Best American Essays, 1988

by Annie Dillard (Editor)

Compiles the best literary essays of the year originally published in American periodicals

Genres: Essays, Nonfiction, Anthologies

336 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1988

About the author

Annie Dillard is an American author celebrated for her distinctive narrative voice in both fiction and nonfiction, as well as for her work in poetry, essays, literary criticism, novels, and memoir. She gained wide recognition with Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, a meditative exploration of nature and perception that received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and established her as a major literary figure. Raised in Pittsburgh, her formative years were marked by wide reading, close observation of the natural world, and a family environment that encouraged curiosity and wit, experiences later reflected in her memoir An American Childhood. She studied English, theology, and creative writing at Hollins College, where her academic engagement with writers such as Henry David Thoreau shaped her intellectual direction. Dillard’s work often blends spiritual inquiry, philosophy, and close attention to the physical world, drawing comparisons to writers such as Virginia Woolf and Emily Dickinson. Her books include Holy the Firm, Teaching a Stone to Talk, The Writing Life, For the Time Being, and the novels The Living and The Maytrees, the latter a finalist for the PEN Faulkner Award. Alongside her writing career, she taught for more than two decades in the English department at Wesleyan University, influencing generations of students before retiring as Professor Emerita. Her work has been translated widely, adapted into other art forms, and honored with numerous awards, including the National Humanities Medal, affirming her lasting impact on American letters.

Reviews

[Elizabeth]

Obviously "Best" is subjective, but I find I can count on finding a few things that I like in the "Best American" series. Here's a little checklist so I can remember wtf I read.

Was surprised by how much I was interested in some of the war-related essays ("London - 1944," by Mary Lee Settle; "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All," by William Manchester; "The Feeling of Flying," Samuel Hynes; "Gettysburg," Arthur C. Danto). I'm sure I wouldn't have read anything like them if it wasn't in a collection like this.

A couple of the essays I couldn't be bothered to finish: "Kinds of Water" by Anne Carson, and "Dreaming in Public: A Provincetown Memoir" by Susan Mitchell. Didn't feel like wasting my time to figure out why I didn't like them. They bored me for some reason. I remember being bored by Anne Carson before, so I guess I just don't enjoy her writing.

I loved some of the essays that had a story-telling, personal, historical legends kind of vibe - "Home" by William Kittredge stands out. Also "After Yitzl" by Albert Goldbarth and "Heroes Among the Barbarians" by James McConkey.

Liked: E. J. Kahn, Jr., "The Honorable Member for Houghton" (Profile of Helen Suzman, only South African MP constantly against apartheid in her time. Badass.) Richard Selzer, "A Mask on the Face of Death" (Haiti - AIDS epidemic); Kenneth A. McClane, "Walls: A Journey to Auburn" (prison - visitor); Kimberly Wozencraft, "Notes From the Country Club" (prison - inmate in lax prison); Charles Simic, "Reading Philosophy at Night" (Reading philosophy); Russel Fraser, "Wadi-Bashing in Arabia Deserta" (Dubai).

[Vince Darcangelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faves:

William Manchester: "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All"

Samuel Hynes: "The Feeling of Flying"

Richard Selzer: "A Mask on the Face of Death"

Charles Simic: "Reading Philosophy at Night"

[Adnan Soysal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had sensed that this book was not THE BEST ESSAYS OF AMERICA when I read the introduction. Because Introduction section was boring and had a style of writing. My idea was that since the same person compiled these essays, they could also be similar.
And I was right. And I gave up after eighth essay. They are all boring, and have bad writing style just like the introduction.

But I should spare the two of them among the eight I read.
"Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All" by William Manchester,
and to some extend "The Feeling of Flying" by Samuel Hynes.
Example paragraph below from Okinawa one is such an absorbing description of the situation.
What is wrong with these authors failing to write paragraphs like this, instead talking to themselves with pretentious word crowding no one understands.

[ During those ten days I ate half a candy bar. I couldn't keep anything down. Everyone had dysentery, and this brings up an aspect of war even Robert Graves, Siegfried Sassoon, Edmund Blunden and Ernest Hemingway avoided. If you put more than a quarter million men in a line for three weeks, with no facilities for the disposal of human waste, you are going to confront a disgusting problem. We were fighting and sleeping in one vast cesspool. Mingled with that stench was another - the corrupt and corrupting odor of rotting human flesh. ]

[Sara Habein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this 34 year old collection of essays, along with the 1990 edition, during one of the times I went to our local school district's free book giveaway day (when they pull some older books from circulation). It sat around for a long time before this challenge, but I enjoyed reading it for the most part. Most everything holds up, and the lived history from some people who are (presumably) no longer alive was interesting to read. Fav essays include work from Anne Carson, Mary Lee Settle, and Paul Horgan.

[Bibliophile10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the 1986 and 1987 editions, this anthology, edited by Annie Dillard, offers a range of subjects and writing styles, from E.J. Kahn Jr.'s long-winded profile to Anne Carson's lyrical meditation. While I won't revisit many of the essays, two especially stood out: William Manchester's "Okinawa: The Bloodiest Battle of All" and William Kittredge's "Home." Both surprised me with their honesty and voice, and I will refer to them again as a teacher and student.

[Dawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this for the Annie Dillard short essays. Love her.