I’m Booked: “Lifeform”
Written by Ally Abruscato. Graphic by Ana Vergara Garcia.
Over the summer, I had the honor of meeting actress and writer, Jenny Slate. Her husband, Ben Shattuck, is one of my favorite authors, and I was lucky enough to see them on the book tour for “The History of Sound.” Ever since, I’ve been eager to read Slate’s newest book, “Lifeform.”
Considering “Parks and Recreation” is one of my favorite shows of all time, I originally knew Slate as the infamous Mona-Lisa Saperstein. Knowing a bit of her infectious and bubbly personality helped me understand her perspective in this book. “Lifeform” is Slate’s second solo book, documenting her life as a single woman, wife and mother. This memoir is equal parts humorous as it is gut-wrenching. The inside of Slate’s brain is a strange and mysterious place that readers are lucky enough to get a glimpse into. From frantic letters to a fictional doctor to dreams of the stork that delivers her baby, Slate’s unique depiction of her life is captivating and, at times, a bit insane.
The insanity in “Lifeform” is quite a good thing, as it allows the reader to push their minds past their normal barriers and examine issues from a new perspective. Reading this book genuinely made me come to some interesting revelations in my own life. I found myself bringing it up frequently in conversation, citing it as the catalyst for my great awakening. The way Slate writes about universal topics like anxiety and loneliness is so distinct that they seem to materialize like characters in my mind. This creates an intimate level of relatability and vulnerability between Slate and her audience.
Many of Slate’s stream-of-consciousness rants had a large impact on me and my way of thinking. If I had to pick just one of my favorite quotes from this book it would be, “She had harbored the flame until it shrank to aloneness, until it had shrunk to the notion of ‘without.’”
After reading “Lifeform,” I can confidently claim Jenny Slate and Ben Shattuck as my favorite husband-wife writing duo. While their styles are very different, both have the power to tell heart-wrenching stories that stick with the reader like gum on a shoe (in a good way, of course). I suppose now I have to try out Slate’s first book “Little Weirds.”
I’ll be back soon with another book review, but until then, I’m Booked.
As Editor-in-Chief, Ally Abruscato leads and supports a talented group of staff and contributors in pursuing their creative endeavors. At SCAD, Ally majors in Photography and minors in Advertising & Branding. She regularly offers pop culture insights through movie reviews, articles and her weekly column, “I’m Booked.” When she’s not writing or taking photos, Ally’s probably outside, reading or running.
