Shea Serrano’s essays gives fans a literary immersive experience
Before the rise of streaming services that allowed viewers to binge watch an entire season in an evening, shows on television had to be relevant on a weekly basis. In the spring of 2005, “The Office” did just that by capturing the humor and absurdity of the American Workplace. Even after the last episode aired way back in 2013, “The Office” remained a beloved series that has been able to age like fine wine throughout the years.
Shea Serrano’s “Conference Room, Five Minutes” not only gives fans a new way to digest their constant reruns, but it also pays homage to the foundational collective and the relationships that go beyond the screen.
I personally came across his work from “The Rap Year Book: The Most Important Rap Song From Every Year Since 1979”, Discussed, Debated, and Deconstructed, so it was a pleasant surprise to see how versatile of a writer he is.
As you go through the table of contents it is clear to see why Serrano is a talented as well as such a multifaceted journalist. In “Meeting One”, his sports background from Basketball (and Other Things is on display as he provides hilarious and detailed scouting reports for each team in the warehouse basketball episode. He even references the yogurts lid medals from the “Office Olympics” to rank and give characters superlatives.
Things like that make Serrano’s essay so special because he not only writes to immerse his reader, but also himself. As I went back to “Meeting 7” and “Meeting 8” which were less lighthearted than other chapters as it discussed the captivating bonds these characters created, it is clear in his writing the amount of time that he spent in the world of “The Office”.
Not only is the writing immersive but the detail put into every aspect of this book from the chapter titles to the artwork really show the dedication he has for this covering this franchise.
Specifically his footnotes (yes, his FOOTNOTES) stuck out to me because of the context and witty commentary it provided to his work.
In “Meeting 2” about the Pam’s dating history he added, “One of my favorite tiny moments in the show is when Jim and Pam are doing a camera confessional about Danny and she’s talking about the dates that they went on and Jim gets jealous and Pam reminds him that they have a kid together and Jim, as a response, just makes a weird “Gahhhhh” noise.”
This casual tone combined with the professional research makes “Conference Room, Five Minutes” feel like you are reminiscing the show with an old friend. As a huge fan of the series he enabled me to relive the aspects of “The Office” with nostalgia but also presented it in a new and refreshing way.
Overall, Serrano once again proves why his work finds itself on the The New York Times #1 best-seller list. His writing is pure craftsmanship and it is fantastic to see that “The Office” be incorporated into his works.
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