Escape into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions

Producer, editor, and writer behind the highly addictive, informative, and popular YouTube channel The Nerdwriter, Evan Puschak presents “a brilliant, wide-ranging essay collection that explores meaning and how we make it with the thoughtfulness and open-hearted generosity that have long been hallmarks of Puschak’s writing” (John Green, New York Times bestselling author).

As YouTube’s The Nerdwriter, Evan Puschak plays the polymath, posing questions and providing answers across a wide range of fields—from the power of a split diopter shot in Toy Story 4 to the political dangers of schadenfreude. Now, he brings that same insatiable curiosity and striking wit to this engaging and unputdownable essay collection.

Perfect for fans of Trick Mirror and the writing of John Hodgman and Chuck Klosterman, Escape into Meaning is “a passionate, perceptive” (Hua Hsu, author of Stay True) compendium of fascinating insights into obsession. Whether you’re interested in the philosophy of Jerry Seinfeld or how Clark Kent is the real hero, there’s something for everyone in this effervescent collection.

Evan Puschak is the creator of the popular YouTube channel The Nerdwriter, which has more than three million subscribers. He has a degree in film production from Boston University. Find out more at YouTube.com/Nerdwriter1 and @TheeNerdwriter.

ISBN: 9781982163969
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: July 11, 2023

"A brilliant, wide-ranging essay collection that explores meaning and how we make it with the thoughtfulness and open-hearted generosity that have long been hallmarks of Puschak's writing."—John Green, New York Times bestselling author of The Anthropocene Reviewed"From Tarantino to the nature of friendship, Woolf to the modest, overlooked public bench, Evan Puschak has written a passionate, perceptive tribute to, well, everything. You'll want to see the world as he does: full of unexpected connections, possibilities, and delight."—Hua Hsu, author of Stay True: A Memoir“It’s clear that Puschak is a talented essayist…regardless of the medium.”“Puschak reads like a young Oliver Sacks at times — no small compliment — and his reflections can be similarly elegant and masterly. He probes, questions and digests with such assured skill that it belies his own insecurities and unsettled views. His is a voice to attend.”