THE AWKWARD PHASE
By Tyler Gillespie and Claire Linic
We were coworkers at the time and decided to use our lunch breaks to do something creative. We threw around other ideas like the best of Mom haircuts but ultimately decided to land on something we both had in common : awkwardness. We looked back at our bowl cuts and realized those awkward days (and outfits) actually made us more confident and fun adults.
From the beginning, our process was always focused on thinking about how those awkward days informed (for the better) who we are now. We never wanted a beforeandafter picture theme. The idea isn’t to make fun of who we used to be it’s to celebrate that awesome person!
Today, we’re spotlighting The Awkward Phase! This new book commemorates the awkward phases in our lives. Based on the Tumblr page of the same name, letters and photos within this book offer evidence that we all go through that awkward phase! Read on for a sneak peek of this book and a chance to enter the giveaway!
But first, meet the authors responsible for this wonderful book: Tyler Gillespie and Claire Linic!
Tyler Gillespie is a comedy-writer and journalist who has written for Rolling Stone, Salon, The Daily Beast, and National Public Radio. He lives in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Claire Linic‘s 2013 Twitter @WeFoughtAbout went viral and was profiled in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, and BuzzFeed. She is a comedian and a Second City graduate who writes for Hairpin, The Daily Dot, and The Second City Network. She lives in Chicago, Illinois.
Now meet their new book, The Awkward Phase.
Based on the popular Tumblr, a collection of funny stories that commemorate the awkward phases in our lives.
Back in the 1990s, when slap bracelets and Velcro ruled supreme, two adolescents were stumbling their way through life on gangly limbs. One, Claire Linic, had self-permed her bowl cut, and the other, Tyler Gillespie, had purchased self-tanner, telling the cashier it was for his girlfriend. Now in their twenties and still just a tiny bit awkward, Linic and Gillespie have joined forces to ask the question, “If we could talk to our fourteen-year-old selves, what would we tell them now?”
Based on the hit Tumblr “The Awkward Phase,” this book answers that question with personal stories and cringe-worthy photos from seasoned comedians, YouTube stars, and people like the rest of us that cover everything from sweaty-palm moments to bad band photos. In these pages, you’ll hear about the moment Shaun Sperling realized he was gay at a Richard Simmons’s workout studio, how Bente Engelstoft made her own bra out of her dad’s old underwear, and why even though Robert Bacon’s awkward phase was mortifying, it was the beginning of his new, happier life.
Ultimately, The Awkward Phase encourages us to laugh and celebrate the moments that have helped shape who we are. As Gillespie and Linic say, “Everyone is in on the joke. You don’t have to eat your lunch alone in the bathroom stall. You can sit with us.”
Sounds great, right? With introduction in order, we’re happy to reveal a sneak peek just for you!
Mall Goth
Suzy Exposito
Halloween 2001 was the beginning of a crucial turning point in my life: the point at which I began cultivating my punk identity. Halloween was the ideal time to start my evolution, when regular pharmacies and department stores were suddenly abundant with cheap black lipsticks and spiked dog collars.
During the latenineties’ reign of cleancut Disney pop stars, I was secretly enjoying the sounds of Nirvana and Green Day. But without anyone to share these things with, I felt the urgency to quit being a nerd and bond with the “alternative” kids at my middle school. It was time to take the full plunge into punk rock.
It was during a fated trip to the mall that I realized the potential this holiday had. My mom, sister, and I were scanning the aisles of the Halloween store for costume ideas. I had on a regular old shirt from Old Navy (as pictured) that said, “I ROCK!” Earlier that day, in class, some cheerleader who very closely resembled Miss Piggy sneered, “You rock? Yeah, right.”
I had just scowled at her. But I decided that this Halloween, I would affirm who I truly was on the inside—I told my mom I wanted a Rocker Chick “costume” for Halloween. And so we bought a pair of black fishnets, safety pins, jelly bracelets, and lavender hair extensions. Later on, we stopped by the Army Navy store to find some real combat boots in my size. My little sister rolled her eyes and groaned to my mom, “You know she’s just making you buy that stuff so she can wear it every day.” My mom simply shrugged and said, “Pick a costume and let’s get out of here.”
As my little sister resentfully predicted, I started wearing miniskirts, fishnets, and combat boots regularly, well into the eleventh grade. And over ten years later, the teen punk is still in me when I sing with my band on stage or when I come to work in a cutup band shirt under my pastel cardigan. I will never forget her.
The Awkward Phase
By: Tyler Gillespie and Claire Linic
Release Date: February 2, 2016
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
One winner will receive one copy of The Awkward Phase, US and Canada only. Entering is simple, just fill out the entry form below.
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
I think that I could, but not 100% for sure
Definitely, now that I’m past that part of my life. Sharing helps others see they aren’t alone!
probably, but ive done so many embarassing things, i dont know which one i would share first!