The Picador Book Room

Last night at the Happy Ending Music and Reading Series at Joe’s Pub, Picador author Chris Adrian read eight one-star Goodreads reviews of his work as part of the series’ obligatory risk/dare. Unfortunately, I only captured numbers four through eight in this video. (The cackling you hear is a certain Picador publicity assistant.) 

From the Archives: “Dear Wayne, I’ve Been Humiliated: Farted in Yoga”

The New York Observer called it “The Mother of All Book Trailers”

The Awl headline read: “Wayne Koestenbaum Gives Free, Wonderfully Terrible Advice”

Salon.com called it a “Must-See Viral Video”

In this 8-part (!) series, cultural critic and writer Wayne Koestenbaum attacks humiliating scenarios (like farting in yoga) head-on, transforming embarrassment into an elevated, slightly off-kilter discourse about what it means to be human. The most amazing part about this series is all the great material we ended up having to leave on the cutting room floor… we could’ve easily made this feature-length. 

The full series:

Dear Wayne, I’ve Been Humiliated: Teaser

Embarrassing Email Mistakenly Sent

Hot Date, Cold Sore

Shy Coworker, Dirty Movies

Farted in Yoga

Fat or Pregnant

Private Moment, YouTube Star

Book Party Faux Pas

Book Trailer for: Humiliation, by Wayne Koestenbaum (“The funniest, smartest, most heartbreaking yet powerful book I’ve read in a long time”—John Waters) 

From the Archives: Eugene Mirman talks with Wesley Stace

“Reading a book can be exhausting, even boring… just tell me how it ends.” - Eugene Mirman

Book trailer for: Charles Jessold, Considered as a Murderer, by Wesley Stace

From the Archives: Zach Galifianakis Interviews John Wray

Videogum said: “Now, I don’t know what a ‘book’ is, but I agree that this is the way to sell one”

Flavorwire said: “Here’s one of our favorite comedians interviewing one of our favorite authors — except they’ve inexplicably swapped roles and there’s not a fern in sight.”

Huffington Post said: “If you’re going to make a book video, this is definitely the way to do it.”

We say it still holds up as the funniest book trailer.

Book trailer for: Lowboy, by John Wray

The Best Reading Group Guide, EVER.

Sometimes we ask our authors to help write the reading group guides for their books.  But when you ask Augusten Burroughs….

Well…

Augusten’s questions cover what we REALLY want to talk about at book club:  plastic surgery, hair styles, inappropriate sexual relationships with TV stars, and of course, Mary Tyler Moore.

His new book, This Is How, hits stores May 8th from St. Martin’s Press.