Essays

This is my book and I'll start talking about it soon!

An extraordinary work from the author of The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights

David Sedaris once again captures what is most unexpected, hilarious, and poignant about these recent upheavals, personal and public, and expresses in precise language both the misanthropy and desire for connection that drive us all....

Number-one best-selling author John Green presents a deeply moving and insightful collection of personal essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast....

A damning confrontation between the American dream and the reality of undocumented children seeking a new life in the US....

David Sedaris’s best stories and essays, spanning his remarkable career - as selected and read by the author himself. Featuring fresh and classic recordings, including a new essay and an interview exclusive to the audiobook....

James Baldwin galvanized the nation in the early days of the civil-rights movement with his eloquent manifesto....

With Calypso, Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation - and humor - toward middle age and mortality....

A collection of confessions from women around the world, Want is a revelatory, sensational and game-changing exploration of women’s sexuality that asks, and answers: How do women feel about sex when they have the freedom to be totally anonymous?

Celebrated, iconic, and indispensable, Joan Didion’s first work of nonfiction, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, is considered a watershed moment in American writing. First published in 1968, the collection was critically praised as one of the “best prose written in this country.”

The best-selling author of The Bomber Mafia focuses on "minor geniuses" and idiosyncratic behavior to illuminate the ways all of us organize experience in this "delightful" (Bloomberg News) collection of writings from The New Yorker....

Eye-opening essays about searching for peace in the cacophony of birds and discovering a world of meaning in small moments—from award-winning actor Lili Taylor.

The great insights of the Stoics are spread over a wide range of ancient sources. This book brings them all together for the first time. It systematically presents what the various Stoic philosophers said on every important topic, accompanied by an eloquent commentary that is clear and concise....

Annie Jones always assumed adulthood would mean adventure: a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she’d longed to see. But her reality turned out differently....

From one of our most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter....

An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveler, and unrivaled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez died after a long illness on Christmas Day 2020. The previous summer, a wildfire had consumed much of what was dear to him in his home place and the community around it....

“Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart....

In Dad is Fat, stand-up comedian Jim Gaffigan, who’s best known for his legendary riffs on Hot Pockets, bacon, manatees, and McDonald's, expresses all the joys and horrors of life with five young children....

In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville, a young French aristocrat and civil servant, made a nine-month journey through the eastern United States....

The collection of 10 absorbing tales by master psychotherapist Irvin D. Yalom uncovers the mysteries, frustrations, pathos, and humor at the heart of the therapeutic encounter....

Walking in My Joy is a collection of electric stories by the one and only, super hilarious Jenifer Lewis. Her commentary on what’s happening in the world today, told through her outrageous real-life adventures, will have you laughing out loud, while her insightful messages touch your soul....

In ten brilliantly written chapters, Stephen King delivers one colorful observation after another about the great stories, books, and films that comprise the horror genre—from Frankenstein and Dracula to The Exorcist, The Twilight Zone, and Earth vs. The Flying Saucers.

Two classic collections of Nora Ephron’s uproarious essays - tackling everything from feminism to the media, from politics to beauty products, with her inimitable charm and distinctive wit - now available in one audiobook for the first time....

You may "know" Jenny Slate from her Netflix special, Stage Fright, as the creator of Marcel the Shell, or as the star of Obvious Child. But you don't really know Jenny Slate until you get bonked on the head by her absolutely singular writing style....

First published in 1979, Joan Didion's The White Album records indelibly the upheavals and aftermaths of the 1960s. Examining key events, figures, and trends of the era—through the lens of her own spiritual confusion, Joan Didion helped to define mass culture as we now understand it.

In November 1999, Joan Didion began seeing a psychiatrist because, as she wrote to a friend, her family had had “a rough few years.” She described the sessions in a journal she created for her husband, John Gregory Dunne. For several months, Didion recorded conversations with the psychiatrist in meticulous detail. The initial sessions focused on alcoholism, adoption, depression, anxiety, guilt, and the heartbreaking complexities of her relationship with her daughter, Quintana. The subjects evolved to include her work, which she was finding difficult to maintain for sustained periods.

Annie Jones always assumed adulthood would mean adventure: a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she’d longed to see. But her reality turned out differently. As the years passed, Annie was still in the same small town running an independent bookstore—the kind of life Nora Ephron dreamed.

