A dazzling new collection, comprised of more than 80 pieces, in which Pulitzer Prize-winner Kennedy takes on Joyce's Dublin, Sinatra, Fellini, Hemingway, Paul McCartney, Diane Sawyer, the death of a prominent cat, his wife's hiccups, the homeless, and much more.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
This engaging miscellany of some 80 articles, interviews and reviews should delight fans of noted novelist Kennedy ( Ironweed ). From newspaper pieces printed in his hometown of Albany, N.Y., in the 1950s to more polished essays in national magazines, these selections suggest how Kennedy's literary voraciousness contributed to the growth of his distinctive, sinuous style. He interviews and reviews writers Malamud, Bellow and Doctorow, celebrates Irish forebears Joyce and Beckett, and pronounces himself still "tickled silly" by Damon Runyon. Once a resident of Puerto Rico, Kennedy developed a subspeciality in Latin American fiction; his observations about Garcia Marquez and Fuentes hint at a source of his fabulist style. Sections on pop culture and on Albany contain some dross, but there are lively pieces on Louis Armstrong and the pleasures of screenwriting, and touching reminiscences of the author's working-class grandfathers. For Kennedy, good-natured humility accompanies literary purpose, and this "oblique autobiography" is a good warm-up for a full memoir.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Reading this book is a little like reading the Sunday papers. Between the covers is an amalgam of news stories; human interest pieces; music, dance, and travel items; personal essays; an obituary; and even a bit about the comics. The 86 pieces collected here are broken into six sections that date from 1954 through 1992. They include early news columns, interviews, book reviews, book introductions, and life experiences. Much of the text concerns writing, and Kennedy examines his own masterful creations as well as the great works that touched him. He speaks admiringly of Doctorow, Mailer, Bellow, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez and reverently of Joyce, Beckett, Hemingway, and Damon Runyon. Other pieces cover movies, sports, and, of course, Albany. Whether he's discussing his taste for oysters or the plight of the homeless, there's a touch of the poet about Kennedy, making his writing a great pleasure to read no matter what the subject. Another winner from Kennedy; highly recommended.
- Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Michael Rogers, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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