Adam sismans sprightly new book follows a 20thcentury fantasist who. Michael dirda in 2009 amelia beamerlocus publications 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. Michael dirda sponsored by the kensington park friends of the library michael dirda will talk about his new book, browsings. 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. 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. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. 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. Articles by michael dirda the washington post journalist. May 15, 2018 michael dirdas picks include alberto manguels packing my library and revenge of the nerd, by the actor who played booger.
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. 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 is a pulitzer prizewinning book critic who writes for the washington post, and has written a number of books about books, authors and book. By michael dirda edited by kate kennedy and hermione lee princeton. While many distinguished figures in the arts attended, three of the older guests particularly stood out. Favoring showing rather than telling, dirda draws the reader deeper into the classics, as well as lesserknown works of literature, history, and philosophy, always. I rented the booksellers, an engrossing documentary about new yorkarea antiquarian book dealers and bookstores.
Michael dirda, a book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. Michael dirda is a columnist for the washington post book world. But in 50 years, they will have done something new that the next generation will appreciate in ways we cant predict. What distinguishes this book from similar tomes is the wonderful taste, intelligence and wit dirda brings to the enterprise. One of my favourite images is from a memory of a long ago book buying trip in upstate new. A popular lecturer and commencement speaker, he lives with his family in silver spring, maryland. 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.
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. Michael dirda knows more about books than you huffpost. Chow down on crab cakes with pulitzer prizewinning book. Joyce carol oates still bothers peoplein all kinds of ways. A year of reading, collecting and living with books. In these delightful essays, pulitzer prize winner michael dirda introduces nearly ninety of the worlds most entertaining books.
Jan 10, 2012 we asked michael dirda to select books of the past 50 years that will be remembered a half century from now. We dont want to get sick ourselves, and we dont want to bring any sickness to others. 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. Michael dirda has 53 books on goodreads with 38504 ratings. Isbn 9780805083385 9780805083385 softcover, holt paperbacks, 2007. A cat that walks by himself harold bloom likes to portray himself as a weary critical prometheus, assailed by flocks of eagles. His latest volume collects fifty of his witty and wideranging reflections on a life in literature. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world who has written several books in addition to this one. 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. Michael dirda is the weekly book columnist for the washington post, and he received. He has been a fulbright fellow and won a pulitzer prize in 1993. 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. Two collections of dirda s literary journalism have been published.
In these 50 light, personal essays, dirda writes about subjects as various as favorite book titles, science fiction conventions, cursive handwriting, scholars. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book. Abc of reading new directions paperbook by ezra pound and michael dirda 1 mar 2011. 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. He is the author of a memoir, five collections of essays, and a prizewinning book about arthur conan doyle. Dirda is a book buyer par excellence and there are many enjoyable accounts and rationalisations of his fruitful browsings in used bookstores. His latest book, on conan doyle, was published in 2011 by princeton university press. The wand of the enchanter by michael dirda the new york. Titus groan, gormenghast, titus alone, by mervyn peake. Michael dirda is a fulbright fellowship recipient and pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world. 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. We asked michael dirda to select books of the past 50 years that will be remembered a half century from now. Hes the author of the memoir an open book, plus four collections of essays.
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. 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. 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 dirdas top ten 20th century works of fantasy. A young boys love affair with great literature sfgate. Michael dirda of the washington post the pulitzer prizes. And though michael kinsley, in his blurb, writes, michael dirda is the bestread person in america. Dirdas fine writing lures readers to classics for pleasure. Between the beginning of 2000 and the end of 2005 she published nineteen books.
Michael dirdas name appears weekly in the posts book world section. The main part of the story recounts dirda s intellectual progress as he moved through comic strips from the newspaper p. 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. After earning a phd in comparative literature from cornell university, the joined the washington post in 1978. Michael dirdas top ten 20th century works of fantasy the. Michael dirdas most popular book is the great gatsby. Pulitzer prizewinning writer michael dirda is one of the main reasons i read the washington post book world every sunday. Michael dirda is a weekly book columnist for the washington post and the author, most recently, of browsings. If you need more of an explanation, it is a collection of fifty essays that dirda wrote between february 2012. By michael dirda, special to the washington post sunday mar 29, 2020 at 3. A young boys love affair with great literature norton. Dec, 2019 michael dirda, a book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism.
Sorted into 11 categories loves mysteries, lives of consequence, etc. Find michael dirdas email address, contact information, linkedin, twitter, other. Michael dirda, a longtime staff writer for the washington post book world, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. Michael dirda is a pulitzer prize winning book critic who has been writing for the washington post since 1978. With its short, snappy chapters, book lust is a must for any serious readers bedside table, a literary nightcap sure to prompt sweet dreams. I suspect that these, for the most part, strike us today as strange, idiosyncratic, he says. 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. Michael dirda born 1948 is a book critic for the washington post. Michael dirda born 1948, a fulbright fellowship recipient, is a pulitzer prizewinning critic. For more than fortyfive years she has been steadily producing novels, short stories, poems, essays, plays.
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. Reflections september 2015 the mystery behind the baroness. When the world was too much with me, heres what i read. Readings, bound to please, book by book and classics for pleasure. Michael dirda the washington post journalist muck rack. Pulitzer prizewinning literary critic michael dirda, senior editor of the washington post book world, will discuss his new memoir, an open book. Nov 27, 2017 dirda is a bookbuyer par excellence and there are many enjoyable accounts and rationalisations of his fruitful browsings in used bookstores. 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. Articles by michael dirda the washington post journalist muck. He is the author of the memoir an open book and of four collections of essays.
Its essays originally appeared on the home page of the american scholar. A year of reading, collecting, and living with books. In my opinion, there are three critics that represent the current pinnacle of literary journalism. Im not about to rush out and find all of the works mentioned in this book but there are some that i am interested. Michael dirda, a weekly book columnist for the washington post, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. Mar, 2020 michael is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world with a special love for genre fiction. 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.
1423 1125 1513 459 346 614 510 1611 299 1176 217 1307 649 1603 48 1479 1016 23 272 1513 1165 564 355 940 875 940 1005 1333 147 857 845 660 696