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Original Essays | June 11, 2013
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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsGossip: The Untrivial Pursuitby Joseph Epstein
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:“I am pleased to report that I am neither quoted nor even mentioned in the act of effrontery called Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit. I have been given to understand that, owing to his interest in such subjects touching on human nature as ambition, envy, snobbery, and friendship, on innumerable occasions its author, Joseph Epstein, has been called ‘the American Montaigne.’ This is a comparison I consider slanderous, for it would render me the French Joseph Epstein. Ridicule, n’est-ce pas?”—Michel de Montaigne “Discretion, it needs to be said, is not Mr. Epstein’s hallmark, as in Gossip he blithely recounts the foibles of many of the famous of his time. Yet of his own lengthy and much-gossiped-about relationship with the Italian cinema actress Sophia Loren, the scandal behind his winning three equestrian gold medals in the past Olympic games, and his rather pathetic pretensions as pretender to the long-vacated throne of Portugal, he provides not a word. Odd, most odd, and yet the reader must not let this strange lapse to detract from what is otherwise a most amusing and bountiful little volume.”—Louis de Rouvroy, Duc de Saint-Simon “Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. North America and all the ships at sea . . . Let’s go to press . . . Advance copies of pseudo-intellectual scribbler Joe Epstein’s new book on gossip, with its ill-researched tirade against the career of Mrs. Winchell’s little boy, went out late last week to leaders of Al Qaeda in Pakistan, Yemen, and Miami Beach, where it will find the anti-American readers it so richly deserves.”—Walter Winchell Synopsis:A juicy, incisive exploration of gossip in all its forms--from celebrity rumors to literary romans a clef, from personal sniping to political slander--by one our "great essayists" (David Brooks) Synopsis:Gossip is no trivial matter; despite its reputation, Epstein argues, it is an eternal and necessary human enterprise. Proving that he himself is a master of the art, Epstein serves up delightful mini-biographies of the Great Gossips of the Western World, along with many choice bits from his own experience. He also makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned best—clever, mocking, a great private pleasure—to a corrosive new-school version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet. Written in his trademark erudite and witty style, Gossip captures the complexity of this immensely entertaining subject. Synopsis:A dishy, incisive exploration of gossip—from celebrity rumors to literary romans à clef, from personal sniping to political slander—by one of our “great essayists” (David Brooks)
To his successful examinations of some of the most powerful forces in modern life—envy, ambition, snobbery, friendship—the keen observer and critic Joseph Epstein now adds Gossip. No trivial matter, despite its reputation, gossip is eternal and necessary. Himself a master of the art, Epstein serves up delightful mini-biographies of the Great Gossips of the Western World along with many choice bits from his own experience. He also makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned best—clever, mocking, a great private pleasure—to a corrosive new-school version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet. Gossip has even invaded politics and journalism, causing unsubstantiated information to be presented as fact. Contemporary gossip claims to reveal truth, but as Epstein shows, its our belief in truth itself that may be destroyed by gossip. Written in his trademark erudite and witty style, Gossip captures the complexity of this immensely entertaining subject. VideoAbout the AuthorJOSEPH EPSTEIN is the author of the best-selling Snobbery and of Friendship, among other books, and was formerly editor of the American Scholar. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harpers Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, and other magazines. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.
Table of ContentsPreface xi
Part I: Private Gossip 1. How It Works 1 2. Feasible, Uncheckable, Deeply Damning 11 3. When Is It All Right to Gossip? 21 4. In the Know 31 Great Gossips of the Western World, I 37 5. The Truth Defense 48 6. The Gossip Transaction 54 7. Need Gossip Be Trivial? 60 8. Pure Speculation 65 Part II: Public Gossip 9. Gossip Goes Public 73 10. Gossip Goes Center Ring 80 11. Shooting at Celebrities 90 Great Gossips of the Western World, II 103 12. Antediluvian Gossip 114 13. Literary Gossip 126 14. Gay Gossip 137 Great Gossips of the Western World, III 149 Part III: Private Become Public 15. Caught in the Net 161 16. Whores of Information 176 17. Snoopin and Scoopin 187 Great Gossips of the Western World, IV 197 18.Too Much Even of Kreplach 211 A Bibliographical Note 219 Index 223 What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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