex with them, up to her current relationship with her long-term partner. She also speaks a lot about her mental health. And her cat, and I’m always down to read about people’s relationships with their pets, in this case a relationship in which Irby and her cat (Helen Keller) practically hate each other.
The book is definitely funny. It’s also kind of gross at times, like the talk about buttholes and the decidedly unsexy way Irby writes about the first time she went down on her now-wife. The humor generally makes it worthwhile, though. There’s also just so much to relate to that it more than makes up for some of the parts I didn’t care for as much. While I’m not Black or bisexual and didn’t grow up in poverty, I really connected with Irby’s discussions of anxiety, depression, and general desire to just be left alone.
It’s hard for me to review a book of essays, so I’ll just end with some of the quotes I liked enough to highlight, either because they were funny or because they are essentially me on a page:
- In response to a question about what she has not found in a relationship but would like to find: “Someone who will leave me the hell alone for extended periods of time without getting all weird about it.”
- When discussing lists of “instead” foods (e.g., eat an apple instead of a burger): “Why not instead list which ice creams have the least calories, by the pint? . . . much prefer knowing whether an entire pint of Talenti has fewer calories than one of Haagen-Dazs. That’s an ‘instead’ a girl could really go for.”
- “Mavis [the pseudonym she used for her partner] and I are getting married next month and she just sent me this article [a list of questions to ask each other before getting married] from the New York Times like ‘LOL ISN’T THIS HILARIOUS?’ but joke’s on that hoe, I’ma answer this shit without telling her and put it in the fucking book.”
