"Being smart and rich are lucky, but being curious and compassionate will save your ass."-from Now Go Out There Every year there are one or two commencement speeches that strike a chord with audiences far greater than the student bodies for which the... Read more

"Being smart and rich are lucky, but being curious and compassionate will save your ass."-from Now Go Out There Every year there are one or two commencement speeches that strike a chord with audiences far greater than the student bodies for which they are intended. In 2015 Mary Karr's speech to the graduating class of Syracuse University caught fire, hailed across the Internet as one of the most memorable in recent years, and lighting up the Twittersphere. The courageous intimacy and wry tone that have made Karr's books accessible to hundreds of thousands of readers across the world lend her speech the same power of authenticity and relatability. An ideal gift for a graduate or for anyone looking for some down-to-earth life advice, Now Go Out There is destined to become a classic. Don't make the mistake of comparing your twisted-up insides to people's blow-dried outsides. Even the most privileged person suffers the torments of the damned just going about the business of being human. A celebration of curiosity, compassion, and the surprising power of fear, based on the New York Times bestselling author and renowned professor's 2015 commencement address at Syracuse University. "Being smart and rich are lucky, but being curious & compassionate will save your ass." Every year there are one or two commencement speeches that strike a chord with audiences far greater than the student bodies for which they are intended. In 2015 Mary Karr's speech to the graduating class of Syracuse University caught fire, hailed across the Internet as one of the most memorable in recent years, and lighting up the Twittersphere. In Now Go Out There, Karr explains why having your heart broken is just as-if not more-important than falling in love; why getting what you want often scares you more than not getting it; how those experiences that appear to be the worst cannot be so easily categorized; and how to cope with the setbacks that inevitably befall all of us. "Don't make the mistake of comparing your twisted up insides to other people's blow-dried outsides," she cautions. "Even the most privileged person in this stadium suffers the torments of the damned just going about the business of being human." An ideal-and beautifully designed-gift for a graduate or for anyone looking for some down-to-earth life advice, Now Go Out There is destined to become a classic. Less