A master of concise communication succeeds with unique and honest reflections.
By Phillip Lopate ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 2023
In 2016, Philip Lopate, an acclaimed writer, poet, and critic, took on a new challenge: writing a weekly blog for the American Scholar. This collection of 47 essays, written over the course of a year, offers readers a glimpse into the author’s thoughts on a variety of topics. From the randomness of literary fame to the paradox of urban density, Lopate’s conversational and self-effacing tone is evident throughout. He also reflects on the lives of three prominent figures who have passed away, as well as his own experiences growing up in New York’s jazz clubs of the 1950s and ’60s. Additionally, he touches on the nature of friendship, the rewards of middle age, and the value of experience. Lopate describes the task of writing 500-word posts as “improvised filigree,” and while some of the essays are more like diversions and momentary musings, others have considerable depth and embody the same blend of “skepticism, self-mockery and doubt” that is characteristic of his work. This collection of essays provides readers with an interesting and entertaining look into the mind of a renowned writer.
Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781681377780
Page Count: 216
Publisher: New York Review Books
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023