I haven’t experienced depression or serious anxiety, and I appreciate how open she is about her battles with both. It was a little easier to absorb Lawson’s moving discussions of things that feel a little more removed from me. This is not something I like to think about, the prospect that one day, I too may begin to lose myself, or at least become unmoored from the linear experience of time and left to drift on the ocean of my memories. I understand that Lawson’s framing of senility as a kind of second childhood is meant to be reassuring, but it left me uneasy (this is not a criticism, just a reflection of my reaction to this essay). One part of the book that really got to me was when she described her experiences with family members with dementia. While the goal is certainly to make us laugh, it’s the kind of laughter that comes with an awareness of the heavier things in life.

But she also writes about trying to befriend an owl, about shaving her dog’s vulva, and so many other things (actually, a lot of it is animal related, now that I think about it). She talks about undergoing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). In several of her essays, she describes to varying degrees her frustrations with her mind, her body, and the insurance company that seems determined not to let her treat either (fuck the American healthcare system, wow). Lawson lives with several chronic illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety, and depression. If you haven’t: basically, it’s a series of essays that pose as memoirs and hilarious stories but are also, often, thoughtful reflections on our lives.

If you have read either of Lawson’s previous books, you’ll know what to expect for this one. To be broken is not to be without value-a message that our capitalist society forgets at times. Even as Lawson makes fun of herself and others, she acknowledges that she deserves compassion and patience. With self-deprecation that also recognizes that your self is human and valuable too. What is the best possible way to be hilarious? With a generous helping of compassion.

I’ve always maintained that Jenny Lawson is hilarious in the best possible way, and Broken (In the Best Possible Way) only sustains this opinion.

Jenny lawson broken