Nonfiction Essays

What’s a novelist supposed to do with contemporary culture? And what’s contemporary culture sup­posed to do with novelists? In The Ecstasy of Influence, Jonathan Lethem, tangling with what he calls the “white elephant” role of the writer as public intellectual, arrives at an astonishing...

In a book that begins with a series of lynchings and ends with a series of apologies, Eula Biss explores race in America. Her response to the topic is informed by the experiences chronicled in these essays - teaching in a Harlem school on the morning of 9/11, reporting for an African American newspaper in San Diego, watching the aftermath of Katrina from a college town in Iowa, and settling in Chicago’s most diverse neighborhood.

In How to Write an Excellent Personal Statement, Quincy Washington, an alumnus of the London School of Economics and the Founder of PlaceCoach—a trusted leader for university applications—guides you along each step of the writing process for your college admissions essay. You will benefit from insider knowledge and tips, as well as real-life examples from students’ personal statements and college admissions essays.

Kendra Allen’s first collection of essays—at its core—is a bunch of mad stories about things she never learned to let go of. Unifying personal narrative and cultural commentary, this collection grapples with the lessons that have been stored between parent and daughter. These parental relationships expose the conditioning that subconsciously informed her ideas on social issues such as colorism, feminism, war-induced PTSD, homophobia, marriage, and “the n-word,” among other things.

Best-selling and Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie offers incisive, often humorous takes on literature, culture, and world events in this New York Times Notable Book. In these stimulating pieces, Rushdie addresses a variety of subjects, including the death of the novel, India, soccer, and the Rolling Stones.

Brought to you by Penguin. Two leading thinkers present alternative answers to one of the most difficult and divisive questions of our times: Is free speech under threat? Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, the leading free expression organisation, argues that alongside the necessary and...

Jiordan's family was never quite like everyone else's, with her father's mood swings, her mother's attempts at normalcy, and her two older sisters with a different last name. But on the surface, they fit in. Until the day the FBI came knocking on the door. After that, her father's mood plunged to a dangerous new low. After that, there was an investigation into his business and a sentencing in court. Soon Jiordan's father would have to leave home, and her family would change forever.

The Path of Light is a collection of short stories nothing if not a mirror to the phenomenal range of human behaviour. Taken from the Upanishads to the Jatakas to South Asian folklore, these simple but contemplative tales show how people are capable of both extreme cruelty and inordinate...

A thoughtful collection of soul-soothing writing, O’s Little Book of Calm & Comfort is the antidote to life’s trying times. Featuring essays and interviews from some of the most celebrated contributors to O, The Oprah Magazine, this heartening collection offers solace, wisdom, and connection...

Physicist Brian Greene describes how an awareness of our small place in the universe can inspire personal strength, in "Science Nourishes the Mind and the Soul," his contribution to NPR's This I Believe series. This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the...

In her contribution to NPR's This I Believe series, novelist Isabelle Allende reflects on how her daughter's life--and death--taught her that "In Giving I Connect With Others". This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing...

Bill Gates discusses his optimism that creativity and intelligence will make the world a better place in "Unleashing the Power of Creativity," his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series. This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the...

Former Secretary of State, and first generation American, Colin Powell explains the importance of remaining an open and welcoming nation for NPR's This I Believe series. This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans, from the famous to the unknown, completing the...

In this essay originally aired in the 1950s, baseball legend Jackie Robinson reflects on fighting imperfection to create a better world in "Free Minds and Hearts at Work", his contribution to NPR’s This I Believe series. This I Believe is a National Public Radio program that features Americans...

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

For Your Information: A "Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?" essay by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline "Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat?" is s collection of funny stories and true confessions that every woman can relate to by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella--the...

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.