Maeve Dunigan is a writer, comedian, and frequent contributor to The New Yorker. Her work has appeared on NPR's Selected Shorts, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Reductress, Mic, and Mountain Gazette. For more, check out her website: maevedunigan.com.

"Maeve Dunigan's hilarious debut is a balm in a world that demands perfection. It's silly, self-deprecating, and full of heart. Finally, someone speaks to the truly insidious nature of the Cha Cha Slide." -- Lillian Stone, author of Everybody's Favorite

"I'm a longtime fan of Maeve's short humor, and was delighted to find out that she's fluently funny when writing about her own life too. Her personal essays are a wonderful complement to her fiction, and I loved reading about her family's cult-film fame, the rollercoaster of Glee fandom, and being too high at a Hozier concert. Read This to Look Cool is touching, funny, and very smart." -- James Folta, editor of Points in Case

"This book taught me three things: One, I'm not cool. Two, I don't need to be. Three, Maeve is very funny. And four, I can't count." -- Eli Grober, The New Yorker contributor and author of This Won't Help

"We all owe Maeve Dunigan a debt of gratitude for writing a book so sharp, so smart, and so funny, that you'll be so happy you picked it up to read instead of picking up your phone. This book is for anyone who has navigated the bumpy transition between the person you are and the confident, assured version of yourself you hope to be. Call Maeve Spartacus, because we are her and she is all of us. If you ever in your life have worried about looking cool (and who hasn't), you don't have to worry anymore. All you have to do is read this." -- Lana Schwartz, author of Set Piece

"I promise that reading this collection of relatable personal calamities on the subway will make you look cool to your fellow commuters." -- Emma Allen, humor and cartoon editor, The New Yorker

"This essay collection is hilarious and heartfelt. It gave me a much-needed escape from my internal monologue, and after I finished it, I had a newfound appreciation for the voice in my head that never stops talking. Read This to Look Cool is perfect for fans of funny essays and anyone who spends way too much time analyzing their emails." -- Ysabel Yates, co-author of Jokes to Offend Men

"This book is laugh out loud funny and reading it will make you look cool. I would be caught dead with this book. If my corpse held a copy in an open casket, I would be the life of the party. Metaphorically. That's how good this book is." -- Johnathan Appel, staff writer, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

"With its accessible humor, contemporary relevance, and confident narrative voice, this title will appeal to readers of modern essay collections that combine satire with emotional insight. An excellent addition for all libraries seeking engaging, culturally attuned, humorous nonfiction." -- Library Journal

"God, Maeve Dunigan can WRITE! Reading this won't just make you look cool. It'll make you at least 87% cooler, guaranteed." -- Jennie Egerdie, author of Frog and Todd Are Doing Their Best

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Pub date: 2026-05-12

Length: 288 pages