Leave the Building Quickly: True Stories

Doyouknowwhyarace-cardriverwearsepauletsdespitethefactthatepauletswouldseemineverywaycontrarytotheaestheticofarace-cardriver?It'ssothatintheeventofacrashhemaybepulledfromtheflamingwreckageofhiscar.Yes,she'sback.CynthiaKaplan,acclaimedauthorofWhyI'mLikeThis,onceagaininvitesusintoherno-holds-barred,take-no-prisonersworld,castinghergimleteyeuponthecurrentstateofheraffairs.Alsoofyouraffairs,andsomeotherpeople'saffairs,too.Withheruniquetalentforwringinghilarityoutofthemostdevastatingsituations(aswellas,itmustbeadmitted,themosttrivial),Kaplanfearlesslytakesonherfamily,intelligentdesign,Narnia,NewEngland'sdeerpopulation—alltheimportantissuesoftheday.Journeywithherasshehumiliatesherselfinavarietyoflocales—aduderanch,ahospital,MysticSeaport,theofficesofComedyCentral.Cowerbesideherassheconfrontsherinner(andouter)mostfears.Nothreatistoosmall—pajamas,schnauzers,Disneycruises.Nosubjectissacrosanct—God,sex,TheNutcrackerSuite.Kaplanhasaworst-casescenarioplannedfor,well,everyscenario,includinghighschoolreunionsandvacationingwithyourmother-in-law,asubjectnotcoveredinanyoftoday'spopularguidebooks.Youmightwanttotakenotes,becauseKaplanhasthatrareabilitytowriteaboutherownlifeinawaythatmakesyoufeelasthoughsheiswritingaboutyours.LeavetheBuildingQuicklyisaraucouslyfunny,moving,andhonestlookatthecircumstancesofourdailylives,thekindthatinspireustocrouchinthelinenclosetatthreeinthemorning.That'sokay.Kaplanisthere,too.Andshe'sbroughtsnacks.