Comedy Essays

To overcome a crisis of melancholy after the death of his father, Montaigne withdrew to his country estates and began to write, and in the highly original essays that resulted he discussed themes such as fathers and children, conscience and cowardice, coaches and cannibals, and, above all, himself.

Brought to you by Penguin. The articles collected in George Orwell's Essays illuminate the life and work of one of the most individual writers of this century - a man who elevated political writing to an art. This outstanding collection brings together Orwell's longer, major essays and a fine...

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), 1st Viscount St Albans, Attorney General and then Lord Chancellor of England, was an immensely learned, clever and ambitious man, with considerable political influence during the later years of Queen Elizabeth I and through almost two decades of the reign of her...

Two classic collections of Nora Ephron’s uproarious essays—tackling everything from feminism to the media, from politics to beauty products, with her inimitable charm and distinctive wit—now available in one audiobook. This edition brings together some of Ephron’s most famous writing on...

Turn skeptics into fans and fans into scholars with this smart, entertaining guide to 20 influential reality shows, from The Real World to The Traitors. Much like reality itself, reality TV has one main problem: There’s just too much of it. Whether you’re a devoted fan who wants to share...

As a gay kid in a rural town in the U.K., as an actor, a social media star, and as someone with ADHD, Theo Walker has worn many masks in his daily life. This coming-of-age memoir is a rollicking, wickedly funny, yet radically honest account of what happens when you stop performing. From the...

Using a blend of nature writing, reporting, and poignant personal narrative, this debut memoir explores how interaction with the natural world—namely, foraging, both literally and metaphorically—has the power to vitalize and restore our lives, bolster resilience, and kindle joy. In the early...

A raw and tenderly funny look at the human-cat relationship, from one of our most treasured and transgressive writers. “The cat is the beautiful devil.” Felines touched a vulnerable spot in Charles Bukowski’s crusty soul. For the writer, there was something majestic and elemental about...

In her first major work since Holy Envy, one of our most luminous spiritual writers offers an intimate vision of the sacred work of being human, shaped by three decades of living close to the land. “Why do so many religious people look up for comfort instead of down, as if heaven were our only...

Seventeen beloved character actors who bonded over their uniquely supportive and joyful dinner gatherings now welcome you to their table, sharing never-before-told personal stories, reminiscences, advice, jokes, and old Hollywood lore. Jason Alexander · Danny Burstein · Levar Burton · Bryan...

From the award-winning author of Dearborn, a tragicomic story collection that moves between Lebanon and Michigan, exploring migration, war, family, and the enduring pull of home. In a village haunted by unexploded cluster bombs, a chorus of matriarchs obsess over a poet-turned-mayor who...

TV star and New York Times bestselling author Devale Ellis shares everything he's learned as a dad raising four sons and explores the gifts that parenting has provided to make him a better spouse, businessman, teacher, mentor, and man. Going into marriage and parenthood, Devale Ellis had a lot...

A searing memoir of a broken childhood and the hope of escaping it—from the iconic Black Flag frontman and legendary punk musician Henry Rollins What happens when a child grows up in an almost total vacuum of love? That was the reality for Henry Rollins, pioneering punk frontman of the seminal...

From the critically acclaimed author of the cult-classic Monstrilio comes a fever dream novel of twins and trickery, broken bones and brokenness, and of monsters, mischief, and mayhem! “No one captures the intricacies of the human mind and all of its gorgeous pathologies like Gerardo Sámano...

National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Malinda Lo delivers an inspiring memoiri n verse about losing her language, finding her voice, and honoring her ancestors. In 1978 when Malinda Lo was three years old, she sat on her white American grandmother’s lap in a wheelchair as...

South Street is a brilliant, heartfelt portrait of Black urban life and a man grappling with the messy, uncontainable truths of life, love, and survival. Philadelphia’s South Street in the 1970s is a place of sharp contrasts. On one block, working stiffs swap stories with winos at Lightnin’...

From the New York Times bestselling author of Emotional Intelligence comes a profound reckoning with what he has learned over five decades as an explorer of consciousness We’re all familiar with the concept of mindfulness, and most of us know that it is a harvest from Eastern thought...

From the beloved creator of the wildly popular Sam O’Nella Academy YouTube channel, an irreverent and timely science fiction collection that offers a wry look at the not-so-distant future Sam A. Miller, the creator behind Sam O'Nella Academy, has spent ten years teaching his 4.8 million...

Author of The Fact of a Body, and winner of this year’s Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich considers how we bear witness to trans lives, past and present. In Both and Neither, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich weaves memoir and history into a singular work shaped by the figures who...

First published in 1991, Pangs of Love, at once darkly funny and deeply humane, remains a landmark exploration of intimacy, culture, and the quiet wounds we carry, from a pioneer of contemporary Asian American literature. David Wong Louie’s debut collection of short stories explores love not...