“Memoir in essays” as a subtitle? Sign me up!
I love essays. Especially collections by the same author. “Memoir in essays” as a subtitle? I’m in! Why? Because I often run out of time to read an entire chapter. Because an essay can be devoured in one sitting. Because essay collections require a bit of detective work to determine why these stories have been linked. And because beautiful writing in short bits proves the prowess of even the most accomplished writers.
It’s also a great, digestible way to get to know your favorite author. Reading Ann Patchett’s book of essays taught me so much about the prolific writer that I never would have known if I hadn’t picked up her collection.
Thoughtfully curated and artfully assembled, essay collections always move and inspire me in just a few minutes. Whether I dip in and read just one or settle in and devour the entire collection, I know that having an essay collection in my tote bag is the secret to getting through any grocery store line, kids’ sporting event, or doctor’s waiting room. The difference between a book of essays and an anthology, however, is that one writer is responsible for all of these stories — so, it might be harder to put down as there’s often a throughline to get invested in. But finding it is the best part. Of course, you don’t have to find it to enjoy each essay individually.
Here are a few recent collections that I’ve read – and hope you will, too.
Jose Vadi, Interstate: Essays from California
This beautiful assortment of literary essays about Jose Vadi’s experiences traversing California with his family and navigating the natural elements that make California tenuous yet tantalizing are truly fantastic.
Listen to my podcast with Jose Vadi.
Ann Patchett, These Precious Days: Essays
This is one of my most favorite recent essay collections because it reveals parts of legendary author Ann Patchett that I never would have known. I didn’t know she housed a former assistant to Tom Hanks during the pandemic or that they grew so close. I didn’t know about the current state of her marriage. I didn’t realize how she came to love books and bookstores so much. Or her views on having children. Now I do. And I respect her even more — and can’t wait to check out her indie bookstore Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN.
Listen to my podcast with Ann Patchett.
Savala Nolan, Don’t Let it Get You Down: Essays on Race, Gender, and the Body
Savala Nolan dissects identity as if with a chisel swiped from a Ph.D. laboratory. She thinks through her past, her present, and her life so clearly that her words shine off the page. Even her past relationships come into focus with her laser lens.
Listen to my podcast with Savala Nolan.
Phoebe Robinson, Please Don’t Sit on My Bed in Your Outside Clothes: Essays
Phoebe Robinson, now a publisher herself at Tiny Reparations, is hilarious. Sweet, savvy, and oh so entertaining, Robinson’s essays range from her thoughts on motherhood to her own mom to Michelle Obama to zip-lines. Yes, really. And they come together in a funny, relatable, warm collection.
Listen to my podcast with Phoebe Robinson.
Megan Harlan, Mobile Home: A Memoir in Essays
Award-winning author Megan Harlan lived in 17 homes across four continents growing up. She examines her own life and its nomadic ways in the context of greater societal migrations and trends. And yet at its core, it’s an examination of what home really means.
Listen to my podcast with Megan Harlan.
Samantha Irby, Wow, No Thank You
I can’t get enough of Samantha Irby’s unique, self-deprecating, hilarious essays. To give you a taste of them — and how her POV as a Black lesbian stepmom plays a role — she was a central part of writing the new HBO Max show, And Just Like That. She has truly mastered the art of the essay, packing a laugh-out-loud punch, occasionally covering the most cringe-worthy topics.
Listen to my podcast with Samantha Irby.
Quinta Brunson, She Memes Well: Essays
Am I a millennial? No. Did I still love this collection by viral sensation Quinta Brunson? I did! It’s raw and real and tracks her career progress as it follows her own personal development and relationships. I inhaled it in one sitting.
Listen to my podcast with Quinta Brunson.
Mary Laura Philpott, I Miss You When I Blink
These essays, soon to be followed by Mary Laura Philpott’s next book, Bomb Shelter, are short, sweet, and to the point for any mom and book lover. Reflections on how fast time goes with kids, notes on working in a bookstore (with Ann Patchett!), and how her perfectionistic tendencies may get in the way, weave together in a seamless story in which every reader will find a piece of themself.
Listen to my podcast with Mary Laura Philpott.
