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News from the World: Stories & Essays
by
Paula Fox
This complete gathering of Paula Fox's short works spans forty-five illustrious years of her career, from 1965 to 2010. There are perfectly turned stories (two of which—"Grace" and "The Broad Estates of Death"—won the O. Henry Prize) in which characters unexpectedly find themselves at a crossroads and struggle to connect with others. There is memoir—a genre where Fox's hon...more
Hardcover, 216 pages
Published
April 18th 2011
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published February 3rd 2011)
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I loved Fox's Desperate Characters so it is no surprise that I enjoyed this collection of essays and short stories. Grace was my favorite selection in the book, although I do love any kind of memoir about NYC, which this book has no shortage of. I felt very conflicted at the end of Grace because on the one hand, you feel that the protagonist made a breakthough and on the other hand you feel two people making choices based on some kind of emotional shorthand. He is crying so maybe I can get throu...more
Each of the seventeen short stories, essays, and the speech in this collection is a gem in itself. However, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. There is no discernible logic to the order of the pieces and nothing but a short preface to help put them in context. I particularly enjoyed "Unquestioned Answers" which the acknowledgements at the back of the book indicated was a Zena Sutherland lecture because of its focus on childhood. But here is a major quibble: nothing in the front or back...more
Quite a mixed bag of short stories and essays. Some essays are quite personal and overlap with her memoir, Borrowed Finery. Most of the writing is strong and engaging and she has a fresh active voice. The short stories are weaker but worthwhile. Paula Fox is a fine adult and YA novelist; I particularly liked Desperate Characters.
Exactly as the title says, this is a mixture of short stories and essays, the essays being mainly autobiographical. As a children's librarian many years ago, Paula Fox was one of my favorites. She does not disappoint now in this collection for adults that spans several decades. Uncharacteristically, I liked the essays better than the fiction. A recommended read for anyone that enjoys great thoughts with an economy of language.
Uneven, but still a lot of good material from a neglected author.
Beautiful and odd. "Grace" was my favorite selection, but I loved it all.
Superb muscle-writing, reminiscent of writers from the 60s and 70s eras. Paula Fox is an experienced journalist with a sharp eye and great sensitivity. She is not sentimental. Her pieces are on-target and sound. These essays are the first writings by her that I've read, and I intend to explore her novels. Very highly recommended to readers who enjoy writing that makes them think and feel.
one of the grande dames of essays and short stories. an intimate view into her family life and early years as a writer. and the title story - although brief - is vivid and powerful. "words are nets through which all truth escapes." beautiful.
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Paula Fox is an American author of novels for adults and children and two memoirs. Her novel The Slave Dancer (1973) received the Newbery Medal in 1974; and in 1978, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. More recently, A Portrait of Ivan won the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis in 2008.
A teenage marriage produced a daughter, Linda, in 1944. However, given the tumultuous relationship wit...more
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A teenage marriage produced a daughter, Linda, in 1944. However, given the tumultuous relationship wit...more
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