I recently read Fran Lebowitz essays and this got me thinking that I don’t read enough of this kind of prose. By this kind I mean short form essays, anchored in everyday, the mundane, slice of life. This got me wondering – surely there have to be more authors like that.
So this is my ask: can you recommend me authors or particular books that satisfy at least some of those requirements: American or about American lifestyle, short essay, from mid 20th century onward, smart, witty and generally well written prose, topics or at least jumping of points based on the mundane slice of life “things”.
I hope I managed to capture the flavor of what I’m looking for – if you have any recommendations based on this, please do let me know.
by Dekonstruktor
6 Comments
David sedaris’ early work. His later writing is still great, but sometimes based in Europe, but the stories are still told through his US lens.
Really good fits:
– The White Album (Joan Didion)
– Delusions of Grandeur (Joey Franklin)
Pretty good fit:
– Make It Scream, Make It Burn (Leslie Jamison). I think one essay follows a family that lives in Mexico (as well as an American photographer, but sorry, the details are a bit hazy for me), but other than that, this works well for your prompt.
Loose fit, but maybe On Architecture: Collected Reflections on a Century of Change by Ada Louise Huxtable
She’s an incredibly witty writer, mostly short essay form- all obviously with an architecture focus but there’s good range there. Might not be quite as mundane as you’re looking for but buildings are pretty central to life.
Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
Thought you’d appreciate seeing this up-to-date link for *The Mexico Journeys* that Leslie Jamison wrote about in her collection of essays, Make It Scream, Make It Burn:
https://www.grandstreetarts.com/the-mexico-journeys
I’m a Stranger Here Myself by Bill Bryson is a collection of his newspaper columns about his return to the US after many years away. It is hilarious.
Home Cooking and More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin are slice-of-life essays through the lens of food and cooking.