Any Day [Hardcover]

Henry Clay Mitchell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 1997

Henry Mitchell wrote for the Washington Post from the early 1970s to 1991. He was best known for his gardening columns, some of which have been gathered in two beloved books, The Essential Earthman and One Man's Garden. In addition to his gardening columns, Mr. Mitchell also wrote feature stories and for years had a general interest column that appeared on Fridays under the title Any Day. This book collects the most enduring of those brilliant columns. Henry Mitchell was a bit of a curmudgeon. He had an eye for cant and an even sharper eye for the deeper truths of reality. Never pompous, his columns were frequently hilarious. He could make you cry, he could make you weep and he could catch you up in the midst of a busy, confusing day and make you pause and reflect: Hey, look at this! He will make you feel good about being a flawed human, and he will even make you think that mortality isn't so bad.

Readers who have enjoyed The Essential Earthman and One Man's Garden will thrill to discover their favorite author's additional accomplishments as they are represented in this lovely book. The illustrations are by Susan Davis, a gifted Maryland artist whose work accompanied many of Henry's columns during the 1980s and 1990s.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The late Washington Post gardening columnist by no means limited his subjects to bugs, bites, or the burgeoning splendors of earthly matters. In addition to those columns, which had--before his death in 1993--garnered him a national following, Mitchell wrote many stories, essays, and commentaries on the state of the world. They ran in the Post every Friday under the title "Any Day." The 75 essays presented in this collection have been culled from that column and are organized chronologically from December 29, 1973, to April 12, 1991.

Beyond his gracious style, Henry Mitchell's enduring charm was his broad range of interests--primarily humanity's triumphs, miseries, and foibles. From ruminations about prudence (focusing on the consumption of eggnog) to his disclosure--and defense--of being a junk-food addict; from the "current" state of the country to "Lincoln, Mozart and the Mysteries of Art" ("I shall not explain either Lincoln or Cosi fan tutte, but for years I have thought before dozing off on great matters such as the central mystery of art."). In the compelling tradition of essay-writing, Mitchell's subjects leap toward larger truths, lovingly observed and handsomely rendered. Written by one who had an ear for cant and a sharp eye for enduring truth, these poignant, hilariously funny yet wise pieces put human nature on display. Included are precise and endearing illustrations by Maryland artist Susan Davis.

From Library Journal

This is a stimulating collection of essays by a man who had something to say and knew how to say it well. Mitchell was gardening columnist for the Washington Post for almost 20 years; he also wrote a general-interest column, "Any Day," that appeared on Fridays. This is a collection of the best of those columns. Mitchell, who died in 1993, was acerbic, witty, and occasionally profound. The pieces here range from essays on bus drivers and English food to individual rights and AIDS. Mitchell's gardening columns have also been collected into two volumes: The Essential Earthman (Houghton Mifflin, 1994) and One Man's Garden (LJ 9/1/92). Recommended for general collections.?Rebecca Wondriska, Trinity Coll. Lib., Hartford, Ct.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press; First Edition edition (October 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253333083
• ISBN-13: 978-0253333087
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,322,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly witty, truly wise, a distinctive, insightful voice., October 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Any Day (Hardcover)

Beloved of all long-time Washington Post readers, Henry Mitchell covered everything from his hound to the Mapplethorpe exhibit with wisdom, humor, and profound insight. This is a selection of some of the best of his Any Day columns. Never preaching, but always with a point, Mitchell's writing is so personal that thousands who never met him felt his death as the loss of a wise and compassionate friend. You will laugh, cry, and rejoice that you have met him here. The Christmas Eve battle between the Altar Guild and the Ushers is by itself worth the price of the book. This, and the two collections of his Earthman (gardening) columns, are books to read and re-read.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Class without pretension, November 17, 2000

By 

Anthony Noel (New Bern, NC, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Any Day (Hardcover)

It is unfortunate indeed that such a fine volume boasts just two prior reviews.

One needs only to read an essay or two of those collected here to see that Mr. Mitchell was a well-educated, fully informed individual. But his ability to write in a voice that transcended his obviously cultured status, to make his points accessible to people of all backgrounds in a thoughtful, mannerly, and humorous -- always humorous -- style, is an ability his modern-day contemporaries would be smart to emulate. (Are you listening, Maureen Dowd?? Oh, forgive me -- why would we expect you to start now?)

Still, Mitchell's discretion could give way to much stronger sounding of his opinion, and flat-out satire that was without peer. Even when it did, Mitchell managed to maintain the tone of rationality and etiquette which was the underpinning of all his work, and which is sadly lacking on today's op-ed pages. This indefinable quality -- and the sheer quality of the writing itself -- sets Mitchell's work apart.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great quirky essays, March 20, 1998

By 

W. Harshaw "Bill Harshaw (faceless bureaucrat)" (Reston, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Any Day (Hardcover)

I love this book. Mitchell is unfortunately dead, but when alive he could write like an angel. A random example:

"No man is a hero while brushing his teeth or clipping hair out of his ears. He needs some kind of warning that this is the moment to act."

He shares himself (a locution he might mock)as he observes the passing world. If you enjoy E.B. White or Russell Baker, buy this book.