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Original Essays | December 12, 2009

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The Gay Talese Reader

by Gay Talese

The Gay Talese Reader Cover

Review-a-Day   (What is Review-a-Day?)

"In this book you'll find some of the best American prose of the second half of the twentieth century....Talese and Tom Wolfe are the great pioneers of New Journalism, but although the style, approach, and structure of Talese's pieces was radical, his superlatively smooth writing had none of Wolfe's attention-grabbing swagger, and it perfectly suited his role as invisible observer." Benjamin Schwarz, The Atlantic Monthly (read the entire Atlantic Monthly review)

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

As a young reporter for the New York Times, in 1961 Gay Talese published his first book, New York — A Serendipiter's Journey, a series of vignettes and essays that began, "New York is a city of things unnoticed. It is a city with cats sleeping under parked cars, two stone armadillos crawling up St. Patrick's Cathedral, and thousands of ants creeping on top of the Empire State Building."

Attention to detail and observation of the unnoticed is the hallmark of Gay Talese's writing, and The Gay Talese Reader brings together the best of his essays and classic profiles. This collection opens with "New York Is a City of Things Unnoticed, " and includes "Silent Season of a Hero" (about Joe DiMaggio), "Ali in Havana, " and "Looking for Hemingway" as well as several other favorite pieces. It also features a previously unpublished article on the infamous case of Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt, and concludes with the autobiographical pieces that are among Talese's finest writings.

These works give insight into the progression of a writer at the pinnacle of his craft. Whether he is detailing the unseen and sometimes quirky world of New York City or profiling Ol' Blue Eyes in "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold," Talese captures his subjects — be they famous, infamous, or merely unusual — in his own inimitable, elegant fashion. The essays and profiles collected in The Gay Talese Reader are works of art, each carefully crafted to create a portrait of an unforgettable individual, place or moment.

Review:

"This beautifully written collection of essays by journalist and best-selling author Talese....truly represents the best of this still highly prolific author's work." Library Journal

Review:

"[Talese's] quirky, personal nonfiction, in which the author is very much a presence, helped spawn a whole new approach to feature writing. A sterling introduction to the multitalented Talese." Booklist

Synopsis:

Attention to detail and observation of the unnoticed is the hallmark of Talese's writing and The Gay Talese Reader brings together the best of his essays and classic profiles.

About the Author

Gay Talese is a journalist and international best-selling author whose works include The Bridge (Walker & Company 2003), The Kingdom and the Power, Honor Thy Father, Thy Neighbors Wife, and Unto the Sons. Currently at work on the follow-up to Unto the Sons, he lives in New York City and Ocean City, New Jersey.

Barbara Lounsberry is a professor of English language and literature at the University of Northern Iowa. She is the co-author with Gay Talese of Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality (1996).

Table of Contents

New York is a city of things unnoticed — Frank Sinatra has a cold — The loser — The silent season of a hero — Peter O'Toole on the Ould Sod — Vogueland — Looking for Hemingway — Joe Louis: The King as a middle-aged man — Mr. Bad News — Ali in Havana — The brave tailors of Maida — Origins of a nonfiction writer — When I was twenty-five — Walking my cigar.

Product Details

ISBN:
9780802776754
Subtitle:
Portraits and Encounters
Introduction:
Lounsberry, Barbara
Introduction:
Lounsberry, Barbara
Author:
Talese, Gay
Publisher:
Walker & Company
Location:
New York
Subject:
General
Subject:
Essays
Subject:
American - General
Subject:
Journalism
Subject:
Reportage literature, American.
Subject:
Journalism -- United States.
Series Volume:
316
Publication Date:
October 2003
Binding:
Paperback
Language:
English
Pages:
256
Dimensions:
8.18x5.62x.95 in. .80 lbs.

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