Tajja Isen on Lip Service

Over the past several years, corporations and entire industries have quickly made statements and some policy changes in response to social and racial justice movements. Those statement and initiatives, however, often exist as feel-good marketing initiatives or sincere efforts with unintended consequences. In her new book “Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service,” Tajja Isen explores these efforts and the realities they mask and reveal. “[A] stellar debut collection...Some of My Best Friends shows a bracing willingness to tackle sensitive issues that others often sweep under a rug.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Isen scrutinizes society’s attempts to bandage over such issues as race and gender inequality in her powerful debut. Isen’s voice is both wry and sensitive as she fearlessly lays out the limits of talk in solving inequality; fans of sharp cultural criticism, take note." —Publishers Weekly “Beautifully written, wildly funny, and whip smart, the essays in Some of My Best Friends are among the best I've ever read. Tajja Isen is unafraid to ask deep questions and embrace their messy answers. She's one hell of a writer.” —Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things and With Teeth “Isen understands that our shared future demands we expose and call out wasted time, hollow gestures, and empty words. Some of My Best Friends is an inspiring, determined work of personal narrative and cultural criticism.” —Saeed Jones, author of How We Fight for Our Lives “The essays in this book dazzle stylistically, thrill intellectually and flip the finger to the many ways North America pretends to talk about racial experiences. Isen is a provocateur of the first order. Her wit and wisdom capture the current moment and soar above it.” —Kamal Al-Solaylee, author of Return and Brown “Sure-footed and illuminating, Some of My Best Friends brilliantly lays bare the lies that accompany some of the most insidious aspects of racism— lip service, pandering, and plausible deniability—and offers a bracing inoculation.” —Jess Zimmerman, author of Women and Other Monsters “Every essay in this collection reminded me of what makes Tajja Isen a must-read writer: her thoughtfulness, her incisive humor, and her deadeye aim. Some of My Best Friends is a genuine pleasure to read and the best kind of intellectual conversation.” —Nicole Chung, author of All You Can Ever Know “Some of My Best Friends is the rare essay collection that feels both modern and timeless. Hilarious and fresh, it's the type of analysis that feels vital and made me go, "Finally!" What a joy to read.” —Sarah Hagi, writer at Gawker "Often hilarious, always thought provoking." — ELLE, Canada