The Next American Essay

Nonfiction / Essays

475 pages

5 Stars

This is a marvelous collection of essays, all kinds of them. D'Agata has arranged them chronologically, after his introduction to the book, beginning in 1975 with John McPhee's The Search for Marvin Gardens. You remember Marvin Gardens, don't you, from Monopoly? I learned a great deal about the game from his essay.

Every year until and including 2003 contains one essay representative of that year. And the book finishes with an Epilogue.

Do I have a favorite? Oh, yes, I'm sure I do. However, they are so different, one from the other, that it's really hard to choose. I found Erato   Love Poetry the 1985 selection by Theresa Hak Kyung Cha so intriguing, I ordered Dictee. Kinds of Water by Anne Carson enthralled me. Black by Alexander Theroux now has several passages underlined. And The Body by Jenny Boully. Oh, what can I say about that essay? A whole, complete essay in footnotes. I love footnotes (I consider endnotes to be the Unforgivable Sin) and to find a whole essay written in them? Oh, I all but swooned.

Yes, there are several different kinds of essays in this collection. Some serious, some playful, all very well written. If you like essays at all, I strongly urge you to buy and read this book. I loved every word of it.