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The Best American Essays 2007 (Best American Essays)
The twenty-two essays in this powerful collection -- perhaps the most diverse in the entire series -- come from a wide variety of periodicals, ranging from n + 1 and PMS to the New Republic and The New Yorker, and showcase a remarkable range of forms. Read on for narrative -- in first and third person -- opinion, memoir, argument, the essay-review, confession, reportage, e...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
October 10th 2007
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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Joshua
rated it
Recommends it for:
Anyone wants to understand the current world
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anthologies
I was reticent to pick up this anthology. While I generally buy whatever comes out in the The Best American Series each year, this years editor of the American Essays, David Wallace Foster, is a writer I don't particularly care for. Truthfully, I think his writing is on a different level than most. He is extremely smart, and very witty. Stylistically, he writes like the whole universe exists purely so we can read his words. And that's basically what I dislike about him. I don't really care for...more
holy disappointment. i love DFW, so i picked this up. i read his introduction and 9 of the 22 "essays". his intro was vintage DFW. the best thing in the book. great. hilarious, insightful, perceptive, informative. so imagine how excited i was to read 22 essays that this master essayist said he "envied" because they did things with language that he "only wished that he could do".
of the 9 that i read, the first "essay" in the book, Werner,...more
of the 9 that i read, the first "essay" in the book, Werner,...more
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I'm about halfway through David Foster Wallace's 2007 essay selections. Sometimes I feel as if I'm reading the Sunday paper--opinion pieces about torture and war, pedophilia and dog hypnosis. My mind reels and it's a slow journey. An afternoon of WWII bombings sent me on a week-long hiatus, for example. But this collection suits me, too. After reading _The Kitchen God's Wife_ and basically hating it, I've been trying to understand the nature of violence. In his intro, Wallace describes the essay...more
Picked this up dirt cheap at Powell's back in February and finally read it. Mainly was interested in DFW's introductory essay, but I wound up very much liking some of the selections and reading the anthology cover to cover. The essay "Operation Gomorrah," which is about the Allied firebombing of Hamburg in World War II, inspired me to pick up about five extra copies of the book to share with friends.
The other balls-out stand-up essays in the book are "Shakers" by Da...more
The other balls-out stand-up essays in the book are "Shakers" by Da...more
Best of the Best
David Foster Wallace's introduction is even more poignant and reflective about our culture after his passing earlier this year.
Danner's essay on the Iraq war is a complex, nuanced, insightful look at the reasons for going to war and the reasons the public was told that the US was going to war.
Keizer's essay on gun rights / violence didn't necessarily change my opinions on the issue but did help me empathize with the other side.
Lahr'...more
David Foster Wallace's introduction is even more poignant and reflective about our culture after his passing earlier this year.
Danner's essay on the Iraq war is a complex, nuanced, insightful look at the reasons for going to war and the reasons the public was told that the US was going to war.
Keizer's essay on gun rights / violence didn't necessarily change my opinions on the issue but did help me empathize with the other side.
Lahr'...more
Of course, the intro essay was fantastic and, in spite of his self-deprecating comments to the contrary, one of the best parts of the book. It makes me even madder at DFW for killing himself. Such a loss to all of us. He talks about how the best essays help us make sense of the glut of information that surrounds us, that somehow add to our understanding of the world rather than just our information about it. The first essay, Werner, about a man who escapes a fire, was absolutely amazing. So...more
this collection was okay. wallace's introduction was probably the most entertaining. the intro speaks of his (in his opinion) really useless job. he chooses essays he liked from a stack of finalists, is pressured by the series editor (who clearly had an anti-bush/anti-torture agenda) to include some essays that wallace may not have put in if left to his own devices.
of the essays he mentioned in the intro,
werner
iraq:the war of the imagination
a carnivore's credo
what...more
of the essays he mentioned in the intro,
werner
iraq:the war of the imagination
a carnivore's credo
what...more
I thought the first half of the book (the 11 essays ending with Louis Menand's) was mediocre and probably worthy of 2 stars. I thought the second half of the book (the 11 essays beginning with Daniel Orozco's) was excellent and probably worthy of 4 stars. So, as a result, this book gets 3 stars from me.
