The KGB Bar Nonfiction Reader

by Mark Jacobson (Editor), Mark Jacobson (Editor)

The iconic KGB bar, a seemingly tumbledown dive in the Lower East Side, is home to New York City's most diverse and exciting series of nonfiction literary readings. Susan Orlean, Jimmy Breslin, Budd Schulberg, Jack Newfield, Natalie Angier, Joyce Carol Oates, Luc Sante, and many others have all appeared on its hallowed stage. The KGB Bar Non-Fiction Reader reflects the mix-and-match whiplash mood swing atmosphere of their best evenings. Arranged thematically around such topics as Law and Justice, Faraway Places, Sports, Sex and Science, this diverse collection includes Natalie Angier's writing on AIDS, Luc Sante's musings on New York's former bookstores, Steve Earle's eyewitness account of a Texas execution, Lucius Shepard on hopping freight trains and the murderous FTRA, Mick Taussig's report from dysfunctional Colombia, David Remnick on Ali, Marcelle Clements on the trauma of Big City childrearing, and Jon Langford (of the Mekon's) mutant letters to a rock band. Other contributors include John Berendt, Jack Newfield, Katha Pollit, Marshall Berman, Joyce Carol Oates, Armond White, Richard Ben Cramer, and many others.

Genres: Anthologies

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Bronwen]

I like to go to poetry readings at KGB bar, so I figured I’d try this out.

It was varied, informative and enjoyable.

Particularly memorable: the essay on hip-hop in the Brazilian ghettos, the essay on hobos who ride the trains (and one who would like all civilization to fade away except the trains), the essay on the death of Robert Kennedy.

[Trixiecat oh]

very diverse collection of essays, opinion, poetry etc. The only thing these have in common is that they were all at one point or another part of a reading series. I am skipping through it a bit. Maybe it was better live, rather than as a passive reading experience.

[Patrick]

3 Stars because I remember that I liked it upon finishing it, but don't remember the specifics. I just see it on my shelf. It's a good collection of nonfiction essays

[Amy McElroy]

for non-fiction (which isn't my favourite thing to read)it was quite good.

[Feba]

Stories vary between unreadable and very interesting, with the majority of the latter.