The Best American Essays 1990

Bys: Justin Kaplan and Robert Atwan

Book Overview

Essays by Paul West , Tom Wolfe , Ann Hodgman , Sue Hubbell , Joy Williams , Natalie Kusz , Randy Shilts , Annie Dillard , Jay McInerney , Michael Arlen , Stanley Elkin , Jacques Barzun , Micheal Pollan , Stuart Klawans, Anatole Broyard , Leonard Michaels , Alan M. Dershowitz , Stephen Jay Gould, and James Alan McPherson.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0899199372
• ISBN13: 9780899199375
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 308 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

A balanced collection with many gems!

I didn't especially like every essay in this collection, but I didn't regret reading any of them. Though most are serious, there are a few lighthearted pieces to pick the mood up. Here are some I especially liked: The Paradoxes of Creativity. Jacques Barzun starts with a commentary on how meaningless we've made the word and extends into a fairly comprehensive discussion of "creativity" and genius. Shouting "Fire". Alan M. Dershowitz on this famous but erronous analogy. No Wonder They Call Me a Bitch. Want to know what the best tasting dog food is? Ann Hodgman actually ate some to find out. Raymond Carver, Mentor. A touching tribute from Jay McInerney. Why Mow? The Case Against Lawns. Michael Pollan makes a serious case. Talking Aids to Death. This essay by Randy Shilts touched me deeply. He did a great deal to raise AIDS awareness before dying from it himself in 1994. This collection is worthwhile for this essay alone. Save the Whales, Screw the Shrimp. Joy Williams' essay is both amusing and deeply indicative of how we think. None of these essays have been hurt by the passage of fifteen years. Pick it up & try it!