Book Talk! Sophia Benoit's WELL, THIS IS EXHAUSTING

Masks Required.

ABOUT THE BOOK

From Bustle columnist and Twitter sensation Sophia Benoit, this "charming and often laugh-out-loud funny" (Vogue) memoir-in-essays explores the ins and outs of modern womanhood--from finding feminism, the power of pop culture, and how to navigate life's constant double standards--perfect for fans of Shrill and PEN15.

Like so many women, Sophia spent her formative years struggling to do the "right" thing--to make others comfortable, to take minimal and calculated risks, to live up to society's expectations--only to realize that there was so little payoff to this tiresome balancing act. Tired of trying so hard, Sophia finally let go of the crushing pressure to be perfect.

She navigates the highs and lows of the dating world (high: being a beta tester for Bumble; low: hastily shaving her legs before a hotel hookup and getting blood all over the sheets), and walks the line between being a "chill" girl and making sure her boyfriend's nonchalance about altitude sickness doesn't get him killed. She learns what it means to be a feminist, how to embrace her own voice, and when to listen to women who have been through more and have been doing the work longer.

With topics ranging from how to be the life of the party (even when you have crippling anxiety), to an ill-fated consultation with a dietician who deemed Sophia's overindulgence in ketchup a serious health risk, to a masterful argument for why no one should judge you for having an encyclopedic knowledge of reality TV, Well, This Is Exhausting is not only "one of the funniest books you'll read this year, but it's also one of the most important" (Shondaland).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophia Benoit is a writer and comedian who grew up in Missouri and was correctly voted "Most Likely to Never Come Back." She writes sex and relationship advice for Bustle and has had bylines in Allure, Refinery29, The Cut, The Guardian, and more. She writes an advice newsletter Here's the Thing where she tries to get everyone to ask their crush out. Sophia lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend Dave, but usually only spouses make it into author bios, so forget about him.

ABOUT THE INTERLOCUTOR

Priyanka is a writer and filmmaker in Los Angeles.

She was formerly an agent at UTA and WME, as well as Jack Black’s partner at their production company, Electric Dynamite. Priyanka is the co-founder of EARIOS, a women-led podcast network, and co-hosts its critically-acclaimed beauty/wellness podcast, Foxy Browns.

Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vulture, and The Hairpin, and her film work in festivals from Sundance to Cannes. She was raised in India, England, and Saudi Arabia before moving to the U.S. in high school, and holds degrees in Italian and Law from the University of Michigan.

Priyanka is the recipient of a MacDowell fellowship, and her piece How to Extract a Mother’s Rogan Josh Recipe Over Zoom was noted in Best American Food Writing. She lives in Venice (California) with her husband and kids, and is working on Sixteen Kitchens, a memoir in essays from Knopf.

Notes on parking in Larchmont Village:

Chevalier's does not have any parking, but there is paid meter parking on the street, a paid lot next to the bank, and free street parking parallel the Larchmont Blvd. on Lucerne Blvd.

Event Venue

Chevalier's Books, 133 North Larchmont Boulevard, Los Angeles, United States