Phillip Lopate

Literature written for and about New York is organized in chronological order in Writing New York: a Literary Anthology. In the diary of Philip Hone you will read about a child abandoned on his doorstep. Henry David Thoreau goes wandering around Staten Island looking for nature. You will read the day-long observations of Nathaniel Parker Willis. Melville's Bartleby the Scrivener has a place. Fanny Fern, also known as Sara Payson Willis, contributes as the first woman newspaper columnist in the United States. You'll learn that O. Henry started writing fiction in prison. James Huneker will tell you about the New York public urban parks: Battery, Corlears, Gramercy, Bronx, and Central, to name a few. Charles Reznikoff would walk twenty miles a day and by default find interesting material for his poetry. E.B. White chimes in. William Carlos Williams was called the "bard of Rutherford, New Jersey", but he wrote about New York City with such eloquence. You will read a fraction of a biography of LaGuardia by Robert Moses and hear from Henry Miller, William Burroughs, Tom Wolfe, Joan Didion, Ralph Ellison, and so many more.… (more)

Writing about yourself seems like an incredibly easy task at first. Doing so in a way that captures the attention of an audience, however, is in truth quite difficult. Augustine of Hippo wrote his psychologically probing Confessions at the end of the fourth century CE and opened up the world of conveying a message with one’s life story. Ambitious authors have been doing so ever since, and the rate of personal nonfiction writing is only increasing in recent decades. In these reflections, writing professor Phillip Lopate explores effective ways to do this by looking at how great historical and recent authors did this.

The title of this book is accurate, but some of the promotional hype is not. This is not a “nuts-and-bolts” treatment of writing literary nonfiction. Its form is not like a writing workshop, and those who look for practical, actionable pointers will be let down. Instead, Lopate provides authors’ stories to convey his lessons. This illustrates the art while teasing out its underlying methods. Although a replay of literary history might at first sound boring, this master teacher knows how to keep readers engaged with their hearts and heads while conveying the information.

Lopate shares brief, eloquent biographies of authors like Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Baldwin through their personal writings. Though all centered around individual knowledge, related genres vary from personal essays to memoirs. Interested writers cannot acquire academic credentials every time to write a book, so composing nonfiction requires a broader understanding of how knowledge can be gained and an appreciation of the limits of one’s knowledge. Learning to do this by understanding past masters provides the most effective way of mastering this craft.

This book interests and engages readers first. It’s simply not boring. Again, those looking for an analytical treatment will be let down because this work itself shows how “to show and to tell.” Writers of nonfiction can learn much from this master. Those left wanting to learn more can consult the extensive bibliography at the end of the book for beneficial deep dives. Even when the material became a bit dense, Lopate’s storytelling took over and carried me safe and sound unto the end. I’m glad I read this book.… (more)

Phillip Lopate has a long list of titles gathered throughout his career; Novelist, Critic, Poet etc. but perhaps one of his greatest gifts to the literary world is this incredible anthology of essays providing a wide range of thought provoking pieces spanning 25 years. The essays range from a bit older and possibly not your cup of tea to absolutely brilliant, relevant, and fascinating. Some of the brightest thinkers of our time are represented in this anthology, which is well thought out, organized, and easy to navigate. There is something in this brilliant collection for every person, no matter your typical topic preferences.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and of course the brilliant Phillip Lopate for providing me with an e-copy of this lovely collection and allowing me to share my honest opinion.

I highly recommend you pick this collection up as soon as possible.… (more)