Kiss, Marry or Kill: 09
A new release that made me literally LOL, the evolution of work-from-home attire, the first official entries in the Black American dictionary, and why you don't see my kid on my social media channels
This is my weekly series for subscribers only, where I’ll share things that caught my eye this week in a fun and flirty way (kiss), a sustainable way (marry), or a not-so-good way (kill). And yes, this trendy game is technically “f***, marry, or kill” but we run a family-friendly-ish show around here.
Kiss (things I like right now)
Quietly Hostile: Essays, by Samantha Irby. I’m a HUGE Samantha Irby fan. I first shared one of her books, Wow, No Thank You: Essays, on Instagram in June 2020, and have been anticipating this new release for a few months. YES, I pre-ordered, because we all know how important pre-ordering is, right? But I also bought it on Audible, because I really wanted to hear her read it in her own voice.
The first chapter of Quietly Hostile (titled “I like it!") is one of my favorite pieces of writing EVER. Samantha is so damn sharp and bitingly hilarious, and this chapter and sentiment go on to set the tone for the rest of the book. She also likes Dave Matthews. And cable television. And dip dinners. And yacht rock. And this probiotic powder that may or may not be doing anything and is probably the product of an MLM. And being an enthusiastic victim of advertising. (This is why I can’t watch QVC, but that chapter was my second-favorite.) And porn, but the sweet and passionate kind, like a “Lifetime movie with testicles.”
I’d call her “self-deprecating” but it’s more like “intensely, laughably, endearingly normal and relatable,” especially as I am also a woman in her 40s. She monologues in excruciating and hilarious detail the parts of her life we usually keep quiet for fear of judgment. (Hence “I like it!”—always with the exclamation point.) Quietly Hostile is chapter upon chapter of Samantha celebrating her likes, wants, and very existence in a joyful, boisterous, unapologetic way—which gives all of us permission to celebrate too.