Advice No One Asked For: Essays

by Jenny Hagel

From the Emmy–nominated comedian who created “the best segment in late night” (Vulture) comes this hilarious and practical collection of advice for how to live your best life in love, at work, and in comedy. You’d think with a résumé like Jenny Hagel’s—being a writer/performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, and head writer/EP of The Amber Ruffin Show—she would describe her greatest accomplishment as something like sharing the stage with Hillary Clinton, or the six times she was nominated for an Emmy. Yet, for Jenny, landing a joke or going to a fancy award show pales in comparison to her true giving people advice. Jenny is so obsessed with (addicted to?) offering unsolicited wisdom that she runs a sold-out live show in New York City called, appropriately, Jenny Hagel Gives Advice. With her debut essay collection, Jenny sets out to backseat drive for as many unwitting strangers as possible. The result is a heartfelt and funny journey through a list of life-changing recommendations, wear black when you travel, buy an analog watch, and just because you can go into the monkey enclosure while visiting Honduras doesn’t mean that you should.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I could not put it down. Hagel was a writer for Seth Meyers and Amber Ruffin, and these essays are hilarious. In addition to giving us the advice we didn't ask for (pro tip - if you have cats, don't invite people over until you know they're not allergic), Hagel reminisces about realizing she was gay, her marriage and how it ended, and her journey with IVF. My favorite essay was the one about procrastination - how Hagel realized she lost so much time by not admitting to herself she was attracted to women, and then how she realized she could have had her son so much sooner if she hadn't waited so long to have him. Hagel also writes about comedy and how certain jokes will land depending on the temperature, time of day, and/or composition of the joke itself. It's a great read.

I got a complimentary review copy from Edelweiss. I promise I didn't pirate this book.

[Holly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight to read.