Being someone who isn't afraid to quit a book after 100 pages or so, I was surprised by DFW's decision to put the best 11 essays at the end of the book and the worst 11 at the beginn...more
Being someone who isn't afraid to quit a book after 100 pages or so, I was surprised by DFW's decision to put the best 11 essays at the end of the book and the worst 11 at the beginn...more
Many did not interest me (I read almost all of them, even those) but the best were, "What the dog saw," "What should a millionaire give, and what should you?" "Rules of Engagement," and "Afternoon of the sex children," (which I thought of today when I saw a poster of Hannah Montana at Toys R Us). Those would have gotten 5 stars, but there were like 15 other essays to wade through to get to them. Also, one more that was about a cell phone ring that was to...more
I pretty much picked this up for the DFW intro, and it's pretty much what I expected in that it's really good. The Jo Ann Beard essay to start the collection is pretty great. The rest of the stuff is mostly okay in the way that all these Best American collections generally turn out to be just okay, I think. Maybe part of the problem is that it was so Iraq-centric, and maybe I've just read enough about that already? Or maybe I just think most of the selections for these types of anthologies a...more
i did not initially like the foreword by David Foster Wallace, it reminded me a little of Dave Eggers at his most egotistical, but i might go back and try to read it all the way through seeing that David Foster Wallace so recently passed. I have skipped some of the essays I am not into - you know torture, iraq, mel gibson, sex and children in the same story. Some of the other essays are really good - the first one, Werner, starts quick and kept me interested. Fathead's Hard Times was good and...more
In lieu of a traditional composition reader, I decided to trust my students to know what to take from these essays to improve their academic writing and what to leave. I started reading the collection in preparation for the class on September 3. On September 12, when I was about halfway through guest editor David Foster Wallace's introduction, he took his own life. It was at least a week or two before I was able to return to the collection, feeling spooked and sad to realize this was probably on...more
Every once in a while, I get a powerful urge to read a _whole bunch_ of really good essays. The form fascinates me, and I love that the blogging revolution has kicked off a new golden age for it. But the thing about blogs, even the best ones, is that they're more or less uncurated, and the best treasures drift through the feeds with no more fanfare than the clicks and hisses of daily life do. It's not a good medium for bingeing. Thus, the only thing to do when the hunger hits is to hole up with ...more
Tiffoknee the 3rd Conner
marked it as to-read
Recommends it for:
Essay lovers . . . where you at?
I'm addicted to this series. While the writing is not always nearly as ambitious as I would like it to be, there is usually an essay or two which stops me dead in my tracks and leaves me wanting. I find it's a nice way to discovery new, emerging essayists, and go out and read more of their work.
Here's an excerpt from one of the essays I finished recently:
"That was a time when you still heard people whistling everywhere, in hospital corridors and buses, in workplac...more
Here's an excerpt from one of the essays I finished recently:
"That was a time when you still heard people whistling everywhere, in hospital corridors and buses, in workplac...more
A typical anthology in this series has about two dozen essays and merits a 3-star rating. This book is no exception. With essays by Ian Buruma, Malcolm Gladwell, Cynthia Ozick, Marilynne Robinson, Richard Rodriguez, Elaine Scarry, Louis Menand, John Lahr, Peter Singer, Edward O. Wilson, and an introduction by David Foster Wallace, there is no shortage of big-name contributors. Unfortunately, name recognition doesn't always guarantee quality and, for me, the gems in this collection came from auth...more
I'm loving this so far...some years of these collections are stronger than others, depending on the editor, their approach and their agendas. David Foster Wallace's introduction is a pleasure to read in itself, and one of the best, if not the best, intros to this series I have read.
Some highlights to this point:
There's an essay about California and about writing about California, called "Disappointments" by Richard Rodriguez that I wanted to argue with and agr...more
Some highlights to this point:
There's an essay about California and about writing about California, called "Disappointments" by Richard Rodriguez that I wanted to argue with and agr...more
In his editor's introduction, David Foster Wallace notes that most people he knows treat these anthologies like Whitman Samplers. It's an apt comparison, and this volume offers a particularly tasty and substantive collection of treats.
