The Best American Magazine Writing 2002 [Paperback]

American Society of Magazine Editors (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2002 | Series: Best American Magazine Writing

A treasury of great magazine pieces drawn from the winners of and finalists for the prestigious National Magazine Awards

In the world of magazines, no recognition is more highly coveted than an "Ellie," the National Magazine Award presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors. This is the magazine equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. Nominees and winners are chosen by hundreds of editors, educators, and art directors from more than a thousand submissions. These selections are among the very best of those.

The Best American Magazine Writing anthology puts between the covers of a single book some of the most outstanding writing by some of the most eminent writers in this country.

"My Father's Brain"
Jonathan Franzen, The New Yorker

"The Crash of EgyptAir 990"
William Langewiesche, The Atlantic Monthly

"Inside the Battle at Qala-i-Jangi"
Alex Perry, Time Magazine

"Dr. Daedalus"
Lauren Slater, Harper's Magazine

"Salt Chic"
Jeffrey Steingarten, Vogue

"Playing God on No Sleep"
Anna Quindlen, Newsweek

"Sullivan's Travels"
Michael Wolff, New York Magazine

"Moving"
Anne Fadiman, The American Scholar

And much more! Brilliant and illuminating, this book is for anyone who appreciates magazine writing and journalism at their highest level.

The American Society of Magazine Editors is the professional organization for editors of consumer magazines that are edited, published, and sold in the United States. It sponsors the National Magazine Awards in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The "Ellie" awards-the magazine equivalent of newspaper reporting's Pulitzers-are granted annually by the American Society of Magazine Editors to celebrate excellence in a variety of genres of magazine writing: reporting, features, profiles, commentary, criticism and fiction. Thus this third annual volume, which reprints some 19 finalist or winning entries, covers a remarkable range of topics and modes of treatment. Tom Junod's "Gone," about three Americans kidnapped in the Ecuadorian jungle, is a nail-biting cliffhanger and suggests miniseries possibilities, while Anne Fadiman's account of moving from the city to the country seems endlessly re-readable, embodying the essay form at its timeless best. Some of the pieces, like Mark Levine's "Killing Libby," an account of asbestos contamination, suggest future book-length treatment, while others, such as Jonathan Franzen's "My Father's Brain," have already been incorporated into other works (i.e., The Corrections). The most topical entries-e.g., William Langewiesche's depiction of the 1999 crash of EgyptAir Flight 990, Alex Perry's account of fighting in Afghanistan, Amy Wallace's profile of Variety editor Peter Bart, and Ken Auletta's study of Ted Turner-seem dated, while some more obscure entries-e.g., Lauren Slater's profile of a plastic surgeon, Steve Rushin's analysis of German drag racing, and Caitlin Flanagan's "Confessions of a Prep School College Counselor"-remain fresh and piquant. E.L. Doctorow's story about a murderous widow, the only fiction entry here, is a gem. While the Atlantic Monthly, the New Yorker and Esquire are predictably well represented, even constant readers of these magazines will appreciate having some of their best pieces in a more lasting format.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Excellent magazine articles reward in a unique way: in the time it takes to ride the bus to work, readers are transported to far-flung locales, educated, entertained, and immersed in story until looking up from the page provides a sense of dislocation. Riding home allows time enough for an entirely different trip. The latest anthology vetted by the American Society of Magazine Editors provides ample opportunities for these short-form transformations. In "Gone," Tom Junod retells the abduction of American workers in the Ecuadorian jungle in almost-flip, deceptively gripping style. William Langewiesche, in "The Crash of EgyptAir 990," uses both his knowledge as a pilot and his reporting chops to re-create a terrifying tragedy and bureaucracy's response. And Ken Auletta provides a fascinating, humanizing profile of Ted Turner, a media mogul in decline (or, judging from recent headlines, perhaps not). There are many more such journeys in this volume, proving what Sebastian Junger states in the introduction: "A truly great magazine piece erodes the illusion of psychological separateness that we are all tempted to hide behind." Keir Graff
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial; First Edition edition (October 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060515724
• ISBN-13: 978-0060515720
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #437,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Straight Through- No Ads, No Lemons!, November 4, 2002

By 

L. Dann "adhdmom" (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best American Magazine Writing 2002 (Paperback)

Readers of the New Yorker, Harpers, The Atlantic and anyone who's a sucker for those articles that hasten flight destinations and are always, no matter how long, too short at the end. This collection, by its virtuosity, range of subjects, severe to whimsical,is an automatic embrace. Don't be surprised if you catch yourself slowing down to delay the finish. But here are some specifics:
Sick of Franzen hoopla? His 'Father's Brain' transcends the muck by its own power. Caitlin Flanagan's article about the pushy parents and the spawning season at upstream universities,(Confessions of a Prep School College Counselor,) jabbed me outta nowhere- sometime in the 7th round. Who, afterall gets the grade when its all said and done? No rebouts. If that doesn't make you reach for the SSRI- the stats about the payoff for those Ivy League educations will!
Read about SALT- and decide for yourself- is it worth its own? -
There are two studies of powerful men in the media-Peter Barth-Variety Editor and Ted Turner- manic and megalo-everything. Both irkingly appealing for their hopeless flaws.
The only skip for me was the story about the last minutes of the Egyptian flight and the forces that kept the truth hidden. Not ready for that one yet. Fiction winds the whole thing up- as it should. Guess who takes it home?
This is a plum, no reason to do anything less than bite.