Bookshop Evans and Holmon, cofounders of the website
Black Nerd Problems, bring their pop culture criticism to this wide-ranging, compulsively readable debut collection. Touching on such topics as the hidden depths of boxing-inspired anime
Hajime no Ippo, the irony of
Hamiltonâs steep ticket prices, and
Game of Thronesâs one Black character, Evans and Holman are often hilarious (
The Lion Kingâs âSimba. is straight up landfill. Trash. Rubbageâ) and always original. In addition to straightforward essays, some entries come in the form of high-octane, joyful dialogue between the authors, as in âTwo Dope Boys and anâOh My God, the Flash Got Fucked Up!â for example, in which the authors discuss the Flash: âI ainât ever seen a hero get their body Earthâd like that since Supermanâs funeral.â The most gripping essays use cultural events as an entry point to discuss larger topics: Evansâs âThe Sobering
By Liza Monroy |
These days, essayist Annabelle Gurwitch (
You’re Leaving When?, Counterpoint, Apr.) appreciates writing that offers closure. “With the pandemic, everything’s taking so much longer,” she says. “It seems harder to complete tasks, but reading essays and short stories, I get that beginning, middle, and end experience.”
Personal essays in particular can offer a welcome sense of connection with the writer, say other practitioners of the form. “One of the things I miss most about having a social life is meeting a new friend, or reconnecting with an old one,” says Melissa Febos (
Girlhood, Bloomsbury, Mar.). “The best essays give me that feeling.”