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