Once, during a train trip, the worldfamous author overheard one of his sons comment on the ugliness of. Member national book critics circle former board directors. Michael dirda, who won a pulitzer prize for distinguished criticism at the washington post book world, is the author of an open book, bound to please, and. Indeed, along with the book s 200 line drawings and 24 color plates, the best part of the world of edward gorey may be the photographs of the artists dilapidated, book strewn house on cape cod. 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.
Post book world print edition postmortem books to the. A year of reading, collecting, and living with books, a collection of his essays on the book world. Norton, 2003 winner of the 2004 ohioana award for nonfiction. Michael dirda he is the author of a memoir, five collections of essays, and a prizewinning book about arthur conan doyle. A celebration of the greatest kind of shop in the world, by an awardwinning cast of writers including ali smith, michael dirda, elif shafak and daniel kehlmann.
We asked michael dirda to select books of the past 50 years that will be remembered a half century from now. 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, united states of america book. Its essays originally appeared on the home page of the american scholar. Arthur conan doyle wrote more than detective novels. Notes on reading and lifethe rapport between a reader and his or her book is almost like that between lovers. One of the pleasures of summer holidays is choosing just the right books to pack along on the annual visit to the beach. In some ways, its an oldfashioned commonplace book, lardy with lists of quotations from literary notables. Dirda graduated with highest honors in english from oberlin college and received a ph. Michael dirda, who won a pulitzer prize for distinguished criticism at the washington post book world, is the author of an open book, bound to please, and readings. Conan doyle himself viewed these courtly and martial virtues as sacrosanct. The relationship grows, envelops a life, lays out new prospects and ways of seeing oneself and the future, is filled with moments of joy and sorrow. Michael dirda s most popular book is the great gatsby. In describing his boyhood in the small, bluecollar town of lorain, ohio, as the precocious, misfit son of a nurturing mother and an often gruff steelmill worker father.
Michael dirda is a columnist for the washington post book world. Michael dirda is a weekly book columnist for the washington post and the author, most recently, of browsings. Pulitzer prizewinning book critic michael dirda talks about his book browsings. Michael dirda has 53 books on goodreads with 38105 ratings. 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. Michael dirda is a fulbright fellowship recipient and pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world. Michael dirda s list of the best tomes for the holiday bookworm. Blood turns out to be an operative word, so to speak, for dirda, having written about the western literary canon and the pleasures of tackling challenging books, turns to a lighter subject with his newest book, on conan. A cat that walks by himself harold bloom likes to portray himself as a weary critical prometheus, assailed by flocks of eagles. Michael dirda interview a love affair with books youtube. Michael dirda is currently considered a single author. One of the pleasures of summer holidays is choosing just the right books. Michael dirda books list of books by author michael dirda.
Michael dirda, a longtime staff writer for the washington post book world, received the 1993 pulitzer prize for criticism. John sutherland an expert on popular fiction sent the washington posts book world his list of the 20 worst bestsellers of the 20th century. A positively, final appearance ending up book projects money a dreamers tale let us now praise dover books books for the holidays christmas reading in praise of small presses poe and. For those who dont know, michael dirda is a pulitzerwinning literary critic, author of several of those guides to challenging books for those who dont usually like challenging books. Dirda, winner of the pulitzer prize for criticism and a longtime editor of washington post book world, has jettisoned those credentials and roared out onto the road to dr. Michael dirda, books columnist for the washington post, is a readers reader, a man whose blood flows black with the ink absorbed from the libraries hes devoured.
Chow down on crab cakes with pulitzer prizewinning book. I suspect that these, for the most part, strike us today as strange, idiosyncratic, he says. Michael dirda born 1948, a fulbright fellowship recipient, is a pulitzer prizewinning critic. The bearable lightness of michael dirda washington free. Michael is a pulitzer prizewinning columnist for the washington post book world with a special love for genre fiction. Michael dirda s book, an open book chapters from a readers life, is an autobiographical account of his love affair with reading from his preschool years through his college education at oberlin, an account that resonated with my own experience in many ways, both of us having been midwesterners from uneducated families that nonetheless. For freelance assignments, speaking opportunities, and other inquiries, please use the form at left to contact me. As warm and stimulating as a library to which one returns again and. But in 50 years, they will have done something new that the next generation will appreciate in ways we cant predict. A cabinet of curiosities, a time machine, a treasure trove we love bookshops because they possess a unique kind of magic. Michael dirda born 1948 is a book critic for the washington post.
Augustus carp, by himself henry howarth bashford 5. His latest book, on conan doyle, was published in 2011 by princeton university press. 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. Hes the author of the memoir an open book, plus four collections of essays. A popular lecturer and commencement speaker, he lives with his family in silver spring, maryland. After earning a phd in comparative literature from cornell university, the joined the washington post in 1978. A year of reading, collecting, and living with books. Dirda was born in lorain, ohio, graduated with highest honors in english from oberlin college, and received a. He has been a fulbright fellow and won a pulitzer prize in 1993. Philip pullman returns to the world of his dark materials with the secret commonwealth. The second in the book of dust trilogy is lengthy but worth the time investment. Readings, bound to please, book by book and classics for pleasure. The worlds greatest mystery writers on the worlds greatest mystery novels by john connolly and declan burke atria atria.
If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Dirda talks about his transition from working as the editor of the washington posts book world section to his current wideranging freelance. Dirda, columnist for the washington post book world and a recipient of the pulitzer prize for his lucid, expert, and just criticism, traces the bookstrewn path that led to his life as a literary journalist with a wistful sense of wonder and gratitude. Recipient pulitzer prize for distinguished criticism, 1993. A fulbright fellow and pulitzer prizewinning critic, dirda has written. Michael dirda born 1948, a fulbright fellowship recipient, is a pulitzer prizewinning book critic for the washington post. Pulitzer prizewinning writer michael dirda is one of the main reasons i read the washington post book world every sunday. A year of reading, collecting and living with books will be published in book form in 2015.
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