The eloquent essay : an anthology of classic & creative nonfiction

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Title:

The eloquent essay : an anthology of classic & creative nonfiction

Author:

Loughery, John, editor.

Orwell, George, 1903-1950, author.

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973 author,

Welty, Eudora, 1909-2001, author.

Bettelheim, Bruno, author.

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968, author.

Didion, Joan, author.

Abbey, Edward, 1927-1989, author.

Marx, Leo, 1919-2022., author.

Iyer, Pico, author.

Stone, I. F. (Isidor Feinstein), 1907-1989 author.

Tan, Amy author.

Causey, Ann S.

Sagan, Carl, 1934-1996, author.

Ullman, Ellen, author.

Adisa, Opal Palmer, 1954- aurhor.

Summary:

"This Anthology shows the essay form at its most varied and dramatic. Written by some of our most engaging authors and arranged chronologically, here is the essay as letter, argument, anecdote, portrait, reminiscence, dialogue, and debate - on topics as diverse as becoming a doctor, freedom of speech, the ethics of hunting, the joys of the comma, and computer culture. Each essay is preceded by an overview of the individual author's life and works. The Introduction traces the history of the essay and explains the reasons for its special vitality."-- Front cover.

General Note:

Collection of essays originally published 1931-1998.

"A Karen and Michael Braziller Book."

Edition:

1st ed.

Contents:

A hanging / George Orwell -- The guilty vicarage / W.H. Auden -- Writing and analyzing a story / Eudora Welty -- The ignored lesson of Anne Frank / Bruno Bettelheim -- Letter from Birmingham jail / Martin Luther King Jr. -- Georgia O'Keefe / Joan Didion -- The cowboy and his cow / Edward Abbey -- Huck at 100 / Leo Marx -- In praise of the humble comma / Pico Iyer -- When free speech was first condemned : the trial of Socrates reconsidered / I.F. Stone -- Mother tongue / Amy Tan -- Becoming a doctor / Lewis Thomas -- How Mr. Dewey Decimal saved my life / Barbara Kingsolver -- Is hunting ethical? / Ann S. Causey -- The fine art of baloney detection / Carl Sagan -- Space is numeric / Ellen Ullman -- Lying in the tall grasses, eating cane / Opal Palmer Adisa.

Physical Description:

xv, 192 p. ; 21 cm.

Subject Term:

American essays -- 20th century.

English essays -- 20th century.

Author(s):

Loughery, John,

Orwell, George, 1903-1950,

Auden, W. H. (Wystan Hugh), 1907-1973

Welty, Eudora, 1909-2001,

Bettelheim, Bruno,

King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968,

Didion, Joan,

Abbey, Edward, 1927-1989,

Marx, Leo, 1919-2022.,

Iyer, Pico,

Stone, I. F. (Isidor Feinstein), 1907-1989

Tan, Amy

Causey, Ann S.

Sagan, Carl, 1934-1996,

Ullman, Ellen,

Adisa, Opal Palmer, 1954-

Publisher:

Persea Books,

Publication Date:

2000

1931

ISBN:

9780892552412

Publication Information:

New York : Persea Books, c2000.

Call Number:

814 ELOQUEN

Holds: Copies:

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Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002881707	Adult Nonfiction	814 ELOQUEN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

This anthology of seventeen modern essays shows the form at its most varied and dramatic. Purposefully concise, it gathers together exemplars of the personal narrative, the argument, the anecdotal essay, digressive discourse, the "open letter," and others. Some of the most engaging authors of our time write on subjects as diverse as becoming a doctor, cattle grazing rights, the death of Socrates, Anne Frank, computer culture, and how to detect "baloney" in all the verbiage that surrounds us.

Included in the collection are essays by George Orwell, W. H. Auden, Bruno Bettelheim, Eudora Welty, Martin Luther King Jr., Joan Didion, Edward Abbey, Leo Marx, I. F. Stone, Pico Iyer, Amy Tan, Lewis Thomas, Barbara Kingsolver, Ann S. Causey, Carl Sagan, Ellen Ullman, and Opal Palmer Adisa. Arranged in chronological order, each selection begins with a note about the author and the essay that follows. The introduction discusses the history of the essay form and the reasons for its special vitality.

The Eloquent Essay engages the intellect and the passions, and offers the general reader the pleasures of cogent written discourse. At the same time, its carefully selected essays--each one superbly written and accessible--are well suited to study and discussion.

Author Notes

John Loughery is the author of the 1996 Pulitzer Prize finalist John Sloan: Painter and Rebel and has edited the anthologies First Sightings: Contemporary Stories of American Youth , Into the Widening World: International Coming-of-Age Stories , and The Eloquent Essay: An Anthology of Classic & Creative Nonfiction . He teaches English at the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York City.

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

Loughery, a teacher at the Nightingale-Bamford School in New York and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has selected 17 American and English essays to demonstrate the vitality and variety of this genre. He includes pieces by George Orwell, W.H. Auden, Eudora Welty, Martin Luther King, and Lewis Thomas, among others. In one memorable essay, Bruno Bettelheim argues that Anne's family brought disaster upon themselves by their determination to ignore reality and live as if things were normal. In another, Leo Marx considers the Huckleberry Finn controversy, concluding that teachers are best qualified to decide if their students should read Huck, because they know "their own ability to convey, and their students' ability to grasp, the irony that informs every word of this matchless comic novel." Carl Sagan talks about detecting baloney, while Barbara Kingsolver claims that she became an author because of the Dewey Decimal system. Each essay is preceded by a brief biographical sketch. Filled with humor, seriousness, skill in writing, and meaningful subjects, this collection is recommended for academic or public libraries where interest warrants.--Nancy Patterson Shires, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, NC. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

George OrwellW. H. AudenEudora WeltyBruna BettelheimMartin Luther King, Jr.Joan DidionEdward AbbeyLeo MarxPica IyerI. F. StoneAmy TanLewis ThomasBarbara KingsolverAnn P. CauseyCarl SaganEllen UllmanOpal Palmer Adisa

Introduction
A Hanging (1931)	p. 3
The Guilty Vicarage (1948)	p. 10
Writing and Analyzing a Story (1955)	p. 25
The Ignored Lesson of Anne Frank (1960)	p. 34
Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)	p. 50
Georgia O'Keeffe (1976)	p. 69
The Cowboy and His Cow (1985)	p. 74
Huck at 100 (1985)	p. 85
In Praise of the Humble Comma (1988)	p. 93
When Free Speech was First Condemned: The Trial of Socrates Reconsidered (1988)	p. 97
Mother Tongue (1989)	p. 112
Becoming A Doctor (1992)	p. 120
How Mr. Dewey Decimal Saved my Life (1992)	p. 130
Is Hunting Ethical? (1992)	p. 138
The Fine art of Baloney Detection (1995)	p. 150
Space is Numeric (1995)	p. 171
Lying in the Tall Grasses, Eating Cane (1998)	p. 183

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (1)

Library Journal Review

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