A Field Guide to Awkward Silences is the debut essay collection by Petri, a columnist and blogger for the Washington Post.

In this book about finding oneself through the quirky and odd moments of life, Petri does all the things we secretly wish we could do ourselves – and maybe things we wouldn’t wish upon our enemies. She takes readers on a wild ride as she auditions for both America’s Got Talent (for which she doesn’t, really, have talent) and America’s Next Top Model (her catwalk and pout can’t convince the judges). She wins pun championships but loses whistling contests and loses big on Jeopardy!.

Petri shares her experiences doing the things that every woman in her 20s does but with a twist – becoming a bridesmaid in the wedding of her childhood best friend but feeling that adulthood has crept up on her, and trying to fall in love while wearing a Jabba the Hutt costume at a Star Wars convention.

Petri demonstrates that we all have a little awkward in us, and if we embrace it, life can be infinitely more interesting. Because when you accept the parts of yourself that are just a little awkward, you meet people or experience things you never thought possible, while learning even more about yourself in the process. In conversation with Alyssa Rosenberg, the Act Four columnist for The Washington Post. Book signing to follow.