Shut Up, You're Welcome: Thoughts on Life, Death, and Other Inconveniences

From the author of Happy Birthday or Whatever, an outright hilarious and heartfelt collection of personal essays about everything from underwear to musical theater.

ANNIE CHOI HATES MUSICAL THEATER. SHE THINKS SANDWICHES ARE BORING. She likes camping, except for the outdoors part. At fifteen, her father made her read the entire car manual before allowing her to sit in the driver’s seat. Her neighbor, who has no cur­tains, is always naked. And she once chased down a man who stole her handbag.

All this is to say that Choi is one part badass and one part curmudgeon, with a soft spot for savage bears. Mostly she wants to ask the world: WTF?!

Written in Choi’s strikingly original and indignant voice, Shut Up, You’re Welcome paints a revealing portrait of Annie in all her quirky, compelling, riotous glory. Each of Choi’s personal essays begins with an open letter to someone (babies) or something (the San Fernando Valley) she has a beef with. From the time her family ditched her on Christmas to her father’s attach­ment to the World's Ugliest Table, Choi weaves together deeply personal experiences with laugh-out-loud observations, all of which will delight and entertain you.

Annie Choi is the author of Happy Birthday or Whatever. Her work has appeared in White Zinfandel, Urban Omnibus, and Pidgin Magazine, among others. She received her BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MFA in writing from Columbia University. She loves animals that eat other animals and hates musicals. Choi was born and raised in Los Angeles but now lives in New York. Visit her website at AnnieTown.com.