Sarah Perry ‘13 Explores Candy in ‘Sweet Nothings,' Out in February

By
Andrew Scott
September 16, 2024

Sweet Nothings: Confessions of a Candy Lover, the second book from Writing alum Sarah Perry '13, is set to release on February 4, 2025 from Mariner Books.

The book is a collection of nonfiction essays about the sweet things in life, literally, and their impact on our moods, memories, and even morals. In 100 illustrated essays (organized by color, of course) Perry takes a daring deep dive into the sugar highs and lows of life through the lens of our favorite treats, and the surprising candy coated armor these oft overlooked staples bring to the table.

It’s a topic as colorful and diverse as it is tantalizing, but Perry is no stranger to finding the soul in her subject matter. “It’s so satisfying to cast this wide net and synthesize everything so it’s useful to you and, hopefully, useful to other people, too,” the author told Fiction Advocate in an interview on her process.

Sweetening the pot are the book’s artful illustrations, drawn by Perry’s fellow Writing alum, author and illustrator Forsyth Harmon ‘13 (CC ‘01). Perry and Harmon both received their MFA from Columbia in 2013, and have each seen multiple publications of their work in the years since.

Perry’s debut book, 2017’s After the Eclipse, was a deep dive into the tragedy that overshadowed her childhood, and her searing journey to come out on the other side. The acclaimed memoir was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, which praised Perry’s “scrupulous research and painstaking rendering of her experiences.”

Adding to her culinary bonafides, Perry was a finalist for the James Beard Awards’ 2024 MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for her 2023 essay, “In Praise of the Gas Station Pie,” in Cake Zine. Perry is currently working on a follow-up to her debut memoir, titled The Book of Regrets.  

Harmon’s work as an illustrator has featured in numerous books, including 2021’s National Bestseller Girlhood by Melissa Febos, and several publications, including BOMB Magazine. She is the author and illustrator of acclaimed 2021 novel Justine, named a best book of the year by Literary Hub.