That Was Awkward: The Art and Etiquette of the Awkward Hug

From New Yorker humorist Emily Flake, a hilarious, oddly enlightening book of illustrations and observations that embrace the inescapable awkwardness of two human beings attempting to make physical contact with one another

We’ve all been there.

You encounter your former colleague–the one whom you always suspected had eaten your yogurt that one time. Your ex-boyfriend’s sister. The elementary school classmate whose name you don’t quite remember. That aunt you’re not sure your mom is cool with.

Do you shake hands? Do you hug? Do you–horrors–kiss on the cheek? Or–double horrors–kiss on both cheeks? And then it happens. The awkward hug. That cultural blight we’ve all experienced.

Emily Flake–keen observer of human behavior and life’s less-than-triumphant moments–codifies the most common awkward hugs that have plagued us all (sadly, multiple times). Filled with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and illustrations, astute observations, and wise advice, That Was Awkward is a heartwarming reminder that we’re all in this together, grasping hastily at each other in an attempt to say- let’s embrace to remind ourselves of our essential and connecting humanity, but also, please don’t touch me for more than three seconds.