In these 50 light, personal essays, dirda writes about subjects as various as favorite book titles, science fiction conventions, cursive handwriting, scholars. Hes the author of the memoir an open book, plus four collections of essays. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world who has written several books in addition to this one. Its essays originally appeared on the home page of the american scholar. The wand of the enchanter by michael dirda the new york. Michael dirda s most popular book is the great gatsby. Two collections of dirda s literary journalism have been published. When the world was too much with me, heres what i read. All that kid wants to do is stick his nose in a book, lamented steelworker eugene dirda about his son michael, a shy, bespectacled boy who preferred the pages of thoreau to dating or sports. I rented the booksellers, an engrossing documentary about new yorkarea antiquarian book dealers and bookstores. Thus pulitzer prizewinning critic michael dirda introduces his new book, classics for pleasure, a volume of short essays that point readers to new authors and less obvious classics.
A pulitzer prizewinning critics often surprising meditation on those places where life and books intersect and what might be learned from bothonce out of school. Meandering at a delicious, leisurely pace through michael dirda s classics for pleasure, one feels as though he is riding shotgun through a world of both wellknown and unknown wonders with an expert guide. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world and the author of the memoir an open book and of four collections of essays. Feb, 2009 thus pulitzer prizewinning critic michael dirda introduces his new book, classics for pleasure, a volume of short essays that point readers to new authors and less obvious classics. Nov 11, 2007 dirda s crystalline prose ripe with distinct and often exquisite diction, such as noting the costive or epigrammatic nature of a passage and his patent love affair with literature and writers. Sorted into 11 categories loves mysteries, lives of consequence, etc. By contrast, the next two volumes of rabelais, the unimaginatively titled third book 1546 and fourth book 1552, display a more talky, intellectual character and have been glossed, with aweinspiring scholarship, by michael screech, as reflections of the religious and philosophical skirmishes of renaissance humanism. Find michael dirdas email address, contact information, linkedin, twitter, other. One of my favourite images is from a memory of a long ago book buying trip in upstate new. He is the author of the memoir an open book 2003 and several collections of essays, including book by book 2005 and classics for pleasure 2007.
Adam sismans sprightly new book follows a 20thcentury fantasist who. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning book critic who writes for the washington post, and has written a number of books about books, authors and book. He has been a fulbright fellow and won a pulitzer prize in 1993. Michael dirdas name appears weekly in the posts book world section. Dirdas fine writing lures readers to classics for pleasure. A vast crumbling castle in the midst of a bleakly desolate landscape, inhabited by overreachers and grotesques, all evoked in a thickened, painterly prose of immense power. Michael dirda knows more about books than you huffpost. The main part of the story recounts dirda s intellectual progress as he moved through comic strips from the newspaper p. Organized by significant life events and abounding with quotations from great writers and thinkers, book by book showcases dirda s considerable knowledge, which he wears lightly. His latest volume collects fifty of his witty and wideranging reflections on a life in literature. Michael dirda is a columnist for the washington post book world. Michael dirda sponsored by the kensington park friends of the library michael dirda will talk about his new book, browsings. Between the beginning of 2000 and the end of 2005 she published nineteen books.
He is the author of the memoir an open book and of four collections of essays. A year of reading, collecting, and living with books by michael dirda is a very highly recommended bookish book and perfect for bibliophiles. Michael dirda, a weekly book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. She has written over seven hundred short stories, more than maupassant, kipling, and chekhov. A young boys love affair with great literature norton. Michael dirda, a book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book. Chow down on crab cakes with pulitzer prizewinning book. While many distinguished figures in the arts attended, three of the older guests particularly stood out. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. May 15, 2018 michael dirdas picks include alberto manguels packing my library and revenge of the nerd, by the actor who played booger.
Michael dirda, a longtime staff writer for the washington post book world, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. By michael dirda, special to the washington post sunday mar 29, 2020 at 3. Michael dirda the washington post journalist muck rack. One of my favourite images is from a memory of a long ago book buying trip in upstate new york, where he found a booksellers office that was half book barn, half gentlemans study, and. Michael dirda is a weekly book columnist for the washington post and the author, most recently, of browsings.
Michiko kakutani, the pulitzer prize winning critic at the new york times, james wood, the prolific essayist, novelist and staff writer at the new yorker, and michael dirda. By michael dirda edited by kate kennedy and hermione lee princeton. A cat that walks by himself harold bloom likes to portray himself as a weary critical prometheus, assailed by flocks of eagles. Jan 10, 2012 we asked michael dirda to select books of the past 50 years that will be remembered a half century from now.