What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About has become a rare gem in the literary world. Both a viral sensation online and chosen by Oprah Daily as one of the best nonfiction books of the past two decades, it is an essential collection that dives into the personal and poignant topics we often struggle to discuss with those who are meant to know and love us best. This captivating follow-up, edited by Michele Filgate, tackles the intricate and challenging relationships we have with our dads, breaking the silence around these vital connections.

Through a series of beautifully crafted essays, Taylor shares her intimate encounters with the birds that have captured her heart and imagination—from tracking flitting woodpeckers through oak trees to spotting majestic blue jays perched on a Manhattan fire escape; from the exhilaration of witnessing a migratory flock from the top of the Empire State Building to the quiet joy of observing a nest of hatchlings in her own backyard. Through simply paying attention to birds, Lili has been shown a parallel world that is wider and deeper, one of constant change and movement, full of life.

From a young age Kerouac was a spiritual thinker and questioner, and he always considered himself a spiritual writer. Buddhism gave more meaning to Jack’s work as a writer: he was working not for personal accomplishment and glory but for human betterment. And Buddhism justified his lifestyle: with its vision of the material world as empty and illusory, he was free to do what he wanted.

This rare and insightful essay by renowned Japanese children's author Nankichi Niimi offers a thoughtful critique of the limitations placed on creative storytelling—particularly in broadcast media. In the essay, Niimi reflects on the rigid conditions imposed on writers when submitting radio plays: the story must be completed in 30 minutes, include a specific number of characters, be cheerful and wholesome, express national identity, and—though vaguely defined—must also be artistically excellent. Niimi questions how true inspiration can flourish under such constraints, touching on the ...

Based on two lectures Woolf delivered at the University of Cambridge, A Room of One’s Own compellingly argues for women’s intellectual freedom and the importance of financial independence. It is still considered one of the most powerful pieces of feminist writing to this day. Published in 1929, A Room of One’s Own asserts a simple message: in order for women to reach their full creative potential, they must have their own money and space with which to do it with.

A collection of twenty thought-provoking essays from “one of the most brilliant, innovative, and eloquent writers on earth” (Publishers Weekly).

From the fleeting beauty of a moth's final moments to reflections on the nature of art, identity, and the human experience, Woolf’s writing invites listeners into her world of introspection, subtle observations, and profound insights. In this collection, Woolf navigates themes of life, death, creativity, and the inner workings of the mind with an unparalleled sensitivity that remains timeless.

Introduced with characteristic wit and sympathy by Sloane Crosley, Constant Reader gathers the complete weekly New Yorker reviews that Parker published from October 1927 through November 1928, with gimlet-eyed appreciations of the high and low, from Isadora Duncan to Al Smith, Charles Lindbergh to Little Orphan Annie, Mussolini to Emily Post.

James Allen. Selected Works brings together two of the most influential and enduring classics of personal development: As a Man Thinketh and Out from the Heart. These short, thoughtful essays explore the power of thought, the formation of character, the nature of habit, and the quiet strength of self-mastery. First published over a century ago, these works continue to resonate with readers seeking clarity, purpose, and peace of mind. Allen's style is calm, concise, and deeply reflective—free from hype, but rich in insight. There are no quick fixes here. No twelve-step programs.

Publicado em 1963, Da próxima vez, o fogo se tornou um clássico incontornável no debate sobre os direitos civis nos Estados Unidos. Não acredite na palavra de ninguém, inclusive na minha, mas confie em sua experiência. Saiba de onde você veio. Se você sabe de onde veio, não há limite para onde poderá ir", escreve James Baldwin para seu sobrinho, também chamado James, um adolescente prestes a completar quinze anos.

An ode to one man's enduring love affair with hunting, The Fragrance of Grass stands as a testament to Guy de la Valdène's deep affection for and abiding respect of the natural work and all its inhabitants. Set in places as far afield as France and Montana, Saskatchewan and Florida, this beautifully written memoir is a treatise on dogs, birds, and wildlife; food, wine, and women.

In this hauntingly poetic essay, Virginia Woolf captures the fragile beauty of life and death through the simple image of a moth struggling in the light. As she reflects on the inevitability of mortality and the quiet force of nature, Woolf’s sharp, introspective prose invites readers to confront their own fleeting existence. The Death of the Moth is a meditation on life’s transience, a masterclass in Woolf’s ability to turn ordinary moments into profound reflections on human vulnerability.