Wallace believes that the U.S. is in a state of emergency--that, for example, "There is just no way that 2004's re-election could have taken place ... if we had been paying attention and handling information in a competent grown-up way." His ...more
Wallace believes that the U.S. is in a state of emergency--that, for example, "There is just no way that 2004's re-election could have taken place ... if we had been paying attention and handling information in a competent grown-up way." His ...more
As with all BAE I'm only interested in the personal essays, which only account for about a third I'd say, but this one has some shining gems, including Jerald Walker's brilliant reflections on a black writer's inclusion of stereotypes, Richard Rodriguez on the theme of disappointment in California literature (and in California in general), and Jo Ann Beard's heartfelt story of a guy who saved his own life by jumping from a burning building.
'deciderization' has made it into my everyday vocabulary. 'werner' by jo ann beard, 'operation gommorah' by marione ingram, and 'shakers' by daniel orozco are standouts for me. the one about how billionaires should give more and basically ranking them in terms of decency based on their contributions (or lack thereof) to charities was awful. there was some allusion to idly standing by while children drowned in a lake-- eight kinds of bullshit. why am I talking about this?
I like David Foster Wallace, and this collection would be better if he had written the essays. The ones he picked, though, were often full of abstract thought, which is something his often are, but without the vigorous language and cramming-full-with-life quality that his often are. The result is a rather dry and boring Best American Essays. What is missing most is the selection of personal essays that the anthology usually offers. Sad.
Lots of good stuff in here, but my favorites: "Werner" (Jo Ann Beard), "Iraq: The War of the Imagination" (Mark Danner), "What the Dog Saw" (Malcolm Gladwell), "Onward Christian Liberals" (Marilynne Robinson), "Disappointment" (Richard Rodriguez), "Dragon Slayers" (Jerald Walker), and of course the introducttion, "Deciderization 2007 - A Special Report" by Mr. Foster Wallace which had the following bit of wisdom that I'd like ...more
A bit too Iraq-War centric for me, but there are other essays in the collection well worth the read, especially the opening selection, which is one of the best descriptions of a tragedy that I have ever read. Wallace's intro is intriguing, though I have to admit that I probably would never have picked up the book if I did not have a curiosity into what he was about after he committed suicide last year.
I did not enjoy all of the essays in this collection, but did find several that moved me, brought me a little further along the path of experience and understanding. Werner, a revealing scene of desperation and confusion resulting in a better than expected outcome. DFW's intro is classic and is one of the better essays presented. Both the pieces on torture and those on Iraq were well thought out and informative. The Carnivore's Credo was another that stood out for me, a brief, concise positi...more
I read these sorts of things because most of the essays I am interested in, were written 20 years, 50 years, 100 years ago...? I think the Best American franchise fails often in their search for the best essays. I bought this particular edition, because I am a DFW fanboy. There a few really awesome essays. There's a really pretty narrative essay involving a building fire.
I picked this up because I [heart] David Foster Wallace. However, I think that after attempting to read both the 2006 and 2007 editions of this series, I must conclude the the series editor is to blame for the overall bland feeling of this collection. I read about three quarters of the essays, and not much stuck with me at all. I did enjoy and recommend Peter Singer's contribution; it made me re-think the efficacy of charity. I also really liked the New Yorker piece about Cesar Milan, but si...more
Steven
rated it
Shelves:
adventure,
advice,
art,
business,
biography,
crime-mystery,
criticism,
history,
journalism,
language,
love,
philosophy,
politics,
psychology,
religion,
science,
war,
writing
Notable essays:
Wallace's introduction, which could've served as a notable essay for the 2008 edition
Ian Buruma's "The Freedom to Offend"
Mark Danner's well crafted "Iraq: The War on Imagination"
George Gessert's "An Orgy of Power"
Malcolm Gladwell's "What the Dog Saw"
Mark Greif's "Afternoon of the Sex Children," which was strong until its flagging end
Garret Keizer's "Loaded"
John Lahr's "...more
Wallace's introduction, which could've served as a notable essay for the 2008 edition
Ian Buruma's "The Freedom to Offend"
Mark Danner's well crafted "Iraq: The War on Imagination"
George Gessert's "An Orgy of Power"
Malcolm Gladwell's "What the Dog Saw"
Mark Greif's "Afternoon of the Sex Children," which was strong until its flagging end
Garret Keizer's "Loaded"
John Lahr's "...more
These "Best American" books are usually good reads, and this one is no exception. A broad range of essays this year, some literary, some political, some personal.
