The Best Creative Nonfiction: (2) (Paperback)

by Lee Gutkind (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In his follow-up to last year's volume, the first in a re-launched, annual version of his journal Creative Nonfiction, Gutkind gathers another fresh collection of exemplary essays from a wide range of authors and sources, tackling everything from multiracial love and familial exile to the connection between memory and digital photo manipulation. Relatable situations and eccentric writers keep the stories intelligent but accessible, and often poignant; especially resonant is Gwendolyn Knapp's attempt to rehabilitate her mom's terminal case of pack-rat fever. Sarah Miller-Davenport provides some levity in a piece on guilty (and expensive) pleasures called "Here I Am in Bergdorf Goodman." Many accounts run up the old stranger-than-fiction flag, most notably Sewell Matter's piece regarding her discovery, on an Icelandic beach, of a page torn from a book; captivated by the "amazingly, almost unbelievably, bad" excerpt, she sets off on a global search for the complete novel. Proving again his chops as an anthologist, Gutkind's latest collection-which also includes Heidi Julavits, Pagan Kennedy, William deBuys and the guy behind IAmGettingFat.blogspot.com-is a 30-run homer, a whirlwind of moods and thoughts captured by some of the biggest talents on the essay and blog beat.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Drawn primarily from lesser-known publications and blogs, the 28 pieces in this collection together reflect an attempt to introduce writers outside the mainstream, new voices on the literary scene. In his introduction, Gutkind, founder and editor of the literary journal Creative Nonfiction, writes that the pieces "demonstrate the versatility and strength of this genre we call creative nonfiction." Highlights include Laura Sewell Matter's "Pursuing the Great Bad Novelist," in which she tracks down the author of some pages found on the beach in Iceland, and Pagan Kennedy's portrait of Alex Comfort, "The Dangerous Joy of Dr. Sex." On the other hand, there is Donovan Hohn's "Moby-Duck," about plastic toys gone astray in the ocean, which starts interestingly enough but goes on interminably, and Stefan Fatsis's "My Glove," about the writer's baseball mitt, which did not hold this reviewer's attention, even as a baseball fan. There is certainly a lot of variety here, but the selections included don't reflect this reviewer's idea of "the best." A better selection of creative nonfiction can be found in The Best American Magazine Writing 2007.—Gina Kaiser, Univ. of the Sciences Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co. (July 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393330249
• ISBN-13: 978-0393330243
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #207,820 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars exciting new material, January 24, 2009

By	David J. Campbell (Faribault, MN United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lee Gutkind continues to find great new and interesting non-fiction writers.

At first I thought I might be reading pieces done by college level writing classes. No way! These are polished extremely well written stories with a tremendous amount of variety. Often they are a bit of the authors own experiences and how others were part of the impact.

Every author has a wealth of experience and these samplings are examples of their coming into their own.

5.0 out of 5 stars These Pieces Really Define Creative Nonfiction, January 13, 2009

By	Nancy A. Jackson "constant reader" (Monroe, MI USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Lee Gutkiond, who pulled together this remarkable collection, says the following in his introduction:

"Creative nonfiction gives the writer more artistic freedom -
not in regard to the truth, but in constructing the story." (p. xi)

These tales are all based on the recounting of events through the lens of the teller; as such they bring in the writer's point of view, her descriptive take and her interaction with the characters involved. The first vignette I read, "Badlands: The Story of a Competitive Eater," got me hooked immediately. Check out "The Woot Files" on how our Internet slang derives from gamers back in the days of Atari -- or "The Answer That Increasingly Appeals," on a mother's search for the appropriate tribute to her daughter on the occasion of her daughter's Bat Mitzvah. All the emotions that accompany great fiction accosted me here, in the flights that the authors took from the facts to works of art.

It's a superb book that highlights a new genre. Try it - even if you don't love it, someone you love will.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for creative nonfiction writers, July 3, 2008

By	Dennis Fleming "Author: She Had No Enemies: A... (New York, NY and St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best Creative Nonfiction: (1) (Paperback)

The art of creative nonfiction, whether memoir, or personal essay, or journalism, is, in my opinion, is growing while the art of literary novel is shrinking. The stories contained in this compilation are powerful experiences not only because of the form in which they are presented, but by the fact that they are true experiences. I believe that for most people films are replacing the novel. The general public is drawn to reality based TV. Genre fiction will always have a large audience because the books are easy to digest, quick reads, and fun. Literature is demanding and people don't want to take the time to wade through the complexity of a modern day Moby Dick (if there were one).

With creative nonfiction shorts, I get the literary gratification I look for in 5-25 page shorts that are well written, thought provoking, and entertaining. I don't know where you can get better writing than this compilation by Lee Gutkind, the authority on this art form.

If you haven't tried this form of literature, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 1