The Best American Essays 2015 (The Best American Series ®)

“Writing an essay is like catching a wave,” posits guest editor Ariel Levy. “To catch a wave, you need skill and nerve, not just moving water.” This year’s writers are certainly full of nerve, and have crafted a wide range of pieces awash in a diversity of moods, voices, and stances. Leaving an abusive marriage, parting with a younger self, losing your sanity to Fitbit, and even saying goodbye to a beloved pair of pants imbued with meaning are all unified by the daring of their creation. As Levy notes, “Writing around an idea you think is worthwhile—an idea you suspect is an insight—requires real audacity.” __The Best American Essays 2015__ includes Hilton Als, Roger Angell, Justin Cronin, Meghan Daum, Anthony Doerr, Margo Jefferson, David Sedaris, Zadie Smith, Rebecca Solnit __and others__**ARIEL LEVY,** guest editor, has been a staff writer at __The New Yorker__ since 2008. She received the National Magazine Award for essays and criticism for her piece “Thanksgiving in Mongolia,” which she is expanding into a book for Random House. __Female Chauvinist Pigs,__ Levy’s first book, has been translated into seven languages. She teaches at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and at Wesleyan University. **ROBERT ATWAN,**the series editor of __The Best American Essays__ since its inception in 1986, has published on a wide variety of subjects, from American advertising and early photography to ancient divination and Shakespeare. His criticism, essays, humor, poetry, and fiction have appeared in numerous periodicals nationwide. "Writing an essay is like catching a wave," posits guest editor Ariel Levy. "To catch a wave, you need skill and nerve, not just moving water." This year's writers are certainly full of nerve, and have crafted a wide range of pieces awash in a diversity of moods, voices, and stances. Leaving an abusive marriage, parting with a younger self, losing your sanity to Fitbit, and even saying goodbye to a beloved pair of pants imbued with meaning are all unified by the daring of their creation. As Levy notes, "Writing around an idea you think is worthwhile?an idea you suspect is an insight?requires real audacity." The Best American Essays 2015 includes Hilton Als, Roger Angell, Justin Cronin, Meghan Daum, Anthony Doerr, Margo Jefferson, David Sedaris, Zadie Smith, Rebecca Solnit and others ARIEL LEVY, guest editor, has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 2008. She received the National Magazine Award for essays and criticism for her piece "Thanksgiving in Mongolia," which she is expanding into a book for Random House. Female Chauvinist Pigs, Levy's first book, has been translated into seven languages. She teaches at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, and at Wesleyan University. ROBERT ATWAN, the series editor of The Best American Essays since its inception in 1986, has published on a wide variety of subjects, from American advertising and early photography to ancient divination and Shakespeare. His criticism, essays, humor, poetry, and fiction have appeared in numerous periodicals nationwide “22 contributors explore a wide range of experiences” in this “illuminating, invaluable” anthology edited by the author of Female Chauvinist Pigs (Publishers Weekly). Writing an essay is like catching a wave, posits guest editor Ariel Levy. To catch a wave, you need skill and nerve, not just moving water. The writers featured in this volume are certainly full of nerve, and have crafted a wide range of pieces awash in a diversity of moods, voices, and stances. Leaving an abusive marriage, parting with a younger self, losing your sanity to Fitbit, and even saying goodbye to a beloved pair of pants are just some of the experience probed by essays that are unified in the daring of their creation. As Levy notes, Writing around an idea you think is worthwhile—an idea you suspect is an insight—requires real audacity.” The Best American Essays 2015 includes entries by Hilton Als, Roger Angell, Justin Cronin, Meghan Daum, Anthony Doerr, Margo Jefferson, David Sedaris, Zadie Smith, Rebecca Solnit and others. Foreword: of essays and essayists / Robert Atwan -- Introduction / Ariel Levy -- Islands / Hilton Als -- This old man / Roger Angell -- Charade / Kendra Atleework -- A message to the twenty-first century / Isaiah Berlin -- Strange days / Sven Birkerts -- Vision / Tiffany Briere -- My daughter and God / Justin Cronin -- Difference maker / Meghan Daum -- Thing with feathers that perches in the soul / Anthony Doerr -- The crooked ladder / Malcolm Gladwell -- 65 / Mark Jacobson -- Scenes from a life in Negroland / Margo Jefferson -- Smuggler / Philip Kennicott -- A man and his cat / Tim Kreider -- The loudproof room / Kate Lebo -- My grandma the poisoner / John Reed -- Reflections on indexing my lynching book / Ashraf H.A. Rushdy -- Stepping out / David Sedaris -- Find your beach / Zadie Smith -- Arrival gates / Rebecca Solnit -- My uniform / Cheryl Strayed -- It will look like a sunset / Kelly Sundberg -- Notable essays and literary nonfiction of 2014 / selected by Robert Atwan. "This eclectic, powerful array of thought-provoking essays is sure to appeal to a broad array of readers." 0́4 Publishers Weekly New Yorker magazine staff writer and award-winning essayist Ariel Levy brings her wide-ranging taste and unforgettable voice to The Best American Essays 2015. Selecting from hundreds of magazines, journals, and websites, Levy will "discover this year's finest essays, diverse in subject matter, each one surprising and elegant" (Shelf Awareness for Readers) Presents an anthology of the best literary essays published in the past year, selected from American periodicals Compiles the best literary essays of the year 2014 which were originally published in American periodicals. Presents an anthology of the best literary essays published in 2014, selected from American periodicals