The title of comedian Phoebe Robinson's second book of essays may sound glib, but she means it seriously: Everything's Trash, but It's Okay. According to Robinson (You Can't Touch My Hair), everyone--nuns, parents, celebrities and the author herself--has ridiculous moments. And between climate change, battles for human rights, the resurgence of neo-Nazis and much more, the problems in the world can feel overwhelming. But, Robinson says, recognizing that everything is trash allows us to see ourselves and the world more clearly. Peppered with tangents, hashtags and footnotes, her essays cover politics, race, dating, body positivity and the two times she met Bono. "Feminism, I Was Rooting for You; We Were All Rooting for You" is a searing call to action for feminism to commit to intersectionality, and explains what Tyra Banks can tell us about black parenting. "LOL. Wut?: An Incomplete List of All the Ways Being a Woman Is Ridic" calls out unreasonable beauty standards and Robinson's firsthand experience of sexual harassment in the comedy world.
If book reviews could be written by text message, this one would be 10 cry-laughing emojis followed by 20 fire emojis. Robinson is an informed and adept cultural critic and her jokes don't dumb down her points; instead, they provide entry into difficult topics. Her book is ultimately hopeful: even if the world is a dumpster fire, there's comfort in knowing that we are all in it together. --Katy Hershberger, freelance writer and bookseller