Personal and introspective, essays cover a wide range of topics, styles and moods. These books of essays are available to borrow from the Lititz Public Library.
Gratitude by Oliver Sacks
Written before and after receiving a diagnosis of terminal cancer, a clinical neurologist and best-selling author meditates on why life continues to enthrall him even as he considered his own death and how to live in the richest and deepest way possible.
A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life by Pat Conroy
A collection of pieces, many addressed directly to his readers, cover subject areas like books, the challenges of getting motivated to exercise and processing the loss of friends.
My Southern Journey: True Stories from the Heart of the South by Rick Bragg
Deadpan observations explore the obsessions shared by the South’s various geographies.
Soul at the White Heat: Inspiration, Obsession and the Writing Life by Joyce Carol Oates
Exploration into the source of the writer’s inspiration looks for clues in the works of Virginia Woolf, John Updike, Margaret Atwood, Zadie Smith, and others.
Upstream by Mary Oliver
Poet reflects on the importance of Walt Whitman and her willingness to lose herself in the worlds of nature and literature.
Flip-Flops after 50: and Other Thoughts on Aging I Remembered to Write Down by Cindy Eastman
From her 30th high school reunion, to her daughter’s wedding, to body image, the author provokes readers to think about subjects that affect all of us.
Far and Away: Reporting on the Brink of Change by Andrew Solomon
A journalist writes about places that have experienced profound change.
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist
Wife, mother, friend and writer focuses on her journey from panicked and exhausted to connected and free.
Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide by Michael Kinsley
Columnist escorts fellow baby-boomers towards their final moves in the game of life.
The View from the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman
Analytical yet lively collection explores a broad range of interests, such as authors, music, storytelling, comics, bookshops, travel, fairy tales and ghosts.
Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love and Writing by Jennifer Weiner
Bestselling author uses exploits from her personal life to create a collection of funny and moving essays on womanhood.
The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks about Race edited by Jesmyn Ward
National Book Award winner uses James Baldwin’s 1963 examination of race in America as a jumping off point for this collection about tensions that continue to boil.
This Old Man: All in Pieces by Roger Angell
A perceptive and humorous review of the limitations and discoveries of great age highlights the writers, ballplayers, editors and artists the author encountered over the course of his life.
Tales from the Back Row: An Outsider’s View from Inside the Fashion Industry by Amy Odell
Personal essays about what it’s really like to be a young woman working in the fashion industry.
Life in the Loop: Essays on OCD by Matt Bieber
Deeply personal writing shares the author’s experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a way of living that colors everything.
The War that Forged a Nation: Why the Civil War Still Matters by James McPherson
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian considers why the Civil War retains such a hold on the national identity.
Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art by Julian Barnes
Booker Prize-winning author focuses a critical eye on the great masters of art such as Delacroix, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, Redon and others.
March 31, 2017