We asked writers and editors to choose some of their favorite stories of the year in various categories. Here is the best in essays.
Search results
Posted inNonfiction
Shelved: Van Morrison’s Contractual Obligation Album
This is the sound of not really trying.
Posted inEditor's Pick, Essays & Criticism, Nonfiction
Every Day I Write the Book
At 63, Michael Musto reveals how he keeps managing to add new chapters to the consistently unfolding story of his career.
Posted inEditor's Pick
A Suspense Novelist’s Trail of Deceptions
A profile of a scam artist: Before Dan Mallory wrote a New York Times best-selling novel, he rose through the ranks of the publishing industry by creating a series of fabrications about his life and deceiving colleagues.
Posted inArts & Culture, Nonfiction, Reading List
A Genre of Myths: A Jazz Reading List
Created in New Orleans and played around the world, the music we call jazz is filled with genius, legend, and tragedy.
Posted inNonfiction
‘To Be Polite By Ignoring the Obvious’: Jess Row on Unpacking Whiteness in Literature
“I was looking for texts that seem to go the extra mile in hiding something — texts that almost seem to be begging to be interpreted in terms of what’s not being said.”
Posted inArts & Culture, Highlight, Nonfiction, Quote Posts, Quotes
Peter Mayer, the Fiery Sage of Publishing
Honoring Peter Mayer, founder of Overlook Press, and one of “the stars of book publishing.”
Posted inBlog Post, Books, Business, Commentary
How the Self-Publishing Industry Changed, Between My First and Second Novels
In the last few years, self-publishing and marketing your own books has become increasingly more difficult.
Posted inStory
The Proving Grounds: Charley Crockett and the Story of Deep Ellum
Generations of musicians got their start busking the streets of the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas. After a decade of ‘hobo-ing’ around cities like New Orleans, Paris, and New York, Charley Crockett discovered it was his turn.
Posted inEditor's Pick
What Is Common, What Is Rare: Why Extraordinary Events Cannot Eclipse Everyday Racism
“We’d denounce the marches and torches and chants. When that moment passed, we’d continue to live with the ghosts of our country’s peculiar legacy.”
