The Best American Essays 2008 (2008)

As always in a collection of magazine articles, some will be mysteriously uninteresting ("why did they pick that?"), some will be workman-good but forgettable, some will be memorable and worth marking for later re-reading, and if lucky one or two will be classic. While there were no classics in this issue, there were a couple that made the issue worthwhile.

The first essay is one of the toughest things I've read in a while, by Patricia Brieschke called "Cracking Open", it recounts the multiple surgeries her baby went through, all without anesthesia - until recently doctors believed babies feel no pain and operated with no pain killers of any kind. Her detailed descriptions of the babies clenched fists and whaling cries reminded me of watching a Holocaust documentary, not for the faint of heart, yet so very common. Barbaric, Jim.

"Becoming Adolf" by Rich Cohen is hilarious, fascinating and educational. It's the history of the "toothbrush" moustache that Hitler and Charlie Chaplin wore, how it came about, and why they wore it. Turns out it was an American style the Germans co-opted. It was a modern, uniform (industrial), dashing dandy compared to the long, wild moustaches of the 19th century. The writing is superb, I plan to seek out more by Cohen.

"Candid Camera" by Anthony Lane is a tribute to the Leica camera, made in Germany. I'd heard of this legendary camera, but didn't know why it was so revered - now I know. I want one so bad it hurts. This article may end up costing me a lot of money.

--Review by Stephen Balbach, via CoolReading (c) 2011 cc-by-nd ( )

I wasn't sure I was even going to read this collection, but Adam Gopnik's introduction sucked me in. Semi-committed, I proceeded to get bowled over by Patricia Brieschke's essay, which was perhaps the saddest thing I've ever read, and then righted again by humor with Richard Cohen's essay about the Hitler/toothbrush mustache. A great collection overall. [full review ] ( )

One of the more consistently engaging volumes in the series. Some of this year's selections push the boundaries of the essay: Ander Monson, Solipsism (on the relationship between typesetting medium and the message); and Jonathan Lethan, The Ecstasy of Influence (on plagiarism). A number of essays explore an uncanny or darker side of human nature: David Sedaris, This Old House (a sort of post-college Fall of the House of Usher); Sam Shaw, Run Like Fire Once More (on ultra-long distance running); Joe Wenderoth, Where God is Glad (on a gritty strip club); and Lee Zacharias, Buzzard (on vultures, but also about her uneasy relationship with her father). Few essays in this collection are uplifting, but most were moving, striking, or interesting. ( )

The essays in this book were pretty solid over all. Those that stood out as particularly good included:

Bernard Cooper's "The Constant Gardener," about learning to live with his long-term partner's advancing AIDS

Albert Goldbarth's "Everybody's Nickname," about midcentury science fiction and the unity of two selves.

Ariel Levy's "The Lesbian Bride's Handbook," about choosing a dress in a wedding where tradition and non-conformity are pulling in all directions.

Lee Zacharias's "Buzzards," about the various groups of birds known as vultures. ( )