Since most of the books I buy these days are from secondhand stores, the one I'm reading now is a little old but still good. It's called "The New Kings of Nonfiction," and it was edited by This American Life host Ira Glass. When it was published in 2007, it was heralded as a collection of stories that capture "some of the best storytelling of this golden age of nonfiction."
It includes authors Malcolm Gladwell, Michael Pollan, the late David Foster Wallace and a number of other male writers. Surprisingly, one of my favorite female writers -- Susan Orlean -- is also in the mix. I wouldn't call Orlean a King but rather a Journalism Goddess. Her profiles in the New Yorker have become legendary, full of insights and scenes that make her subjects come alive.
The "New Kings" book includes Orlean's article "The American Man, Age Ten," which she wrote for Esquire Magazine. It's a profile of a boy named Colin Duffy.
A snippet: "Here are the particulars about Colin Duffy: He is ten years old, on the nose. He is four feet eight inches high, weighs seventy-five pounds, and appears to be mostly leg and shoulder blade....I have rarely seen him without a baseball cap. He owns several, but favors a University of Michigan Wolverines model, on account of its pleasing colors. The hat styles his hair into wild disarray. If you ever managed to get the hat off his head, you would see a boy with a nimbus of golden-brown hair, dented in the back..."
After I finish "New Kings" I want to re-read "The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup," Orlean's compilation of some of her favorite profiles. (Her essay on the taxidermy convention is the best!)
What are you reading this week?
(Illustration by Contemporary Collage and for sale, as a refrigerator magnet, on Etsy.)
I've given up my desk for a spot by the air conditioner!
Extreme heat requires extreme measures.
My sidekick, Lola, the black Pom.
My friend Elaine arrived last week from Paris for a two-month stay in Los Angeles. She always comes with gifts (this year, a scarf from an open-air Parisian market) and French magazines.
If I'm really lucky, I'll find a way to fly back to Paris with her in August.
In the meantime, I'm spending a lot of time in Beverly Hills and
at the beach enjoying the arrival of Summer with my favorite friend.
Bliss.
We decided to take a trip to the Sierra Nevada mountains this weekend...It was such a lovely getaway! We stopped in the little town of Bishop. Of course, I made a b-line for the bookstore, called Spellbinder. I picked up a copy of "Reading My Father," a memoir written by William Styron's daughter, Alexandra. Ms. Styron profiles her life with her famous father, who struggled with writing, depression and, at times, his will to stay alive. (Have you read William Styron's "Darkness Visible"? It's brilliant.)
I'm completely absorbed in this book. We're back home now. With a few hours left of daylight, I'm heading out to the backyard to finish reading in the hammock under our giant magnolia tree.
Anyone out there read anything interesting this weekend? I'm updating my summer reading list!
(Photo by Cubs Fan Tootie.)
Maybe you've noticed -- or not..:) I've been away a lot from this blog...Suddenly I have lots of obligations and much less free time...But I'm planning to be back to blogging on a regular basis here very soon!...
So please don't hit the unsubscribe button! :)
(Photo by Miya Wichawa.)
I'm just finishing "A Three Dog Life" by Abigail Thomas. It's a memoir about Thomas' effort to build a new life after a devastating tragedy. I so admire her bravery (and beautiful prose.) She finds tremendous comfort from the company of her three dogs, hence the title.
I've also been going through stacks of decor books. Still trying to arrange our little house...
What are you reading??
Photo by Andrew @ Cuba Gallery.
