The Fun of It: Stories from The Talk of the Town Feb 27, '08 7:01 AM

Various Writers, Edited by Lillian Ross


This has served as my toilet-side book for years.

192 essays written by various authors like EB White (of White & Strunk fame), Lillian Ross, John Updike, and even Jacqueline Onassis. Not just commentaries on slices of life, but also the most ingenious ways of disguising 5W reporting.

Lifted from The Talk of the Town column of The New Yorker magazine, the collection starts in the 1920s and spans 9 decades of crisp yet descriptive writing. Each essay is concise - a thousand words or less. Perfect for toilet-reading. 1 piece a visit.

One of the last pieces I read , Intensive Care by Susan Orlean who talked about her brief talking part in "All My Children" and The Smell by John Seasbrook, had me smiling. I was sad when I finished the book and had to finally put it back in the shelf.”