All readers of Sloane Crosley’s new collection of essays beware: this young author-publisher is a writer that makes you want to forget your own voice and adopt hers. It’s witty; it’s sharp; and it’s damn funny. Ms. Crosley is a New Yorker with a cutting comedic tongue and a keen eye for self-depreciating, yet thoroughly humanizing, analogies. Thus, through the lens of her own life experiences, this author-publisher’s debut collection accomplishes exactly that, bringing humor in the form of seemingly meaningless minutia to the sometimes not so easy to laugh at, but ultimately, hilarious, moments of everyday life.
In fifteen short non-fiction pieces, Crosley covers a variety of topics ranging from plastic ponies and Christian camps to her first job and the afternoon of September 11th. She talks about sugar cookies, admittedly frosted with the face of her horrid (ex-) boss, and locksmiths well, one who let her into her apartment twice in the same day. Crosley discusses one-night stands, certainly not in a romance novel sense nay, they involve taupe-colored stockings, flannel socks, and vomit and afternoons spent volunteering in the butterfly exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. Ultimately, Sloane Crosley talks about herself. And we love it. Why?
At the ripe age of 29, Ms. Crosley has been named the “most popular publisher” in Manhattan, according to The New York Observer. So she’s a like-able person, but why do we want to devote hours 230 pages worth to reading about the problems and pitfalls of her day-to-day trials? Because not only is she smart, sassy, and quirky, but she’s candidly honest. Crosley’s book makes us love her for many of the same reasons we love our friends: they help us to understand ourselves. Yes, Sloane Crosley older than me, far more professionally established than me, and living in a different reality across the country reminds me of myself. She makes mistakes. She does things she’s not proud of. She tips poorly and loses her wallet and talks about her boss behind her back. Spelling and grammar mistakes make her “passive-aggressive” (77) and sometimes she resents being an average American without the exoticism of a foreign accent. She’s a full-fledged person and it’s amazing how a collection of essays rather than say, a biography brings this to life.
Most of all, what Sloane has to offer is a portrait of solipsistic humanity at its best with laughter. I Was Told There’d Be Cake presents a funny, frank, and often poignant picture of one individual’s take on life. Whether you read one or fifteen of Ms. Crosley’s new essays, what you’ll leave with is a sense of shared if not resolved fumbling, bumbling, and well-intentioned humanity.
- Visit Sloane’s website for the latest on her diorama projects, essay publications, and reading events.
- Buy Sloane’s book at an independent LA bookseller, Book Soup, either online or at the shop on Sunset.
Photo courtesy of Penguin Group.
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2 responses so far ↓
1 christianne // Jul 15, 2008 at 9:44 am
I’ve seen this book in shops, but hadn’t heard one way or another if it was any good….sounds fantastic!
2 Laura Leigh // Jul 23, 2008 at 5:23 pm
I never do this but I went out and bought this book after reading your review. I love/hate writers like her because she reminds me of what I hope to God to be capable of in the years to come. (Basically I’m jealous!) I am about halfway through this book and I think your review is precise, but the best part of these stories is that each one reminds me of something from my own past. I think great writing can help us remember moments from our own lives - thanks for a great review!
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