That Was Awkward: The Art and Etiquette of the Awkward Hug

(Hardback)

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Description

From New Yorker humorist Emily Flake, a hilarious, oddly enlightening book of illustrations and observations that embrace the inescapable awkwardness of two human beings attempting to make physical contact with one another We've all been there. You encounter your former colleague--the one whom you always suspected had eaten your yogurt that one time. Your ex-boyfriend's sister. The elementary school classmate whose name you don't quite remember. That aunt you're not sure your mom is cool with. Do you shake hands Do you hug Do you--horrors--kiss on the cheek Or--double horrors--kiss on both cheeks And then it happens. The awkward hug. That cultural blight we've all experienced. Emily Flake--keen observer of human behavior and life's less-than-triumphant moments--codifies the most common awkward hugs that have plagued us all (sadly, multiple times). Filled with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and illustrations, astute observations, and wise advice, That Was Awkward is a heartwarming reminder that we're all in this together, grasping hastily at each other in an attempt to say- let's embrace to remind ourselves of our essential and connecting humanity, but also, please don't touch me for more than three seconds.

Reviews

Looking for a laugh Pick upThat Was Awkward,abook of illustrations, observations, and advice byNew YorkercartoonistEmily Flake.Flake chronicles the hilarious awkwardness of two humans trying to connect.
E! Online

Before the eggnog starts flowing this holiday season, arm yourself with Emily Flakes That Was Awkward. It will make you laugh, cringe, and think twice before you do the handshake-or-hug hokey pokey.
BookPage

The New Yorkers Emily Flake takes a lighthearted deep-dive into the common horrors of embarrassing physical contactincluding, of course, awkward hugswhat these interactions can signify, and what they feel like. (That is, very,veryawkward.) It happens to everyone, Flake reminds us, and we might as well laugh about it.
Read It Forward

It isnt hard to recognize yourselfand everyone you knowin these hilarious portraits of awkward huggers. Sincerely funny, sly and subversive, Emily Flake perfectly captures the plight of our perpetually embarrassing rituals of connection.
Molly Ringwald

Wise and wildly funny,That Was Awkwardis Emily Flake at her best, deconstructing modern life with a needle-sharp wit but a warm heart.That Was Awkwardis indispensable, brilliant, and delightful.
Susan Orlean, author ofThe Library Book

Brilliant and weird! Yet again, the beloved Emily Flake has nailed it. As a hugger, (awkward most of the time), I feel understood AND simultaneously able to laugh at myself, thanks to this book. If looking for a guide on how to better navigate your way through this world of strange embraces, and also chortle whilst drinking coffee, take Flakes book home with you pronto!
Mira Ptacin, author of Poor Your Soul andThe In-Betweens

Get it as a gift for whoever the last person is that you tried to air kiss, but then you misjudged which side to start on and you box your heads against each other. Its great.
Dan Kois (on the Slate podcast Mom and Dad Are Fighting)

Author Bio

Emily Flake's cartoons and humorous essays run regularly in The New Yorker, The Nib, and many other publications. Her weekly strip, Lulu Eightball, ran in alt-weeklies for many years. She's written and illustrated two books: These Things Ain't Gonna Smoke Themselves and Mama Tried. Her illustrations and cartoons appear in publications all over the world, including the New York Times, Newsweek, the Globe and Mail, The Onion, The New Statesman, and Forbes. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, daughter, and a frail, elderly orange cat.