Authentic - by Jodi-Ann Burey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

2026 WASHINGTON STATE BOOK AWARD FINALIST

What does authenticity at work actually mean?

Writer and critic Jodi-Ann Burey argues that expectations to "come as you are" and "bring your full authentic self to work" are part of an ongoing cycle of trading on our identities when it's convenient and profitable. Part memoir and criticism, and using pop culture, personal storytelling and interviews, Burey draws insights from acclaimed television shows like The Good Place and Issa Rae's Insecure and conversations with family, friends, colleagues and strangers alike to examine what "authenticity" really means in the workplace.

We travel with Burey to Florida where she interviews her parents about the myth of the American Dream; to a safari park in Malawi which starts her global health career; to an independent bookstore in Seattle where she disenchants a circle of women of the false hope of pay transparency laws; to the Guggenheim Museum in her hometown New York City where art inspires reflections on disability, visibility and pressures to disclose at work.

"Authentic is not a comfort book. It is, rather, a reckoning" (The Guardian). Instead of hope, Burey offers readers a declaration to reimagine and redefine agency in their professional lives: "I am not a worker. I am a person at work."

Review Quotes

"In Authentic, Jodi-Ann Burey reads most of us so-called free laborers in this nation for filth. And it is the most necessary and narratively precise reading of my life. Nothing about us or the places we give our labor to can be the same after this dynamic book."
--Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy and How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America

"In Authentic, Jodi-Ann Burey explains why it is so hard to survive institutions and gives us many insights in how we can do so. She shows how institutions use authenticity rather like diversity, as a way of appearing to change without changing, so that workers, especially people of color, end up having to do even more. Speaking directly to her readers in a voice that is both distinctive and deepened by dialogue with others, this book calls for us to take time, to hold ourselves back from institutions so we have more of ourselves to give to our projects and our people. I encourage everyone committed to social justice to take the time to read this book slowly and carefully: it is just what we need right now, to find the courage to keep pushing for change, knowing we are not alone."
--Sara Ahmed, scholar and author of Living a Feminist Life

"In both poetic and straightforward prose, bolstered by years of experience and research, Jodi-Ann bares her mind, heart, and body to us in Authentic, vulnerably and fearlessly. This book gathers some of those stories I have long been hearing about--from my own life, from my family and friends, from my peers and readers--about how much we struggle and sever our real selves to fit into institutions that are not built for us. It flooded me with memories of what many of us have survived and had me shaking my head at what we've forgotten . . . all while healing and arming me with even more audacity and purpose."
--Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming and Anita de Monte Laughs Last

"Triumphant! Jodi-Ann Burey brings herself whole--brilliant mind, tested body, and tried soul--to this testimony on what is required to navigate institutions of structural racism that say: "sorry, not sorry." Poignant and pointed, Jodi-Ann teaches us that representation is not success; and success is not justice. Her insights are deep, her writing is beautiful, clever and soul-achingly profound."
--Arline T. Geronimus, author of Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life in an Unjust Society

"No matter what work you do in the world, you will see yourself in Authentic, a tour de force debut that reconceptualizes what authenticity means in a labor market that forces employees to be the sole guardians of their own mental and physical wellbeing. With biting wit, Burey shares substantive research and intimate stories--her own and those of other workers--to illuminate greater truths about modern-day work culture for Black women and other marginalized communities. Authentic should be required reading for anyone hoping to navigate the American workplace while preserving the self. "
--Laura Warrell, author of Sweet, Soft, Plenty of Rhythm

"While weaving her own autobiography with stories of others who have struggled in organizations, Burey exposes how talk of 'authenticity' can hide the workings of oppressive systems and how such systems suppress talent, initiative and creativity and damage the health of individuals, both physically and psychologically. This book helps readers to recognize the problems created by the suppression of difference and what individuals and organizations can do to truly foster authenticity."
--David Mura, author of The Stories Whiteness Tells Itself: Racial Myths and Our American Narratives

"Jodi-Ann Burey brings ardent commitment, iconoclastic creativity, irrepressible humor, and a questing, uncompromising intelligence to the conversation about the workplace, racism, and authenticity. She's a voice we'll be turning to again and again to lead us into a deeper understanding of our work and ourselves."
--Claire Dederer, author of Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma

