Who doesn’t want to be Jenny Slate’s BFF? If you’re delighted by the “Landline” actress’ stories about going to astronomy class high and faking illnesses to get attention as a middle child, you’re in luck. Slate is writing a book. According to Entertainment Weekly, she signed a deal with Little, Brown and Company that sees her penning a feminist essay and fable collection.
Scheduled for publication in 2019, the as-yet untitled book will “explore what it’s like to be female in a misogynistic culture,” EW writes. “The witty and at times fantastical book imagines the perspectives of other preyed-upon creatures (a deer venturing into a meadow; a globe of fruit plucked from its branch), invites us into the haunted house of her childhood, and celebrates the power of being vulnerable and open, even in the face of rejection and fear.”
“There is so much natural magic to being a human, and in feminism as a movement and a way of life,” Slate said in a statement. “I’m thrilled that Little, Brown, and Co. has given me a chance to explore and explain where I find this magic, and how it feels to be alive and a woman in today’s wild world. Let’s get going!”
Editor Jean Garnett, who acquired the book for Little, Brown, added, “I’ve been a fan of Jenny for many years, and I’ve always marveled at the way she expresses herself onstage. Turns out, she is dynamite on the page as well. Her writing has that same wild energy and intense, in-your-face vulnerability that makes her stand-up and onscreen performances so thrilling. I love that she’s not going the standard memoir route here; she’s striking out and following her vision into a new territory, and I am so excited that Little, Brown and I get to join her.”
Slate won a Critics Choice Award in 2015 for her role in “Obvious Child,” a romantic comedy with an abortion twist. She re-teamed with Gillian Robespierre, the pic’s co-writer and director, for “Landline,” a comedy about sisters who discover their father is cheating on their mother. Slate’s other credits include “Lady Dynamite,” “Parks and Recreation,” and “Gifted.” “Big Mouth” and “Bob’s Burgers” are among the many projects she’s voiced.
No stranger to the publishing world, Slate previously collaborated with her father on “About the House,” a collection of stories and memories about their family home. She also co-wrote books about Marcel the Shell, a character she voiced in award-winning shorts.
