Lifeform (5 hours) is a collection of comedic and heartfelt personal essays from acclaimed actress and comedian Jenny Slate. These essays encompass the chaos and wonder of living during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing in particular on Slate’s experiences with romance and new parenthood. She writes with immense imagination, opening doors to rooms filled with raccoon rumor mills, extended therapy dialogues and codependent dishwashers. At the same time, Lifeform explores subjects like pregnancy, body image, social anxiety and depression with authenticity and gratitude.
The narration, done primarily by Slate herself with appearances from George Saunders, Vanessa Bayer and Will Forte, is a theatrical delight. Slate’s droll tone is perfectly paired with her roundabout style of humor, while simultaneously capturing her writing’s air of innocence. This audiobook is ideal for listeners who prefer shorter-form audio experiences like podcasts. The essays build on one another but also stand alone, meaning you can easily set Lifeform aside and pick it back up when it’s convenient for you. Or, feel free to finish it in one sitting: Slate’s writing (and reading) is insightful, witty and definitely binge worthy.