Ever since the 1981 publication of her stunning debut, Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson has built a sterling reputation as a writer of sharp, subtly moving prose, not only as a major American novelist (her second novel, Gilead, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize), but also as a rigorous thinker and incisive essayist. Her compelling and demanding collection The Death of Adam-in which she reflects upon her Presbyterian upbringing, investigates the roots...

A wide-ranging, controversial collection of critical essays on the political mania plaguing the West by one of the most important public intellectuals of our time. In America and in England, faltering economies at home and failed wars abroad have generated a political and intellectual hysteria. It is a derangement manifested in a number of ways: nostalgia for imperialism, xenophobic paranoia, and denunciations of an allegedly intolerant left. These...

"In The Comfort of Crows, Margaret Renkl presents a literary devotional: fifty-two chapters that follow the creatures and plants in her backyard over the course of a year. As we move through the seasons-from a crow spied on New Year's Day, its resourcefulness and sense of community setting a theme for the year, to the lingering bluebirds of December, revisiting the nest box they used in spring-what develops is a portrait of joy and grief: joy in the...

The author shares a series of essays on a wide variety of topics that he considered while coping with anxiety and depression.

"A career-spanning collection of inspiring, revelrous essays about art and artists. Like Love is a momentous, raucous collection of essays drawn from twenty years of Maggie Nelson's brilliant work. These profiles, reviews, remembrances, tributes, and critical essays, as well as several conversations with friends and idols, bring to life Nelson's passion for dialogue and dissent. The range of subjects is wide--from Prince to Carolee Schneemann to Matthew...

"Stand-up is all well and good, but observational humor that's funny and warm may work best in books. And Tom Papa, whose loyal audiences are packed with "date night" couples of all ages, has perfected the form. In We're All In This Together, Papa's thirty-seven short essays tackle these universal American topics, among others: -Love for Your First Car ("To Buy or Lease") -The Truth about Personal Hygiene ("How You Know When It's Time to Go") -Date...

"In a hilarious collection of comedic essays, Canada's top comic shares the funniest stories from his life and career. For nearly two decades, Gerry Dee has made audiences laugh, first as a hard-working stand-up comedian and then as the star of his own CBC television program, Mr. D. The former varsity hockey player and gym teacher has drawn from a lifetime of material, from growing up in the suburbs of Toronto to getting cut from his hockey team to...