The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 1 [Paperback]

Lee Gutkind (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 17, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0393330036 | ISBN-13: 978-0393330038

Narrative nonfiction at its cutting-edge best from writers at the cusp of recognition and fame.

Lee Gutkind, proclaimed the "Godfather behind creative nonfiction" by Vanity Fair, along with the staff of his landmark journal Creative Nonfiction, has culled alternative publications, 'zines, blogs, podcasts, literary journals, and other often overlooked publications in search of new voices and innovative ideas—essays and articles written with panache and power.

"The Truth About Cops and Dogs," by Rebecca Skloot, describes a vicious pack of wild dogs, preying on the domesticated pets of Manhattan. Monica Wojcik's "The w00t Files," for the chic geek crowd, comes directly from John McPhee's famous Literature of Fact workshop at Princeton, a launching pad for famous young writers. Daniel Nestor, of McSweeney's and Bookslut, explains James Frey, while the very overweight Michael Rosenwald becomes a Popular Science nearly nude centerfold in a quest for knowledge about high-tech diagnostics.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. This anthology, an offshoot of the journal Creative Nonfiction, kicks off an annual series drawing together the best representatives of a fertile (if ill-defined) genre still struggling for recognition. In his introduction, Gutkind tries to clarify the subject, a seeming "contradiction in terms," but the pieces speak for themselves, blending precise research and astute observation with flavorful, fascinating narratives. Carol Smith, a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, contributes an account of "The Cipher in Room 214," a 1996 female suicide found in a downtown Seattle hotel who left behind no clues as to her identity; Eula Biss details powerfully her experience with chronic illness by riffing off the 0-10 scale on which her doctors ask her to rank her pain. Most pieces are first-person, memoir-style accounts-writers include a former stripper, a fatally ill man, a narcoleptic and a prosopagnosic (a woman who can't recognize faces)-but a smattering of profiles include an insightful Poets & Writers piece by Daniel Nester on notoriously over-creative nonfiction writer James Frey. Happily, Gutkind reaches several steps beyond the literary journal scene-blog excerpts turn up, and a piece on the secret language of hackers (or "h4ck3rs") comes from John McPhee's Princeton University creative nonfiction class-to find a wide range of topics and styles; though some selections are stronger than others, the richness of the "real" makes the anthology work as a cohesive whole.
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About the Author

Lee Gutkind is the founder and editor of the literary journal Creative Nonfiction and a pioneer in the field of narrative nonfiction. Gutkind is also the editor of In Fact and Becoming a Doctor, the author of Almost Human, and has written books about baseball, health care, travel, and technology. A Distinguished Writer in Residence at Arizona State University, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Tempe, Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (July 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393330036
• ISBN-13: 978-0393330038
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #340,273 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful

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

By Dennis Fleming

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A montage of writers September 2, 2010

By J. Strand

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book will give you a sample of a lot of different Creative Nonfiction writing styles and authors.

Most of the stories are easy to get into and very inspiring for writers.