🗣️ Come Hang Out IRL 📚
My new book, a few new pieces, and a few live events
Dear Friends,
Welcome back to The Crunchwrap!
For new subscribers, welcome(!) and please know that I usually write about critical national issues like Taco Bell’s collaboration with Cheez-It and relative grossness of Trader Joe’s product recalls.
However, in this installment of The Crunchwrap, we are pacing nervously (but excitedly!) about the release of my new book, 99% Perspiration, this coming Tuesday, January 7.
Why are we nervous, Adam?
Good question, lazy narrative prompt! Uh, have you heard of the fragile male ego?
And a few other reasons:
In the audiobook of 99% Perspiration, I try an impression of Lewis Black that I’m pretty sure sounds like Bernie Sanders after a root canal.
Recently, while recording an interview about the book, I wanted to quote someone who said ‘get off your ass!’ and panicked that it might be too spicy for public radio. And so instead, I said ‘get off your seat!’ which is SO MUCH WORSE.
Lastly, the publishing industry places a lot of weight on pre-sale book purchases. And so, it would be an enormous help to me (and an important signal to booksellers everywhere) if you'd consider ordering my book before it actually hits the shelves on Tuesday.
And why are we excited, Adam?
Well, I’m excited to see people and I’m excited to talk about these stories. For the book, I reported everywhere from America’s coasts (Plymouth / Los Angeles / St. Croix) to its heartland (Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Indiana) as well as France (Normandy and Paris). I interviewed Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, UBI genius Stacia West, General Stanley McChrystal, a pastor in rural Alabama, Andrew Yang, and Yea Ji Sea, a U.S. army vet who served while undocumented. And I’m hopeful that these portraits and insights can help explain this bitter and terrifying moment that we’re in and could offer some viable ways out of it.
Also, not to be a schmuck about it, but reviews of the book have all been really nice so far!
Finally, I’m about to spend the next few weeks talking about it with some of the best and most generous minds out there. So come see us!1
Nu, what else?
Not much! I had a great week reporting in Kentucky last month. And I’ve been working on a few other things related to the book as well as some other pieces that I did just because I won’t say no to editors that I love.
For the LA Times, I wrote about the recent Amazon/Starbucks strikes. The piece is about how the realities of American work culture undermine our cherished ideals about social mobility and the American Dream. (Phew.)
Sherwood News had a really smart series that asked writers to predict the future of OpenAI (of ChatGPT fame) by using the stories of other companies. I chose Taco Bell, obviously.
For TIME, I wrote about the death of third places in the U.S., the national loneliness epidemic, and how to cure what ails us in 2025.
Also, for Sherwood, I wrote about the decline of malls and the bygone glories of brands like Sbarro, Orange Julius, and Auntie Anne’s.
That’s it for now!
Over the next few weeks, I promise to (and apologize for) bombarding you with more book stuff, podcast appearances in which I manically say things like ‘get off your seat!’, some high-calorie things I eat on the road, and other whimsies as they come up.
I’m grateful as always for your support.
With love,
Adam
The NYC event requires an RSVP!