Tag Archives: essays

The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Descriptions of Girls’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald Most writers keep notebooks. It’s a good way to jot things down, to not “lose” anything, a stray thought, an opening line, an overheard snippet of dialogue, a description. For … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Early Success’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald What an illuminating and honest essay. It is perhaps one of his most famous, and most often quoted. Fitzgerald’s first novel was published when he was 24 years old, fresh … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘The Crack-Up’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald The essay “The Crack-Up” was originally posted in three parts in Esquire magazine in 1936. It caused much consternation among Fitzgerald’s friends, many of whom felt that there are some … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Sleeping and Waking’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald I have only struggled with insomnia once in my life, during the summer of 2002. It was just a brief bout, but it was enough to make me dread it … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Auction – Model, 1934’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald The byline here again, like with ‘Show Mr. and Mrs. F–‘ is “F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald”, dated July of 1934. This is an interesting piece. A couple auctions off … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Show Mr. and Mrs F –’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald The byline here is “F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald”, and the date is “May-June 1934”. They got married in 1920. He was newly famous because of his first novel. They … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘My Lost City’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald One of my favorite essays about New York City, up there with Joan Didion’s “Goodbye to All That” and E.B. White’s “Here Is New York”. F. Scott Fitzgerald was from … Continue reading

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The Books: The Crack-Up, ‘Echoes of the Jazz Age’, by F. Scott Fitzgerald

On the essays shelf: The Crack-Up, by F. Scott Fitzgerald My friend De sent me this book years ago. It was such a thoughtful gift. Published in 1945, shortly after Fitzgerald’s untimely death, it was edited by his great friend … Continue reading

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The Books: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, ‘The P.M.’s Empire of Books’, by Anne Fadiman

On the essays shelf: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, by Anne Fadiman What a strangely moving and illuminating essay. It’s really about how to organize your book collection, in a way that does not overwhelm your environs – … Continue reading

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The Books: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, ‘My Ancestral Castles’, by Anne Fadiman

On the essays shelf: Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader, by Anne Fadiman This essay really hits home for me. It hit home when I first read it (I grew up surrounded by books), but especially now, when my … Continue reading

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