While the cover promises contributions from Judd Apatow, Zach Galifianakis and Sarah Silverman, the new collection You’re a Horrible Person, but I Like You: The Believer Book of Advice also includes the work of notable local writer Daniel Handler.The Lemony Snicket author joined Eugene Mirman and other comedians who participated in the project for a helluva book reading at the JCCSF this week as part of Litquake’s programming. I’ve long enjoyed both the literary fest and The Believer magazine’s column with advice that is simultaneously mis-directed and hilarious; the book resulted from the contributions provided when original question answerer Amy Sedaris became too busy for monthly advising. And, while the crew assembled includes laughter-makers Aziz Ansari and Janeane Garofolo (whose Atlas Shrugged observations in the book are not to be missed), the original antithesis to Emily Post deserves recognition for her work on the “Sedaratives” column:
Dear Amy:
I’ve been single for about a year now, after a long-term relationship fizzled. All of a sudden, I’m starting to get those co-dependency urges again. Should I suppress these unwanted feelings without the use of pills or alcohol?
Sincerely,
Looking for an Out without Slipping InDear Slippy:
What’s wrong with pills and alcohol? Are you judging me? Whatever helps me through the hard times is a-OK with me. It kills the pain. I hate it when people start spewing out bullshit like, “You’re going to have to deal with it sooner or later.” Well, not really, because by the time “later” comes, my problem will be over because of the booze and pills. I’m not stupid. You codependent people are all the same!
Are you selling any pills?
Amy
[...] writing recently about a McSweeney’s publication, The Believer, and their comedic advice antics, I couldn’t resist featuring the 34th issue of their [...]
[...] literary guilty pleasure site The Rumpus and McSweeney’s, publisher of a great recent collection of funny folks’ bad advice, are among two of my favorite SF publishers. So having the [...]
[...] Should seeing the Fisher Collection in its first public weekend at the SF MOMA not be enough of a celebration of 67 degree weather, The Believer Magazine’s “Summer Festival of Language and Thinking” could make for free fun. Authors will abound at the event with an all-acoustic set of summer-themed cover songs by Citay’s Ezra Feinberg–as though you had more reasons to love the publisher after this year’s “You’re a Horrible Person.” [...]