"In Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work, Jodi-Ann Burey is a conduit, a companion, and a storyteller who uses her own personal explorations as beacons to guide us toward the fullest version of our collective selves regardless of who we are expected to be outside of the scope of our own lived experiences. In these explorations she is not offering hope. She offers kinship built upon the central idea that acknowledges our full, authentic selves still exist despite having to be buried. In this open and honest reflection, Burey places in our hands the tools to excavate these selves and bring their fullness to the surface."
--Athena Dixon, author of The Loneliness Files

"Bold and beautifully unfolded, Authentic is a powerful testament of surviving the surrealities of work. Jodi-Ann helps us see that it's often inconvenient for institutions to support authenticity even when they ask for it. Still, she shares triumphs, powerful lessons, and healing despite the injustices--both tiny and infuriating--that we've endured. Authentic strengthens the heart, stirs up the mind, and emboldens our perseverance."
--Diane Marie Brown, author of Black Candle Woman

"Jodi-Ann Burey's Authentic made me shudder in recognition and laugh in relief. Reading her intimate, deeply researched critique of workplace myths feels like being given permission in the most generous sense; a reminder that none of us are alone, even in a culture that wants us to believe we are. Thank goodness for Burey, who says--with so much warmth, wit, and wisdom--what many of us have been unable to say. I wasn't ready for how much I needed this book. I am ready for how much the world does."
--Tajja Isen, author of Some of My Best Friends

"You will laugh, weep tears of relief from no longer feeling like you were alone in your experience that one time at the office party, and gasp at the body of research and testimonials in this book that prove what you always suspected to be true. You will want to send in your resignation or then return to work with a roadmap for healing and thriving 'beyond the institutional gaze.' This book is for us. You know who you are."
--Sonora Jha, author of The Laughter

"Jodi-Ann Burey holds nothing back in this cathartic book. It's honest in a way that's healing and cuts through the modern noise about well-being and authenticity to say something insightful and helpful. This book is a good read, but it's also a deeply healing experience."
--Celeste Headlee, author of Do Nothing

"'We are not the problem' is a proclamation named loud and clear, validated and cosigned in Jodi-Ann Burey's Authentic. An intersectional guiding post, Jodi-Ann debunks the myths and perception of workplace "authenticity" while expounding on the necessary recognition, community, and self-care needed for so many underrepresented communities in and out of the workplace. Authentic is a much-welcomed work illuminating how we show up for ourselves and one another."
--Jennifer Baker, editor of Everyday People: The Color of Life

"This powerful book chronicles the pitfalls of attempting to be authentic at work for people of color and other marginalized groups [ . . . ] Authentic is an important work with the potential to inform workplace culture while allowing marginalized people struggling to bring even a piece of themselves to their workplaces to be seen. Highly recommended." --Booklist (starred review)

"A sharp, incisive debut. . . Burey's keen wit, analytical mind, and unflinching insight make this multifaceted title a compelling, cathartic, and crucial read." --Library Journal

"Burey distills her perspective in lyrical prose and memorable declarations . . . This is a vital resource for those pushing for labor reforms." --Publishers Weekly

"Jodi-Ann Burey's Authentic is not a comfort book. It is, rather, a reckoning: a mirror held to institutions that profit from the rhetoric of identity, and a hand extended to those who want to do work differently. It is at once personal and systemic, critical and hopeful. [...] If you care about how identity, power and work intersect, if you wonder whether the workplace you inhabit wants your full self or just the parts it deems safe, this book demands your attention. The myth of authentic self at work may be deep, but Burey shows us how to begin excavating a more just ground beneath it."--The Guardian

About the Author

Jodi-Ann Burey is a writer, critic, and sought-after speaker on race, culture, and health equity. Her essays appear in various arts, business, and literary publications. Jodi-Ann created and hosts the prose and poetry salon Lit Lounge: The People's Art and the Black Cancer podcast. She was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica; lives in Seattle, Washington; and will always call New York City home.