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Contributed by: Ioanna Athanasopoulos on 8/29/2007

By Joyce Deming, information services librarian, Golden Library
When you think of essays, what comes to mind? Those horrid 500-word "What I did on my summer vacation" assignments? Long, tedious expositions on topics of interest only to 19th-century intellectuals? If it's been a while since you've picked up a collection of essays, you're in for a treat. Today's essayists are smart, witty and eminently readable.

The mark of a good essayist is the ability to take a mundane snippet of everyday life and find the universal truth in it. Local author, columnist and writing instructor Shari Caudron does just that in her book What Really Happened. Whether she's talking about buying books, renting movies or traveling to China with her mother, you'll be nodding your head not only in recognition of the experiences, but of the lessons learned as well.

Another master of the mundane is Anne Fadiman. Her latest book, At Large and At Small, is a collection of what she calls "familiar essays"-essays about familiar topics such as coffee, ice cream and collecting butterflies. If you like this title, give her collection of essays on all things bookish, Ex Libris, a try.

Much like artist Paul Klee's comment that art is "taking a line for a walk," the work of the essayist could be called taking a thought on a journey of discovery. And no one does that better than Barbara Kingsolver. Best known for her works of fiction, Kingsolver has two collections of essays, High Tide in Tucson and Small Wonder. The essays in both collections begin with a simple experience or observation and end with profound commentaries on life, nature, love and the human condition.

Another novelist who has ventured down the essayist path is John Nichols. His book, Dancing on the Stones, is a gathering of essays written over the span of more than 30 years. They span the emotional gamut as well, from whimsical to outrage. Don't miss "Night of the Living Beanfield" about the transformation of his novel, The Milagro Beanfield War, into a less-than-blockbuster motion picture. It's Nichols at his sarcastic best.

From sarcastic we move to subdued. Kent Meyers grew up on a small farm in Minnesota, and his book The Witness of Combines is a loving tribute to that period in his life. Whether he's writing about picking elderberries or pulling weeds, these are quiet essays that run deep with meaning.

Any list of best essays has to include those by long-time Alaska resident Sherry Simpson. In The Way Winter Comes, Simpson writes about wolf trappers, bear biologists, dumpster-diving ravens and long Arctic winters. Combining a journalist's eye for detail and a poet's lyrical language, Simpson provides a clear vision of a landscape that is simultaneously harsh and beautiful.

You can check out these books at any Jefferson County Public Library location. Look for them on our web site at http://jefferson.lib.co.us, or talk to your librarian for more reading suggestions.

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Submitted By: Gladys Mercier

posted on 8/29/2007 @ 8:31:18 PM

Rated Story

They all sound interesting. Thanks.

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Ioanna Athanasopoulos

Lakewood , CO

Ioanna Athanasopoulos has posted 195 stories and 0 comments since joining on 4/20/2006. Ioanna Athanasopoulos 's average story rating is 5.

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