Both humorous and serious ... Trillin is a diligent reporter and a subtle writer, and his prose reads as though it were both effortlessly written and carefully, painstakingly crafted ... Paints a portrait of a disappearing journalistic world — of newspapers, mostly, but also of magazines. It contains not a whiff of sentimentality; Trillin is too clear-eyed for that. But readers might feel bereft, noting how much has changed in the 60 years since he started writing, how diminished newspapers have become, how robust newspaper wars once were, how many larger-than-life writers have died or moved on. In short, how things used to be in the trade.
This book is buoyant and crunchy from end to end ... Trillin’s understatement matters because through it he resolves the traumas of life into humane comedy ... Maybe he included this lesser stuff for the same reason he once proposed that The New Yorker intentionally print one cartoon in each issue that isn’t funny.
Calvin Trillin is an annoyingly good writer ... Clearly, he's good. The annoying part is that he's good at everything. Trillin immerses himself in his stories. He doesn't just interview the subject of his articles, but also their friends and their friends' friends. Also, he is simply a gifted writer, with a stylish way with words ... There are so many quotable sections, I don't know where to stop.
Trillin engages readers through a veritable history of journalism that meanders through decades, subjects, and personalities ... Perfect for those interested in journalism and readers of the New Yorker. This work also offers older readers and Trillin’s longtime fans a chance to reminisce.
Trillin presents a clever, wry, piercing, and even poetic love song to journalism and the writers, editors, columnists, and readers who show, with every word, that they are the people’s champions.
Trillin covers a half-century of journalism with his usual droll observations. A self-described 'jester among the jackals of the press' skewers and praises in equal measure in this entertaining work.
Invaluable ... This book should be savored by admirers, critics, and practitioners of journalism and journalists, as well as anyone who appreciates first-rate writing, humor, and engaging reporting. A brilliant compilation.
