The Eloquent Essay
A concise anthology of superb classic and creative nonfiction from the twentieth century.\ 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...
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A concise anthology of superb classic and creative nonfiction from the twentieth century.KLIATTAuthor, editor, and teacher John Loughery suggests in his introduction that "essays continue to find enthusiastic, even passionate audiences." The readers of this aptly named collection will be added to that group. Loughery presents 17 essays chronologically, beginning with George Orwell's "A Hanging" (1931) and concluding with Opal Palmer Adisa's "Lying in the Tall Grasses, Eating Cane" (1998). In between are works by such luminaries as W. H. Auden, Eudora Welty, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bruno Bettelheim, and Amy Tan as well as works by lesser-known writers such as Pico Iyer, Ann S. Causey, and Ellen Ullman. This selection validates what Loughery terms "the vitality of a living tradition." Clearly, these essays have been selected not only for what the writer has to say on a given topic, but also for the writer's use of techniques that convey that message most effectively to the reader. Simply put, there is not a bad essay in the lot. Eudora Welty in "Writing and Analyzing a Story" offers insights into the craft of short story writing after cautioning her reader that "story writing and critical analysis are indeed separate gifts, like spelling and playing the flute." In "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr. movingly reminds us that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Leo Marx comments in "Huck at 100" that the centenary of Huckleberry Finn has been characterized by a "curious conjunction of celebration and denunciation." In "In Praise of the Humble Comma," Pico Iyer cleverly suggests that "Punctuation, then, is a matter of care." Lewis Thomas in "Becoming a Doctor" recommends that medical school curriculums be adjusted to allow for "a few courses inmedical ignorance." One final example is that of Carl Sagan, who in "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" provides his readers with "tools for skeptical thinking." Of particular note is a Teacher's Guide available for those who want to use The Eloquent Essay as a textbook. Loughery's guiding principle here is the belief that "students in English classes write . in too proscribed a fashion." Thus, most of the assignments in the guide are not geared toward writing about the essay just read, but rather writing in that form. In doing so, it is Loughery's hope that students realize "how much analytical and creative writing have in common." The questions and topics for class discussion as well as the possible assignments are worthwhile, fun, and challenging. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Persea, 192p, 21cm, 99-13309, $12.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Anthony J. Pucci; English Dept. Chair., Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5)
IntroductionA Hanging (1931)3The Guilty Vicarage (1948)10Writing and Analyzing a Story (1955)25The Ignored Lesson of Anne Frank (1960)34Letter from a Birmingham Jail (1963)50Georgia O'Keeffe (1976)69The Cowboy and his Cow (1985)74Huck at 100 (1985)85In Praise of the Humble Comma (1988)93When Free Speech was first Condemned: The Trial of Socrates Reconsidered (1988)97Mother Tongue (1989)112Becoming a Doctor (1992)120How Mr. Dewey Decimal Saved my Life (1992)130Is Hunting Ethical? (1992)138The Fine Art of Baloney Detection (1995)150Space is Numeric (1995)171Lying in the Tall Grasses, Eating Cane (1998)183
\ VOYAThis wonderful collection of thoughtprovoking essays contains few that have been anthologized recently, the majority written in 1992 or earlier. Their age really is not a factor, though. These essays are as relevant today as when they were penned. The essays included are eXcellent models of good writing, and well they should be, with authors such as George Orwell, Eudora Welty, Joan Didion, Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, and Carl Sagan. One of the most interesting essays in the book, The Ignored Lesson of Anne Frank by Bruno Bettelheim, argues that the Frank family died needlessly. He postulates that had they heeded the warning signs around them and had they been determined to survive at any cost rather than to hide passively, they might have increased their chances of survival. Their denial of the horrible truth around them and their failure to formulate any escape plans sealed their doom. Many selections will leave readers with ideas to ponder long after the essays have been readthat is, if the essays are read. Not many young adults will chose this book for leisure fare. As provocative and challenging as the essays might be, there will be little demand for this title in a public library unless used for a book discussion group. Although few teens will want to read them even as assignments, this book would serve best as a teXtbook and is accompanied by a teacher's guide. Teacher's Guide VOYA CODES: 5Q 1P S A/YA (Hard to imagine it being any better written; No YA will read unless forced to for assignments; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12; Adult and Young Adult). 2000, Persea Books, 210p, $12.95 Trade pb. Ages 16 to Adult. Reviewer: Melissa Thacker \ SOURCE: VOYA,October 2000 (Vol. 23, No. 4) 0892552417\ \ \ \ \ \ KLIATTAuthor, editor, and teacher John Loughery suggests in his introduction that "essays continue to find enthusiastic, even passionate audiences." The readers of this aptly named collection will be added to that group. Loughery presents 17 essays chronologically, beginning with George Orwell's "A Hanging" (1931) and concluding with Opal Palmer Adisa's "Lying in the Tall Grasses, Eating Cane" (1998). In between are works by such luminaries as W. H. Auden, Eudora Welty, Martin Luther King, Jr., Bruno Bettelheim, and Amy Tan as well as works by lesser-known writers such as Pico Iyer, Ann S. Causey, and Ellen Ullman. This selection validates what Loughery terms "the vitality of a living tradition." Clearly, these essays have been selected not only for what the writer has to say on a given topic, but also for the writer's use of techniques that convey that message most effectively to the reader. Simply put, there is not a bad essay in the lot. Eudora Welty in "Writing and Analyzing a Story" offers insights into the craft of short story writing after cautioning her reader that "story writing and critical analysis are indeed separate gifts, like spelling and playing the flute." In "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," Martin Luther King, Jr. movingly reminds us that "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Leo Marx comments in "Huck at 100" that the centenary of Huckleberry Finn has been characterized by a "curious conjunction of celebration and denunciation." In "In Praise of the Humble Comma," Pico Iyer cleverly suggests that "Punctuation, then, is a matter of care." Lewis Thomas in "Becoming a Doctor" recommends that medical school curriculums be adjusted to allow for "a few courses inmedical ignorance." One final example is that of Carl Sagan, who in "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" provides his readers with "tools for skeptical thinking." Of particular note is a Teacher's Guide available for those who want to use The Eloquent Essay as a textbook. Loughery's guiding principle here is the belief that "students in English classes write . in too proscribed a fashion." Thus, most of the assignments in the guide are not geared toward writing about the essay just read, but rather writing in that form. In doing so, it is Loughery's hope that students realize "how much analytical and creative writing have in common." The questions and topics for class discussion as well as the possible assignments are worthwhile, fun, and challenging. KLIATT Codes: SA—Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2000, Persea, 192p, 21cm, 99-13309, $12.95. Ages 16 to adult. Reviewer: Anthony J. Pucci; English Dept. Chair., Notre Dame H.S., Elmira, NY, September 2000 (Vol. 34 No. 5)\ \ \ Library JournalLoughery, 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. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\ \
