The Best American Essays 2006 Edited by Lauren Slater, Series Editor: Robert Atwan
A great collection… to start with.
Highlights:
Kinsey and Me by Laurie Abraham, about her visit to (and testing at) the Kinsey Institute prior to the release of the recent biopic1.
501 Minutes to Christ by Poe Pallantine, about a man’s search for a place in life.
Death of a Fish by Adam Gopnik, about the unintentionally philosophical backlash resulting from the death of a pet goldfish that is actually a betta.
Grammar Lessons by Michele Morano, an essay about grammar that has very little to do with grammar, and more the dissolution of a relationship. Very David Ivesish.
Lost Dog by Susan Orlean2, about the amazing search for a lost dog that actually happened here in Atlanta.
These are all in the first half of the book. The second half of the book has a much more melancholic feel to it… mostly about grief, loss, and illness. Perhaps Lauren Slater’s intention was to draw you in and then leave you wanting to slit your wrists. Hard to say. If so, I beat her, as I skimmed the last few essays.
1The most boring movie about sex ever made.
2I have read and recommend her book of essays, The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup.