And You may find yourself
confessions of a Late-blooming Gen-x weirdo
“Former Longreads editor Botton debuts with an introspective collection of essays about the joys and pains of feeling like a misfit…Now in her mid-50s, Botton recalls in heartfelt and witty prose the pivotal moments that have shaped her.” – Publisher’s Weekly.
And You May Find Yourself… by Gen-X author Sari Botton, is a mid-life coming-of-age memoir about “finding” yourself later in life-after first getting lost in all the wrong places. As Botton discovers, the wrong places famously include her own self-suppression and misguided efforts to please others (mostly men). In a series of candid, reflective, sometimes humorous essays, Botton describes coming to feminism and self-actualization as an older person, second (and third and fourth) chances-and how maybe it’s never too late to find your way…assuming you’re lucky enough to live long.
“In her edgy, tender, witty way, Sari Botton has written a book for any woman who ever contorted herself to fit culturally imposed ideals, in other words, all of us. In witnessing the ways Sari has fought and failed and flourished, in the poignancy and laughter, there is deep wisdom and an abundance of spirit.” -Beverly Donofrio, author of Riding in Cars with Boys
“A fresh and humorous meditation on the trials and tribulations of a smart Gen-X young woman who tries to extricate herself from a straitlaced suburban upbringing to become a cool, East Village girl, only to keep falling for the wrong man, the wrong therapist, and the wrong job… until she doesn’t. Botton’s hilarious and self-aware pages on dating all the wrong men recall some of Candace Bushnell’s original Sex and the City essays and Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary.” -Catherine Texier, author of Breakup
“A humanizing, humble, and hard look at a life. Investigative journalism of the soul. Sari Botton’s And You May Find Yourself is like the older sister of My Misspent Youth by Meghan Daum. You will absolutely find yourself in this intelligent, clever, and clear-hearted book.” -Chloe Caldwell, author of The Red Zone: A Love Story
Goodbye to all that
Writers on Loving and Leaving New York
From Roxane Gay to Leslie Jamison, thirty brilliant writers share their timeless stories about the everlasting magic–and occasional misery–of living in the Big Apple, in a new edition of the classic anthology.
In the revised edition of this classic collection, thirty writers share their own stories of loving and leaving New York, capturing the mesmerizing allure the city has always had for writers, poets, and wandering spirits. Their essays often begin as love stories do, with the passion of something newly discovered: the crush of subway crowds, the streets filled with manic energy, and the sudden, unblinking certainty that this is the only place on Earth where one can become exactly who she is meant to be.
They also share the grief that comes like a gut-punch, when the grand metropolis loses its magic and the pressures of New York’s frenetic life wear thin for even the most dedicated dwellers. As friends move away, rents soar, and love–still–remains just out of reach, each writer’s goodbye is singular and universal, just like New York itself.
“Charming . . . New York’s pull is evident throughout.” —The New York Times
“From candid to kooky to classic, this collection sheds the love, light, and lyricism the gritty city deserves.” -Susan Shapiro, author of Speed Shrinking and Five Men Who Broke My Heart
Never Can say Goodbye
Writers on their Unshakable Love for New York
The follow-up to the award-winning anthology Goodbye to All That, Never Can Say Goodbye is an exuberant celebration of New York, featuring contributions from luminaries such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Susan Orlean, Rosanne Cash, Nick Flynn, Whoopi Goldberg, Phillip Lopate, Owen King, Amy Sohn, Alexander Chee, and many others. These essays take place in dive bars and museums, cinemas and old restaurants, horse-drawn carriages and subway cars, capturing the true essence of life in New York. Never Can Say Goodbye is ultimately a love letter to the Big Apple and a must-have for every lover of New York–regardless of whether or not you call the city home.
“Gets right to the heart of what it feels like to be a New Yorker–slightly insane, broke, and madly in love. These essays made me laugh out loud with recognition. New York City isn’t an easy place to live, but is anything easy really worth doing?” -Emma Straub, author of The Vacationers
“This fab book made me want to leave New York and then move the eff right back.” -Gary Shteyngart
“Extremely addictive, this anthology is the perfect subway read–or the perfect book to read while imagining reading on the subway.” –Library Journal
“Captures stalwart New Yorkers’ love/hate relationship with the world’s most seductively dysfunctional town. There may be no better read to pass your wait for that next damned G train.” -Will Hermes, author of Love Goes To Buildings On Fire
