The #1 New York Times–bestselling author shares her rough journey to adulthood in a book that “should be read by every American” (Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette).

New York Times Bestseller

From Queens kid to New Yorker cartoon editor, Bob Mankoff spills the beans on the art of cartooning. Learn the secrets behind your favorite gags and discover why some cartoons just don't click. A must-read for any fan of humor and the iconic magazine.

“A memoir [and] an enormous window into the mystery and alchemy behind the creation and selection of New Yorker cartoons.” —The Washington Post

A “brave, absorbing and vulnerable” autobiography of an author and a fascinating window into the British literary world by the author of the Cazalet Chronicles: Elizabeth Jane Howard (The Guardian).

“Suffused with laughter, glamour and wit...A heartbreaking, entertaining and delightful read.” —The Daily Telegraph

The "utterly compelling, uncommonly beautiful" collection of personal essays (Newsweek) that established Jo Ann Beard as one of the leading writers of her generation.

"A luminous, funny, heartbreaking book of essays about life and its defining moments." —Harper's Bazaar