As always, the selection is slanted toward the bias of this year's editor, David Foster Wallace. But in his (really good!) introduction, he admits this and then, without apology, the book goes on.
There are several essays about the war in Iraq and Afganistan, mostly leaning on the "against" s...more
As always, the selection is slanted toward the bias of this year's editor, David Foster Wallace. But in his (really good!) introduction, he admits this and then, without apology, the book goes on.
There are several essays about the war in Iraq and Afganistan, mostly leaning on the "against" s...more
Jo Ann Beard. Werner
Ian Buruma. The Freedom to Offend
Mark Danner. Iraq: The War of the Imagination
W. S. di Piero. Fathead’s Hard Times
George Gessert. An Orgy of Power
Malcolm Gladwell. What the Dog Saw
Mark Greif. Afternoon of the Sex Children
Marione Ingram. Operation Gomorrah
Garret Keizer. Loaded
John Lahr. Petrified
Louis Menand. Name That Tone
Daniel Orozco. Shakers
Cynthia Ozick. Out from Xanadu
Molly Peacock. Passion ...more
Ian Buruma. The Freedom to Offend
Mark Danner. Iraq: The War of the Imagination
W. S. di Piero. Fathead’s Hard Times
George Gessert. An Orgy of Power
Malcolm Gladwell. What the Dog Saw
Mark Greif. Afternoon of the Sex Children
Marione Ingram. Operation Gomorrah
Garret Keizer. Loaded
John Lahr. Petrified
Louis Menand. Name That Tone
Daniel Orozco. Shakers
Cynthia Ozick. Out from Xanadu
Molly Peacock. Passion ...more
I wasn't that taken with DFW's intro, which, like a lot of his "Lobster" material, reminded me of earlier Wallace, pretty much the same way "Darjeeling Limited" reminds me of earlier Wes Anderson.
And although I suppose I buy his rationale for including quite so much political material--the collection does end up feeling very much "of the times"--I wish there'd been more emphasis on "Best" and ""Essays," rather than "American...more
And although I suppose I buy his rationale for including quite so much political material--the collection does end up feeling very much "of the times"--I wish there'd been more emphasis on "Best" and ""Essays," rather than "American...more
Mostly excellent essays, here, though I often had to put it down because they tend to be timely and intense. Mark Danner and Elaine Scarry, on Iraq, Marione Ingram on living in Hamburg during the WWII bombings and Jerald Walker on writing were the ones I thought were strongest. Jo Ann Beard is in a class of her own. But I also enjoyed Malcom Gladwell on the Dog Whisperer, and Louis Menand, whose essay made me smile. I only had a question about the inclusion of Daniel Orozco's "Shakers,"...more
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David Foster Wallace worked surprising turns on nearly everything: novels, journalism, vacation. His life was an information hunt, collecting hows and whys. "I received 500,000 discrete bits of information today," he once said, "of which maybe 25 are important. My job is to make some sense of it." He wanted to write "stuff about what it feels like to live. Instead of being...more
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“Because we’ve been lied to and lied to, and it hurts to be lied to. It’s ultimately just about that complicated: it hurts. It denies you respect for yourself, for the liar, for the world. Especially if the lies are chronic, systemic, if hard experience seems to teach that everything you’re supposed to believe in’s really a game based on lies. Young Voters have been taught well and thoroughly. You may not personally remember Vietnam or Watergate, but it’s a good bet you remember ‘No new taxes’ and ‘Out of the loop’ and ‘No direct knowledge of any impropriety at this time’ and Did not inhale’ and ‘Did not have sex with that woman’ and etc. etc. It’s depressing and painful to believe that the would-be ‘public servants’ you’re forced to choose between are all phonies whose only real concern is their own care and feeding and who will lie so outrageously with such a straight face that you just know they have to believe you’re an idiot. So who wouldn’t fall all over themselves for a top politician who actually seemed to talk to you like you were a person, an intelligent adult worthy of respect?”
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“[T]o really try to be informed and literate today is to feel stupid nearly all the time, and to need help.”
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