“I felt like a ghost looking at things that were all functioning properly in a beautiful world, but I just wasn’t part of it because of my own problems with dignity and self respect. And then when I wrote the book I felt much more a part of the world again. I was writing to soothe myself and to get away from the feeling of exhaustion I’ve had of always trying to be funny or feeling like I could only present myself one way.”
– Jenny Slate, episode 183 on Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Three years ago Jenny and Sam promised to reconvene in 2020 (if only they knew what 2020 would look like). Nevertheless, today they make good on that promise. In the intervening years, Jenny wrote a book, titled Little Weirds. It’s a collection of (vaguely) autobiographical stories from the heart, about the heart. It’s also the springboard for this discussion, which dives into her childhood desire to be seen (7:02), the therapeutic quality of writing (11:05), a life-altering trip to Norway (22:54), a Jo Stafford staple that framed her ideas around romance (29:05), and how she learned how to love again (37:41). To close, we sit with a passage from our 2017 discussion, reflecting on what those words mean now (44:33).
Show-notes:
- You can buy Jenny’s wonderful book, Little Weirds, here.
- Follow Jenny on Instagram and Twitter.
- Listen to our first conversation with Jenny, from 2017.
Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi.
Music by: Dylan Peck
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