Charleston County Public Library

A field guide to awkward silences, Alexandra Petri

eng

autobiography

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

A field guide to awkward silences

Alexandra Petri

"Most twentysomethings spend a lot of time avoiding awkwardness. Not Alexandra Petri. Afraid of rejection? Alexandra Petri has auditioned for America's Next Top Model. Afraid of looking like an idiot? Alexandra Petri lost Jeopardy! by answering 'Who is that dude?' on national TV. Afraid of bad jokes? Alexandra Petri won an international pun championship. Petri has been a debutante, reenacted the Civil War, and fended off suitors at a Star Wars convention while wearing a Jabba the Hutt suit. One time, she let some cult members she met on the street baptize her, just to be polite. She's a connoisseur of the kind of awkwardness that most people spend whole lifetimes trying to avoid.... In this book, [she] turns her satirical eye on her own life--with hilarious results.... And in the course of her misadventures, she's learned that there are worse things out there than awkwardness--and that interesting things start to happen when you stop caring what people think."--Front flap of jacket

How not to be awkward -- Flopper -- Five uneasy pieces -- Ten general rules -- How to talk to people -- Tuesdays with Hitler -- Go whistle for it -- How to join a cult, by mistake, on a Tuesday, in fifty-seven easy steps -- Teen Jesus -- Your prize came -- The naked pun -- Unreconstructed -- Trivial pursuit -- Grab life by the debutante balls -- Time traveler's yelp -- We are not a muse -- Tall tales -- It's a trap! -- Dietary restrictions -- Under the dome -- Self-defense tips for fairy-tale girls -- Internet bitch -- The dog in the manger -- So far, so good