Anthony Brandt, editor

The Pushcart Book of Essays

To commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of The Pushcart Prize: its best essays, by the biggest names in the field of contemporary criticism.

From the very start in 1976, the editors of The Pushcart Prize recognized and celebrated the essay, and over the years the series has witnessed the development of many forms of the genre, including a strong renaissance in the personal essay. This monumental collection selects opinions and reflections on much of the social, literary, and political history of recent decades, by authors including Andre Dubus, Thomas Lynch, Charles Simic, Frederick Busch, Louise Erdrich, Charles Baxter, Vicki Hearne, Joyce Carol Oates, Philip Lopate, Donald Barthelme, Seamus Heaney, William Kitteredge, Franklin Burroughs, Naomi Shihab Nye, and many more.

"The single best measure of the state of affairs in American literature today."—New York Times Book Review

"The Pushcart Prize is essential."—Library Journal

"Those who despair of finding good writing in mass media America need look no further than The Pushcart Prize."—Booklist