Loitering

Loitering is a collection of essays by Charles D'Ambrosio that spans two decades of his writing career. The pieces range from personal narratives to cultural criticism to reportage. D'Ambrosio travels through the Pacific Northwest and beyond, writing about Russian orphanages, whale hunters, utopian communities, and life in Seattle. His observations move between intimate family stories and broader investigations of American culture and society. The essays examine isolation, faith, family relationships, and the spaces between people trying to connect. Many pieces center on individuals living at society's edges and the author's attempts to understand their circumstances. The collection raises questions about belonging and purpose in contemporary American life. Through both journalism and memoir, D'Ambrosio explores how people create meaning and find their place in an uncertain world.

Readers appreciate D'Ambrosio's honest, self-reflective writing style and his ability to weave personal experiences into broader social commentary. Many note his skill at finding profound meaning in seemingly mundane observations. The essays about his family relationships and Pacific Northwest settings resonate particularly strongly. Common criticisms include the dense, sometimes meandering prose style and occasional self-indulgence in certain pieces. Some readers found the pacing uneven and a few essays less compelling than others. "His sentences are so carefully constructed they deserve multiple reads," notes one Goodreads reviewer, while another states "the writing sometimes gets in its own way." Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (1,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (50+ ratings) LibraryThing: 4.3/5 (100+ ratings) The essay "Degrees of Gray in Philipsburg" receives frequent mention as a standout piece, with readers praising its exploration of small-town American life.

Notes from No Man's Land by Eula Biss Essays that examine American identity through personal experience and cultural history with unflinching attention to race, class, and privilege.

The Art of the Personal Essay by Phillip Lopate A collection of essays spanning centuries and continents that demonstrates the same questioning spirit and intellectual rigor found in D'Ambrosio's work.

This Is Between Us by Kevin Sampsell A Portland-set narrative that captures the Pacific Northwest's mood and everyday moments with the same precise observation as D'Ambrosio's essays.

The Next American Essay by John D'Agata Essays that push boundaries between fact and fiction while maintaining the same commitment to exploring human truth that characterizes D'Ambrosio's writing.

Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan Essays that blend reporting, memoir, and cultural criticism while exploring American life through a similar lens of intellectual curiosity and detailed observation.

📚 Charles D'Ambrosio wrote many of these essays while living in a small trailer in remote Washington state, choosing isolation to focus on his craft 🖋️ The collection spans 20 years of D'Ambrosio's writing career and includes pieces previously published in his rare, limited-edition collection "Orphans" 🏆 "Loitering" received widespread critical acclaim, with The New York Times calling D'Ambrosio "one of the strongest, smartest and most literate essayists practicing today" 🎭 Several essays in the collection explore D'Ambrosio's complex family history, including his father's bipolar disorder and his two brothers' suicides 📝 The book's title essay examines teenage suicide in Seattle during the 1990s grunge era, weaving personal narrative with journalism in D'Ambrosio's signature style