When Justin Halpern was about to propose to his girlfriend of five years, he decided to tell his father about it—the one that millions around the world came to know through the author’s bestselling Sh*t My Dad Says, which started as a Twitter feed that went viral and then spent 11 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Halpern tells Show Daily, “My dad suggested I take a day to think about what I’ve learned so far in my life in relationships and about myself, and if at the end of that day, I still wanted to propose, to do it. So I did that, and I wanted to propose at the end of that day, but I also realized I might have a good structure for a book.”
I Suck at Girls came out last month from HarperCollins’s It Books (3339, 3340). “The fun of this book is that it reminds you of your first kiss, your prom, the time you lost your virginity. I hope people will find it enjoyable to tap into the nostalgia and remember the things that made them laugh.”
The author notes that while many men think they are not great at getting dates or having relationships, few admit it. As he sees it, dating has never been easy, no matter what your age, but people today have many more ways to meet. “It’s a more aggressive environment now —you can meet online, at a bar, at work. But it’s always been daunting.”
This is Halpern’s first time at BEA. He signs copies of his book today, 10–11 a.m., in the autographing area at Table 16. He tells Show Daily, “I’m looking forward to it!” and laughingly adds, “I imagine it’s all models and cocaine? No, really—I’m just excited about being around people who read books. That will be a big kick for me.”
