A fearless and darkly comic essay collection about race, justice and the limits of good intentions from the editor in chief of Catapult.
In this stunning debut collection, award-winning voice actor and cultural critic Tajja Isen explores the absurdity of living in a world that has grown fluent in the language of social justice but doesn’t always follow through.
These nine daring essays explore the sometimes troubling and often awkward nature of that discord. Some of My Best Friends takes on subjects including the cartoon industry’s pivot away from color-blindcasting, the pursuit of diverse representation in the literary world, the law’s refusal to see inequality, and the cozy fictions of nationalism. Throughout, Isen deftly examines the quick, cosmetic fixes society makes to address systemic problems and reveals the unexpected ways they can misfire.
In the spirit of Zadie Smith, Cathy Park Hong and Jia Tolentino, Isen interlaces cultural criticism with her lived experience to explore the gaps between what we say and what we do, what we do and what we value, and what we value and what we demand.
"Fresh and intelligent critiques of popular North American ideas about race and gender. . . . [A] steller debut. . . . This book shows a bracing willingness to tackle sensitive issues that others often sweep under a rug." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Beautifully written, wildly funny and whip smart, the essays in Some of My Best Friends are among the best I’ve ever read. Tajja Isen is unafraid to ask deep questions and embrace their messy answers. She’s one hell of a writer." —Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth
"Isen understands that our shared future demands we expose and call out wasted time, hollow gestures and empty words. Some of My Best Friends is an inspiring, determined work of personal narrative and cultural criticism." —Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives
"Some of My Best Friends is the rare essay collection that feels both modern and timeless. Hilarious and fresh, it’s the type of analysis that feels vital and made me go, ‘Finally!’ What a joy to read." —Sarah Hagi, writer at Gawker
"The essays in this book dazzle stylistically, thrill intellectually and flip the finger to the many ways North America pretends to talk about racial experiences. Isen is a provocateur of the first order. Her wit and wisdom capture the current moment and soar above it." —Kamal Al-Solaylee, author of Return and Brown
"Sure-footed and illuminating, Some of My Best Friends brilliantly lays bare the lies that accompany some of the most insidious aspects of racism—lip service, pandering and plausible deniability—and offers a bracing inoculation." —Jess Zimmerman, author of Women and Other Monsters
"Every essay in this collection reminded me of what makes Tajja Isen a must-read writer: her thoughtfulness, her incisive humor and her deadeye aim. Some of My Best Friends is a genuine pleasure to read and the best kind of intellectual conversation." —Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know
