Best American Essays 2002 (The Best American Series)
Gould, who completed this volume shortly before his recent  death, was tempted to build a collection solely of September 11  pieces, but he pulled back from the idea, saying, "We simply  cannot allow evil madmen to define history in this way."  Certainly, he found a place for several fine essays on the  terrible events of that day, and all of the essays in this  collection share a certain gravitas. Adam Mayblum narrates his  long, treacherous descent from the 87th floor of 1 World Trade  Center. "Word on the Street," by Richard Price and Anne  Hudson-Price, provides slices of post-September 11 conversation  in taxicabs, Madison Square Garden and other New York locales.  Gould has included several confessional pieces as well, with an  emphasis on medical writing. Barbara Ehrenreich questions the  effect of "relentless brightsiding" among breast cancer  survivors; and Danielle Ofri, a young physician at Bellevue  Hospital, comes to terms with her devastating misdiagnosis of a  patient. Among the more academic pieces, Mario Vargas Llosa  eloquently argues that literature is "one of the most primary  and necessary undertakings of the mind," and Louis Menand looks  at the history of American higher education since WWII. In the  aftermath of September 11, the essay has reemerged as a vital  and necessary part of our national conversation. This collection  represents a beautiful range of voices, from the scholarly to  the gut-wrenchingly personal, ultimately forming a perfectly  satisfying whole. (Oct. 15)  Forecast; With its September 11 pieces, this year's volume may  be more relevant and in demand than usual. Houghton plans a  $100,000 "Best American" marketing campaign, including floor  display for this and other series titles.Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.