Book

Reporting: Writings from The New Yorker

📖 Overview

Reporting: Writings from The New Yorker collects David Remnick's notable pieces from his time as a staff writer and editor of the magazine. The anthology spans decades and includes profiles of political figures, athletes, writers, and cultural icons. The collection showcases Remnick's range as he moves between subjects like Philip Roth, Muhammad Ali, and Vladimir Putin. His reporting takes readers from the collapse of the Soviet Union to the boxing rings of Atlantic City to the literary circles of New York. Each piece demonstrates Remnick's ability to capture both granular details and broader historical context in his subjects' lives. The profiles reveal complex personalities through interviews, observations, and historical research. The compilation illuminates how individual stories intersect with major cultural and political shifts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Through these collected works, patterns emerge about power, ambition, and the relationship between public personas and private realities.

👀 Reviews

Readers cite Remnick's clear writing style and ability to capture complex personalities through detailed reporting. Many highlight his profiles of Muhammad Ali, Philip Roth, and Don DeLillo as standouts for their depth and insight into the subjects' lives and work. Common praise focuses on: - In-depth research and access to sources - Balance of personal details with broader cultural context - Clean, uncluttered prose style Main criticisms: - Some pieces feel dated or too tied to specific moments in time - A few readers found certain profiles overly long - Collection lacks thematic cohesion between pieces Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (147 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (21 reviews) One Goodreads reviewer noted: "Remnick excels at showing how his subjects think and work rather than just listing their accomplishments." An Amazon reviewer wrote: "The profiles read like short stories but maintain journalistic integrity."

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🤔 Interesting facts

📚 Before becoming editor of The New Yorker in 1998, David Remnick won a Pulitzer Prize for his book "Lenin's Tomb," about the fall of the Soviet Union. 🖋️ The essays in "Reporting" span nearly 15 years and include profiles of subjects ranging from Al Gore to Mike Tyson to Philip Roth. 🗞️ Remnick started his career as a staff writer at The Washington Post, where he served as Moscow correspondent during the collapse of communism. 📖 Many of the pieces in "Reporting" were significantly expanded from their original New Yorker versions, with Remnick adding new material and deeper context. 🏆 Under Remnick's leadership, The New Yorker has won 49 National Magazine Awards and is widely considered one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the world.