Exploring issues from the #MeToo movement, gender bias in division of labor and the workplace, and the underrepresentation of women of color in leadership, to cultural trends including food and travel shows, the intersection of fashion and food, and the evolution of food writing in the last few decades, Women on Food brings together food's most vital female voices.

すべてのビジネスは「真心」さえあればうまくいく。仕事はいかに「他者への想像力」を発揮し、意中の人に「モテる」かが、成功への別れ道。

Step back to 1929 with Is Sex Necessary?, a satirical spoof on the era’s obsession with psychoanalysis and forbidden topics. E.B. White and James Thurber, masters of wit, deliver a faux-scientific treatise on the “mysteries” of sex, skewering outdated gender roles and societal norms with sharp humor. This audiobook, narrated by a modern voice, offers a glimpse into a time capsule, complete with its absurd theories and delightfully dry satire. Prepare for a tongue-in-cheek romp through the absurdities of human behavior and a humorous reflection of a bygone era.

En esta colección de textos concebidos en distintas partes del mundo, Michèle Petit analiza el lugar del arte y la literatura en el contexto de las crisis que se han venido multiplicando en los últimos años: guerras, cambio climático, pandemias, etcétera. Se trata aquí de la belleza que permite transfigurar lo peor después de una tragedia; de la transmisión cultural en el exilio, que es la suerte de tantos niños, mujeres y hombres en la actualidad; de la forma en que el lenguaje, cuando se acerca al canto, nos permite sintonizarnos con el espacio y con eso que llamamos naturaleza.

Everyone knows the parlor game question asked of every chef and food personality in countless interviews: What is the last meal you'd want to eat before you die? But what does it look like when you pose the question to bartenders? In Last Call, James Beard Award-winning author Brad Thomas Parsons gathers the intriguing responses from a diverse range of bartenders around the country.

雨のそぼ降る森、嵐の去ったあとの海辺、晴れた夜の岬。そこは鳥や虫や植物が歓喜の声をあげ、生命なきものさえ生を祝福し、子どもたちへの大切な贈り物を用意して待っている場所……。未知なる神秘に目をみはる感性を取り戻し、発見の喜びに浸ろう。

A truly significant discovery, Walt Whitman’s Manly Health and Training is an entertaining health manifesto that sheds new light on one of America’s major nineteenth-century authors. In the fall of 1858, a thirteen-part essay series appeared in the New York Atlas, under the title Manly Health and Training. This nearly 47,000-word journalistic effort, written by Walt Whitman under his pen name “Mose Velsor,” was lost for more than 150 years, buried in just a handful of library archives, until its recent unexpected discovery.

仕事、成功、世の中、自分、死の圧倒的現実を、静かに説き明かす対談！「やりたいことっていうのは仕事じゃねえよ」「死んでんのかな、ほんとに」―養老孟司

Doris Dörrie ist eine Wohnende wider Willen. Nie wollte sie sich niederlassen, fest einrichten, Wurzeln schlagen, aber wie andere wohnen, hat sie immer schon fasziniert. In Kalifornien geht sie zu Hausbesichtigungen, nur um sich andere Leben in anderen Räumen auszumalen. Auf ihren unzähligen Reisen nach Japan, Mexiko, Marokko, Amerika und Südeuropa sieht sie, wie eng das Wohnen an die jeweilige Kultur geknüpft ist. Und bei ihrer Arbeit als Filmemacherin wird sie zur Expertin für das Erschaffen künstlicher Wohnwelten.

«Somos seres entretejidos de relatos, bordados con hilos de voces, de historia, de filosofía y de ciencia, de leyes y leyendas. Por eso, la lectura seguirá cuidándonos si cuidamos de ella. No puede desaparecer lo que nos salva. Los libros nos recuerdan, serenos y siempre dispuestos a desplegarse ante nuestros ojos, que la salud de las palabras enraíza en las editoriales, en las librerías, en los círculos de lecturas compartidas, en las bibliotecas, en las escuelas. Es allí donde imaginamos el futuro que nos une».

Ce recueil de textes sur la nature de George Sand, interprétés avec finesse par Marie-Christine Barrault, met en lumière l'alliage harmonieux entre la nature, l'engagement écologique et la modernité intemporelle de l'écrivaine. À travers la diversité des sujets abordés et la richesse des styles, il dévoile des facettes méconnues de son œuvre prolifique. Ses écrits sur la botanique témoignent d'une érudition remarquable en sciences naturelles, où l'observation précise de la flore se mêle à des réflexions métaphysiques empreintes de poésie.