Recs: personal essays, especially available on audiobook

November 21, 2024 9:48 AM

Personal essays are heavily my thing right now. Have been listening to Best American Essays collections and branching out some from there (Sallie Tisdale's essay about memory and memoir writing got me onto her book about death, though I'm partial to shorter forms, essays over monographs) but I'd love some recommendations for "best of genre." They don't have to be recent, as the ones I've been listening to have. I'm happiest if they're available on audio as I just have lost all power of concentration for eye-reading. Thanks!
posted by less-of-course to Writing & Language (9 answers total)

I think David Sedaris’ work, really any of them will pop up a lot as a recommendation (though I didn’t love his most recent book as much as the others).
posted by raccoon409 at 10:09 AM on November 21, 2024 [1 favorite]

Darkness Visible, written and read by William Styron.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 10:16 AM on November 21, 2024 [1 favorite]

E B White's essays are quite wonderful, and I see that collections are available in audio. "Death of a Pig" and "Once More to the Lake" are standouts in my memory.
posted by Well I never at 10:20 AM on November 21, 2024 [1 favorite]

My friend’s book “Natural Mother of the Child” is a collection of his essays about trans pregnancy and parenthood and the audiobook is read by him.
posted by supercres at 10:56 AM on November 21, 2024

I am a fan of Anne Fadiman's essays.
posted by OrangeDisk at 10:58 AM on November 21, 2024

I'm a big fan of Jenny Lawson, her books are all personal stories and perspectives, she reads them herself, and they're hilarious.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:57 PM on November 21, 2024 [1 favorite]

Ann Patchett's These Precious Days and This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.
posted by amarynth at 1:38 PM on November 21, 2024

Henry Rollins, the punk singer/actor puts his energy entirely into writing these days, generally in the form of essays. He's smart, humane, but no bullshit. This might be a good place to start.

Or if you prefer audiobook, Keep Talking, Pal is on sale for $0.99.

A bunch of his essays/spoken word are on Spotify.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:11 PM on November 21, 2024

Jia Tolentino's Trick Mirror is a mix of social commentary and personal narrative I find really compelling.
posted by lookoutbelow at 7:30 PM on November 22, 2024