To Show and to Tell: The Craft of Literary Nonfiction [Paperback]

A long-awaited new book on personal writing from Phillip Lopate—celebrated essayist, the director of Columbia University’s nonfiction program, and editor ofThe Art of the Personal Essay.

Distinguished author Phillip Lopate, editor of the celebrated anthologyThe Art of the Personal Essay,is universally acclaimed as “one of our best personal essayists” (Dallas Morning News). Here, combining more than forty years of lessons from his storied career as a writer and professor, he brings us this highly anticipated nuts-and-bolts guide to writing literary nonfiction. A phenomenal master class shaped by Lopate’s informative, accessible tone and immense gift for storytelling,To Show and To Tellreads like a long walk with a favorite professor—refreshing, insightful, and encouraging in often unexpected ways.“[To Show and To Tell] gives away all his trade secrets – a thoughtful guidebook for writers of literary nonfiction.”“One of the best guides to writing nonfiction I've read.”“Sophisticated… Lopate, a consummate and piquant essayist,…draws on his extensive teaching experience in this expert, anecdotal, funny, and frank guide to writing “intelligent, satisfying, engaging literary nonfiction.” Even in a how-to book, Lopate can’t help but write lithe and sparring personal essays… Never one to accept received wisdom, Lopate encourages writers to go beyond the safe, facile, and sentimental.”“One of the Earls of Essay returns with a collection that illustrates both his knowledge of the genre and his considerable skill in practicing it… A useful collection of bracing thoughts and sinuous sentences.”“At last--a reliable guide to the signature genre of the age. Phillip Lopate's tour of literary nonfiction includes brilliant and helpful considerations of the essay and memoir, placing them and their vexing quel³*