The Book of Delights: Essays
Book by Ross Gay
DETAILS
Publisher : Algonquin Books; 1st Edition (February 12, 2019) Language : English Hardcover : 288 pages ISBN-10 : 1616207922 ISBN-13 : 978-1616207922 Item Weight : 10.2 ounces Dimensions : 5.35 x 0.94 x 7.28 inches Best Sellers Rank: #19,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #48 in Essays (Books) #465 in Personal Transformation Self-Help #610 in Memoirs (Books) , The New York Times bestselling book of essays celebrating ordinary delights in the world around us by one of America's most original and observant writers, award-winning poet Ross Gay. As Heard on NPR's This American Life “Ross Gay’s eye lands upon wonder at every turn, bolstering my belief in the countless small miracles that surround us.” —Tracy K. Smith, Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. Poet Laureate The winner of the NBCC Award for Poetry offers up a spirited collection of short lyrical essays, written daily over a tumultuous year, reminding us of the purpose and pleasure of praising, extolling, and celebrating ordinary wonders. In The Book of Delights , one of today’s most original literary voices offers up a genre-defying volume of lyric essays written over one tumultuous year. The first nonfiction book from award-winning poet Ross Gay is a record of the small joys we often overlook in our busy lives. Among Gay’s funny, poetic, philosophical delights: a friend’s unabashed use of air quotes, cradling a tomato seedling aboard an airplane, the silent nod of acknowledgment between the only two black people in a room. But Gay never dismisses the complexities, even the terrors, of living in America as a black man or the ecological and psychic violence of our consumer culture or the loss of those he loves. More than anything else, though, Gay celebrates the beauty of the natural world–his garden, the flowers peeking out of the sidewalk, the hypnotic movements of a praying mantis. The Book of Delights is about our shared bonds, and the rewards that come from a life closely observed. These remarkable pieces serve as a powerful and necessary reminder that we can, and should, stake out a space in our lives for delight. Read more
REVIEW
Now that I have read this book, I am trying to recall how or where I came to know about it and what prompted me to read it in the first place. I care only because I would like to thank them. I love this book. Gay's style here is not what you might expect. So many of his "essayettes" read like he was stream-of-conscious, journaling his delight of the day and doing very little revision. But, just listening to his voice and seeing the pictures he paints about the delights he wants to share is captivating. Before I read anything about the author, it was apparent he was a poet. His words and thoughts sometimes seem to ebb and flow across the page. But they always get tied up in a beautiful bow at the end. In addition to how he writes, another clue to his poetic leaning is his power of observation. I suppose that if you are looking for a different delight every day, life being what it is and what it has been for all of us these past few years, some days you REALLY have to look hard. But he makes it seem effortless, and as you read, you realize that he appears to be surrounded by delight. I would love to cultivate vision and sensitivity like that. Some reviewers seem to have been put off by the author's oversharing. I just feel he is being as honest about how he puts on coconut oil as he is about pulling weeds in his garden. To me, this makes him more believable and makes the act of finding delight more attainable for the rest of us. The more I read, the more I loved Ross Gay and this book. I was less than halfway through before I bought copies of the book and sent them to my 3 kids and a friend. I also bought one for myself. I try and check books out at the library and only purchase what I know I will want to read again. This one will be on my reading table for a long time.
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