Community & Culture
![Klein, Jessi - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B01HBHFTY6.jpg)
I'll Show Myself Out: Essays on Midlife and Motherhood
The eagerly anticipated second essay collection from Jessi Klein, author of the acclaimed New York Times bestselling debut You'll Grow Out of It.
"Sometimes I think about how much bad news there is to tell my kid, the endlessly long, looping CVS receipt scroll of truly terrible things that have happened, and I want to get under the bed and never come out. How do we tell them about all this? Can we just play Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire and then brace for questions? The first of which should be, how is this a song that played on the radio?"
In New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Jessi Klein's second collection, she hilariously explodes the cultural myths and impossible expectations around motherhood and explore the humiliations, poignancies, and possibilities of midlife.
In interconnected essays like "Listening to Beyoncé in the Parking Lot of Party City," "Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die," "Eulogy for My Feet," and "An Open Love Letter to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent," Klein explores this stage of life in all its cruel ironies, joyous moments, and bittersweetness.
Written with Klein's signature candor and humanity, I'll Show Myself Out is an incisive, moving, and often uproarious collection.
"Sometimes I think about how much bad news there is to tell my kid, the endlessly long, looping CVS receipt scroll of truly terrible things that have happened, and I want to get under the bed and never come out. How do we tell them about all this? Can we just play Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire and then brace for questions? The first of which should be, how is this a song that played on the radio?"
In New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winning writer and producer Jessi Klein's second collection, she hilariously explodes the cultural myths and impossible expectations around motherhood and explore the humiliations, poignancies, and possibilities of midlife.
In interconnected essays like "Listening to Beyoncé in the Parking Lot of Party City," "Your Husband Will Remarry Five Minutes After You Die," "Eulogy for My Feet," and "An Open Love Letter to Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent," Klein explores this stage of life in all its cruel ironies, joyous moments, and bittersweetness.
Written with Klein's signature candor and humanity, I'll Show Myself Out is an incisive, moving, and often uproarious collection.
Editorial Reviews
"A laugh-out-loud book of essays. . . . strikes gold. . . . Klein's comedic sensibilities and abundant care for women make her the ideal writer to square off against the obligations and judgments placed on mothers. . . . an instant classic." -- Glamour
"Her humor and insights are spot-on." -- People, "The Best New Books"
"Jessi Klein has yet again ‘delivered' (and yes I'm using that in the messy motherhood-pun way-I'm not the writer) a collection of the most relatable, achingly raw, and stunningly human essays I have read about the mess of motherhood and this chapter of life since her last collection. And… they are of course hilarious. THANK YOU JESSI for this gift. Please read it, mothers. It is nourishment." -- Kathryn Hahn
"Jessi Klein's essay collection spoke to the deepest part of my soul and being. Her framing of motherhood as a ‘hero's journey' made me weep from feeling seen. I also howled with laughter so many times I was politely asked to leave a restaurant. It's a perfect book."
-- Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My Presence
"I'll Show MyselfOut is so pee-in-the-pants funny, I made sure to wear period underwear while reading it. Insanely smart and wildly relatable, Jessi Klein's highly anticipated second book is the most entertaining thing I've read in a long time."
-- Ali Wong, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Girls
"Jessi Klein has once again arrived with a collection of essays so familiar to me, it's like she has been directly inside my brain. Smart, bold, and uproariously funny. It's a 10/10 from me." -- Kate Baer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman and I Hope This Finds You Well
"[Klein] is gifted at turning the day-to-day minutiae into comedy gold, while simultaneously pulling back to lend commentary (often searing commentary) on the larger picture. A lot of her writing reminds me of David Sedaris, the way you find y...
"Her humor and insights are spot-on." -- People, "The Best New Books"
"Jessi Klein has yet again ‘delivered' (and yes I'm using that in the messy motherhood-pun way-I'm not the writer) a collection of the most relatable, achingly raw, and stunningly human essays I have read about the mess of motherhood and this chapter of life since her last collection. And… they are of course hilarious. THANK YOU JESSI for this gift. Please read it, mothers. It is nourishment." -- Kathryn Hahn
"Jessi Klein's essay collection spoke to the deepest part of my soul and being. Her framing of motherhood as a ‘hero's journey' made me weep from feeling seen. I also howled with laughter so many times I was politely asked to leave a restaurant. It's a perfect book."
-- Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My Presence
"I'll Show MyselfOut is so pee-in-the-pants funny, I made sure to wear period underwear while reading it. Insanely smart and wildly relatable, Jessi Klein's highly anticipated second book is the most entertaining thing I've read in a long time."
-- Ali Wong, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Girls
"Jessi Klein has once again arrived with a collection of essays so familiar to me, it's like she has been directly inside my brain. Smart, bold, and uproariously funny. It's a 10/10 from me." -- Kate Baer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of What Kind of Woman and I Hope This Finds You Well
"[Klein] is gifted at turning the day-to-day minutiae into comedy gold, while simultaneously pulling back to lend commentary (often searing commentary) on the larger picture. A lot of her writing reminds me of David Sedaris, the way you find y...
Readers Top Reviews
Mitch
Hilarious, thoughtful, and well written. Best book I've read since becoming a mother hands down.
Amanda
Having loved Klein’s first book I knew I’d likely love her second. I have listened to both as audiobooks read by her. I cried at the end of her first audiobook because I was sad it was over. As a mom of a newborn and young child, I feel seen (finally).
Lesley A. Heizman
This book was so beautiful and sad and funny and relatable at the same time. It captures both the extreme highs and lows that you experience as a mom but for some reason rarely talk about (or forget over time from lack of sleep lol). It’s comforting to know that others have had similar thoughts or worries in motherhood and describes so accurately the odd things you will encounter or do for your child that you never expected! I’ll recommend this to all moms and expectant moms as truly someone does need to explain about the sandwich underwear. 🤣 Nobody told me that part either. I also don’t get Harry Styles, I agree the boa and 70’s garb are also a step too far for me. I’ve always detested the watermelon sugar song and thought it was a dumb name for a song. Hated the song, but absolutely adored this book!
