No Judgment: Essays

“There is never no judgement, and certainly not in this book,” writes cultural critic Oyler (Fake Accounts), setting the mission statement for her irreverent collection. In a style reminiscent of David Foster Wallace and Vivian Gornick, Oyler opines on the injustices of the Goodreads ratings system, struggling to tame her anxiety, and her skepticism toward bestseller Brené Brown’s understanding of vulnerability. In “Embarrassment, Panic, Opprobrium, Job Loss, Etc.,” Oyler defends gossip as the “comparing and contrasting and development of interpretation.” Reflecting in “Why Do You Live Here” on the quirks of her life as an American expat in Berlin, Oyler describes moving to the city “for no good reason” after college and wrestling with how she and other expats are changing what counts as “authentic” Berlin. Elsewhere, Oyler pushes back against claims that autofiction is indulgent, arguing that anything can be worth writing about—“it just has to be interesting.” Oyler’s commentary is incisive, and her prose is lucid and playful. “I heard a crazy story recently,” she concludes the piece on gossip. “I wouldn’t sacrifice the knowledge for even the highest moral high ground in the world—but I would also never, in a million years, tell you.” This is as intellectually stimulating as it is fun to read. Agent: Alia Habib, Gernert Co. (Mar.)