Writer, actor, and director Desiree Akhavan shares the stories she was told to shut up about—hilarious, horny, heartbreaking tales of a life in pursuit of art, love, and a better haircut.
“Hilariously raw, relatable, and—dare I even say—sexy.”—Jessi Klein
When it comes to shame, Desiree Akhavan knows what she’s talking about—whether it’s winning the title of the Ugliest Girl at her high school, acquiescing to the nose job she was lovingly forced into by her Iranian parents, or losing her virginity to a cokehead she met in a support group for cutters. In You’re Embarrassing Yourself, Akhavan goes to the rawest places—the lifelong struggle to be at peace in one’s body, the search for home as the child of immigrants, the anxious underbelly of artistic ambition—in pursuit of wisdom, catharsis, and lolz.
Equal parts funny and heartfelt, these seventeen essays chart an artist’s journey from outcast to overnight indie darling, to (somewhat) self-aware adult woman. The result is a collection that captures the pathetic lows and euphoric highs of our youth—and how to survive them.
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"Full of heart, thrumming with profundity, and laugh-out-loud hilarious, You're Embarrassing Yourself marks Desiree Akhavan as a blazing literary talent. Come for the gossip and cringe; stay for the moving portraits of familial loyalty, queerness, art making, and the many ways we find ourselves home. I toted this book around with me like it was my best friend, and that’s what Akhavan feels like as the book’s narrator: candid, clever, shining with the promise that anything is possible. In this memoir—it is."
— T Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls
With cackle-worthy humor and absolute ease, Akhavan shares her deeply honest stories of culture and identity, modern sexuality, and what it is to be an artist. I laughed, I cried, and then I laughed again.
— Lena DunhamWith cackle-worthy humor and absolute ease, Desiree Akhavan shares her deeply honest stories
of culture and identity, modern sexuality, and what it is to be an artist.
— Lena Dunham, #1 NewYork Times bestselling author of Not That Kind of Girl
Each of these essays feels like a satisfying night out with your most funny, sexy, and self-
deprecating friend. Together, they add up to a moving account of self-acceptance that gives us
each permission to take it all a little less seriously.
— Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex& Money and author of Let’s Talk About Hard Things
With cackle-worthy humor and absolute ease, Desiree Akhavan shares her deeply honest stories of culture and identity, modern sexuality, and what it is to be an artist.
— Lena Dunham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Not That Kind of GirlEach of these essays feels like a satisfying night out with your most funny, sexy, and self-deprecating friend. Together, they add up to a moving account of self-acceptance that gives us each permission to take it all a little less seriously.
— Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money and author of Let’s Talk About Hard ThingsWith cackle-worthy humor and absolute ease, Desiree Akhavan shares her deeply honest stories of culture and identity, modern sexuality, and what it is to be an artist.
— Lena Dunham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Not That Kind of GirlAkhavan is one of the most audacious and important filmmakers working today. . . . She’s no stranger to mining her life for tragicomic gold, which she does aplenty in her memoir-in-essays, from navigating feelings of inadequacy as a student at Horace Mann to the triumphs and tribulations of fame.
— Electric LitDesiree Akhavan’s memoir is a hilariously raw, relatable, and—dare I even say—sexy recounting of an awkward girl’s journey to finding her way as an adult, and ultimately, an artist. In other words—a perfect book.
— Jessi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of I’ll Show Myself OutAddictively honest, and cool without leaving anyone out, this book offers a hand and a laugh to readers who have gone through some of the same things that Desiree Akhavan did—which, let’s be honest, is most of us. Clearly I’m embarrassing myself because after reading her book I want so desperately to be best friends with Desiree. And you will too!
— Casey Wilson, New York Times-bestselling author of The Wreckage of My PresenceAn utterly charming, hilarious coming-of-art story, full to the brim with cringe and heart.
— Melissa Febos, national bestselling-author of Body Work and GirlhoodFull of heart, thrumming with profundity, and laugh out loud hilarious, You're Embarrassing Yourself marks Desiree Akhavan as a blazing literary talent. Come for the gossip and cringe; stay for the moving portraits of familial loyalty, queerness, art making, and the many ways we find ourselves home. I toted this book around with me like it was my best friend, and that’s what Akhavan feels like as the book’s narrator: candid, clever, shining with the promise that anything is possible. In this memoir—it is.
— T. Kira Madden, author of Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless GirlsEach of these essays feel like a satisfying night out with your most funny, sexy and self-deprecating friend. Together, they add up to a moving account of self-acceptance that gives us each permission to take it all a little less seriously.
— Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money and author of Let's Talk About Hard ThingsActor and filmmaker Akhavan reflects on her heritage, her romantic disappointments, and her 1990s coming-of-age in this funny and incisive debut memoir-in-essays. . . . [Akhavan charts] an endearingly crooked path to maturity. This is a winner.
— Publishers WeeklyEqual parts a growing-up survival guide and a confessional about never having grown up at all, this title is sure to captivate readers looking for a fresh and authentic voice.
— BooklistAs she depicts her struggle to come to terms with a complex identity, Akhavan also celebrates the hard-won privilege of self-acceptance. A readably funny and candid memoir.
— Kirkus ReviewsDesiree Akhavan’s memoir is a hilariously raw, relatable, and—dare I even say—sexy recounting of an awkward girl’s journey to finding her way as an adult and, ultimately, an artist. . . . In other words—a perfect book.
— Jessi Klein, New York Times bestselling author of I’ll Show Myself OutAddictively honest and cool without leaving anyone out, this book offers a hand and a laugh to readers who have gone through some of the same things that Desiree Akhavan did—which, let’s be honest, is most of us. Clearly I’m embarrassing myself because after reading her book I want so desperately to be best friends with Akhavan. And you will too!
— Casey Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Wreckage of My PresenceAn utterly charming, hilarious coming-of-art story, full to the brim with cringe and heart.
— Melissa Febos, nationally bestselling author of Body Work and GirlhoodEach of these essays feel like a satisfying night out with your most funny, sexy, and self-deprecating friend. Together they add up to a moving account of self-acceptance that gives us each permission to take it all a little less seriously.
— Anna Sale, host of the podcast Death, Sex & Money and author of Let’s Talk About Hard ThingsBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!