Lindy West interviews Abbi Jacobson, about her life, career, and new book I Might Regret This: Essays, Drawings, Vulnerabilities, and Other Stuff, a hilarious and poignant collection about love, loss, work, comedy, and figuring out who you really are when you thought you already knew.
When Abbi Jacobson announced to friends and acquaintances that she planned to drive across the country alone, she was met with lots of questions and opinions: Why wasn’t she going with friends? Wouldn’t it be incredibly lonely? The North route is better! Was it safe for a woman? The Southern route is the way to go! You should bring mace! And a common one: Why? But Abbi had always found comfort in solitude, and needed space to step back and hit the reset button. As she spent time in each city and town on her way to Los Angeles, she mulled over the big questions: What do I really want? What is the worst possible scenario in which I could run into my ex? How has the decision to wear my shirts tucked in been pivotal in my adulthood? In this collection of anecdotes, observations and reflections—all told in the sharp, wildly funny, and relatable voice that has endeared Abbi to critics and fans alike—readers will feel like they’re in the passenger seat on a fun and, ultimately, inspiring journey.
In this interview, at once sharply witty and deeply genuine in nature, Abbi discusses the stories behind the stories, giving us an intimate look at her life and career thus far.
Abbi Jacobson is an American comedian, writer, actress and illustrator. Trained at Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, she is best known as the Series Creator, Executive Producer and star of the critically-acclaimed Comedy Central series, Broad City. Nominated for the ECNY’s “Best Web Series” award, the show premiered its fourth season in September, 2017. Jacobson is an AOLArtist and New York Times- bestselling author of her illustrated book, Carry This Book, which showcases bright, quirky, and colorful line drawings at the world around us, all through the framework of what we carry. She also has two coloring books: Color This Book: New York City and Color This Book: San Francisco.
Lindy West is a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times. Her work has also appeared in This American Life, The Guardian, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vulture, Jezebel, The Stranger, and others. She is the founder of I Believe You, It’s Not Your Fault, an advice blog for teens, as well as the co-founder of the reproductive rights destigmatization campaign #ShoutYourAbortion. Her first book, a memoir called Shrill, was released in 2016 by Hachette Books.
