Q: Maybe it’s possible it was a clumsy attempt to get at how relatable your work is?Ī I do write in this book briefly about working in an animal hospital, but it’s not really about that. I read that, and I burst out laughing, because if somebody is trying to put me in my place a little bit, like: “She has several books, but I don’t know if we can call her a writer.”

You’ve really got to be coming from an (expletive) place if the way you describe me is as a “former receptionist” and not just, like, a writer. But in the time that I’ve not been a receptionist, I have been a New York Times best-seller. Q: Speaking of signifiers, when your book hit the New York Times best-seller list, it initially described you as “a former receptionist.” Do you describe yourself that way?Ī: So that was my job, and I’m proud of it. Like if you are being for real, you love your little phone. I think it’s a signifier, so you know they’re more cultured. How many people do you know that you actually want to talk to for an extended time? I just don’t believe it. They say, “Oh, I’d rather have a conversation.” Well, OK, but conversations are overrated, especially if you’re talking to a moron. People used to be, like, “Oh, I don’t have a TV TV is garbage.” I feel like this is just a new version of that. You don’t feel the urge to put the phone down?Ī: It’s a gift that you can have a bunch of fun distraction and imaginary friends right there in your pocket. Q: Everyone talks a lot about unplugging, but your essay “Hung” celebrates the smartphone.

Wow no thank you book