But in 50 years, they will have done something new that the next generation will appreciate in ways we cant predict. Joyce carol oates still bothers peoplein all kinds of ways. Michael dirda of the washington post the pulitzer prizes. Reflections september 2015 the mystery behind the baroness. In these delightful essays, pulitzer prize winner michael dirda introduces nearly ninety of the worlds most entertaining books. For more than fortyfive years she has been steadily producing novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays. Michael dirda is a fulbright fellowship recipient and pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world.
Michael dirda in 2009 amelia beamerlocus publications michael dirda born 1948 is a book critic for the washington post. Another book of literary lists, interpolated with aphorisms on love, work, vacations and much else, culled from over fifty years of reading and collecting by this omnivorous washingtom post critic. A popular lecturer and commencement speaker, he lives with his family in silver spring, maryland. Abc of reading new directions paperbook by ezra pound and michael dirda 1 mar 2011. Michael dirda born 1948 is a book critic for the washington post. A look back at some of baroness orczys mystery novels and the vibrant characters within. After earning a phd in comparative literature from cornell university, the joined the washington post in 1978. Michael dirda has 53 books on goodreads with 38504 ratings. Michael dirdas most popular book is the great gatsby. Pulitzer prizewinning literary critic michael dirda, senior editor of the washington post book world, will discuss his new memoir, an open book. In my opinion, there are three critics that represent the current pinnacle of literary journalism. Dec, 2019 michael dirda, a book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. Oct 21, 2017 michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning book critic who writes for the washington post, and has written a number of books about books, authors and book collecting.
A year of reading, collecting, and living with books. Readings, bound to please, book by book and classics for pleasure. Favoring showing rather than telling, dirda draws the reader deeper into the classics, as well as lesserknown works of literature, history, and philosophy, always. We dont want to get sick ourselves, and we dont want to bring any sickness to others. Dirda is a book buyer par excellence and there are many enjoyable accounts and rationalisations of his fruitful browsings in used bookstores. What distinguishes this book from similar tomes is the wonderful taste, intelligence and wit dirda brings to the enterprise. Articles by michael dirda the washington post journalist muck. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prize winning book critic who has been writing for the washington post since 1978. He is the author of a memoir, five collections of essays, and a prizewinning book about arthur conan doyle. I suspect that these, for the most part, strike us today as strange, idiosyncratic, he says. In 1943 some of the friends of arthur machenthe last name rhymes with brackenorganized a formal dinner to honor the welsh writer on his eightieth birthday. If you need more of an explanation, it is a collection of fifty essays that dirda wrote between february 2012. Mar, 2020 michael is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world with a special love for genre fiction.
Michael dirdas top ten 20th century works of fantasy. We asked michael dirda to select books of the past 50 years that will be remembered a half century from now. Writing with affection as well as authority, dirda covers masterpieces of fantasy and science fiction, horror and adventure, as well as epics, history, essay, and childrens literature. Michael dirda is the weekly book columnist for the washington post, and he received. A year of reading, collecting and living with books. Im not about to rush out and find all of the works mentioned in this book but there are some that i am interested. Nov 27, 2017 dirda is a bookbuyer par excellence and there are many enjoyable accounts and rationalisations of his fruitful browsings in used bookstores. Michael dirda s classics for pleasure is an eminently readable collection of threetofivepage essays on authors of the lesser known classics of western literature mostly dirda does slip in laozi china and ferdowsi iran. A young boys love affair with great literature sfgate. His latest book, on conan doyle, was published in 2011 by princeton university press. Essays and literary entertainments, dirda assembles fortysix of his best essays all of his book world editorial columns are good to delight the reader who, like him, is an incurable book aficionado. Pulitzer prizewinning writer michael dirda is one of the main reasons i read the washington post book world every sunday. Articles by michael dirda the washington post journalist. Michael dirdas top ten 20th century works of fantasy the.
Michael dirda born 1948, a fulbright fellowship recipient, is a pulitzer prizewinning critic. Titus groan, gormenghast, titus alone, by mervyn peake. Isbn 9780805083385 9780805083385 softcover, holt paperbacks, 2007. And though michael kinsley, in his blurb, writes, michael dirda is the bestread person in america.
320 413 958 645 104 94 1280 481 1023 1042 230 1184 450 247 323 1199 1622 881 768 992 382 1175 1018 978 1546 1425 1103 418 243 1190 286 1462 1263 228 1336 1062 881