The Contemporary American Essay

A dazzling anthology of essays by some of America's best writers, drawn from the past quarter century. AN ANCHOR ORIGINAL.

The past two decades in America have seen a blossoming of creative nonfiction, and no one is better suited to curate that exciting resurgence than Phillip Lopate. In this remarkable collection, he mingles new and younger voices--like Samantha Irby, Meghan O'Gieblyn, Leslie Jamison, Rivka Galchen, Karen Russell, and Teju Cole--with such long-established eminences as John McPhee, Barry Lopez, Louise Gluck, Geoff Dyer, and Joyce Carol Oates. He brings together a wide variety of perspectives and styles, in the work of Anne Carson, Nicholson Baker, Hilton Als, Alexander Chee, Margo Jefferson, Laura Kipnis, Wesley Yang, Eileen Myles, Meghan Daum, David Sedaris, and many more. The result is a treat for anyone who loves fantastic writing.