Summer Reading Blog Posts

The Best American Essays: 2011

Edited by Edwidge Danticat

Essay. For most people, the word essay conjures up words like tedious and boring. The average person (much less the average teenager) might have doubts about reading an anthology of essays for the first time, no matter how celebrated it is. But The Best American Essays: 2011 is different. There are pieces to really connect with- stories that are inspiring. The best thing about these essays is that though they are all enjoyable, each one is unique. The essays are written in assorted styles and have various messages, but still all speak of real life problems or teach an important lesson. The responses below have been written on some of the most realistic topics in this book- topics everyone has heard of or experienced. The life in these essays is what makes them amazing- the life is maybe what makes them some of the best essays in the collection.

(Keiger, Dale- The Best American Essays)

"A-LOC"

A human being is an animal. It eats; it sleeps; it lives instinctively. However, it cannot fly. Consequently, the human species used to look at flying as if it were impossible, something limited to birds and comic books. Therefore, the airplane is arguably one of the best inventions ever created...until it breaks or crashes. Then everything is just downhill from there.

Unfortunately, math teacher and writer Bernadette Esposito has had a fear of planes and plane crashes since she was a teenager. She was plagued by returning plane crash nightmares, and has seen more that her fair share of crashes on the news or in photographs. As a result, Esposito tried to avoid planes, only to spotlight plane crashes in much of her writing. Her well-acclaimed essay, "A-LOC", entertains its audience with a series of flashbacks and plane crash-related stories that range from background on plane crashes to an experience volunteering as a crash victim for an airport's training event. Esposito's mysterious tone, along with the flashbacks, forces her readers to piece together what is happening as they read. The author also utilizes logos, or logic, in the essay when sharing facts, statistics, and information on plane crashes; this technique makes the "plane crash" Esposito was in seem traumatic until the end of the essay, when readers discover her injuries are fake.

For the most part, "A-LOC' is an intriguing and well-written essay for fans of historically-rooted mysteries. It offers the suspense of dangerous situations and is full of interesting trivia, such as the meaning of the title itself (A-LOC, or Almost Loss of Consciousness, is time during a blackout when a person loses the ability to act on his or her thoughts). But on the other hand, "A-LOC" occasionally gives the impression that it was written for its author, or others with her same fear. Esposito tries to interrupt the depressing moments of her essay with funnier, more positive stories and flashbacks, and never says how many people had died in the plane crashes. Altogether, the essay is a piece that can be genuinely enjoyed for what it teaches, but loved for its uniqueness.

Sometimes things just go wrong....

("The safest seats are at the back of the plane"- Peter Weber) 

"Grieving"

In our world today, it is not surprising that sayings like "Money makes the world go 'round" exist. In fact, a saying like this is probably accurate. A person's job often defines them (whether they like it or not), so shouldn't a person love what they're being paid to do? Logic would say "yes". But believe it or not, loving a job does not assure someone that they'll always have it. For Dallas Durham, professor and husband of reporter/journalist Meenakshi Gigi Durham, this was never truer than when he lost his job at the University of Iowa. Dallas was a beloved teacher and colleague, expecting tenure, while his wife (the author of the "Grieving") tried to cope with her teaching job (at the same university) one day at a time. Then, one day, a letter came in the mail that explained to Dallas that he would not be receiving tenure and had, consequently, been fired. The essay highlights the Durhams' emotions and troubles as they attempted to find out why Dallas lost his position and whether or not he could ever get it back.

Despite Meenakshi Gigi Durham's experience with her prestigious career and countless published works, she knew nearly nothing about grief before her husband got laid off. Her essay is meant to inspire those who are also somewhat inexperienced with loss, or to reassure those who struggle with grief frequently.  The author reveals that grieving is not just for the dead, but also for the "everyday" things people take for granted. Durham has achieved her purpose while appearing an authority on her subject.  The essay embodies what many consider grieving to be: realizing what they had and how valuable it really was. She weaves statistics, excerpts, anecdotes, and examples throughout her writing (ex. "The U.S. Department of Education reports that only 45 percent of faculty nationwide have tenure"). Considering that nearly every American has either lost a job or been close to someone who has, "Grieving" must speak to its readers. With such a large audience, Durham's work can truly be called an "American Essay".

Why do people grieve for things that don't belong to them (i.e. a job)?

(Steig, William-A man is lying on a psychiatrist's couch.)

"Patient"

Many college graduates say that the years they spent in college were some of the best years of their lives: A chance to be more independent, explore new things and discover who they want to be in life. Often, these years also involve quite a bit of partying and travel- and traveling in college frequently goes hand-in-hand with public transportation. It's cheap, relatively fast, and easy to become familiar with. Sadly, Harvard junior Rachel Riederer became a little too familiar with a public bus when it ran over her left leg late one night in November 2002.

 "Patient", a Missouri Review essay by Riederer (who is now an editor, writer, and teacher at Columbia University), reveals the emotions and thoughts she had the night of the accident, and during the following weeks of surgery and treatment at a nearby hospital. It stresses the importance of family and good friends by narrating their Thanksgiving and Christmas visits while her leg was healing, and teaches that a terrible accident may not always have terrible effects. The author incorporates the irony of the situation (the saying "I feel like I've been hit by a bus" actually happened to her) into her usage of present-tense first person well so that readers feel like the accident just happened and she is writing diary entries throughout the event and her treatment. Riederer also deserves to be congratulated for how her writing targets teens and adults with humor both can appreciate, but still treats the humor as a way to break up the serious moments of the story (so that those moments are not overwhelming and her purpose is accomplished). Another great thing about her writing is that even though the topic could be described with disgusting vocabulary, Riederer explains the events of the incident with a calm, more optimistic attitude that keeps the essay compelling. This essay is not at all tiring, and does not leave its readers feeling as though they were hit by a bus.

A hospital is not a home without friends and family

(Denis Campbell- "NHS cuts...")

"The Washing"

Nobody really wants to touch a body. It is just something that has to be done when a person dies. For stereotypical American funerals, the process is simple: the body is dressed and prepared for burial, family and friends say goodbye during a ceremony, and then the body goes in the ground. The family does not actually participate in preparing the corpse. Yet, this is not always the case. According to Muslim funeral traditions, it is an extreme honor for family members of the same gender as the dead to wash the body. "The Washing" tells the story of how author and Muslim second-generation Pakistani immigrant Reshma Memon Yaqub was given the chance to wash the body of her brother's fiancée’s grandmother, Dadee, when no actual relatives were available to help.

It was an unexpected opportunity; Dadee had traveled from her home in South Africa in order to attend the wedding of her granddaughter and Yaqub's brother, only to suddenly have a heart attack and die before the wedding. The essay is a beautifully-written account of a common Muslim custom (the body washing process) that entertains its readers and shares Muslim culture at the same time. It is perfect for both those familiar with the process and those who had never heard of body washing previously, making it an ideal and fascinating introduction to the tradition. Yaqub uses her skills as a magazine contributor and writer to flawlessly include definitions, allusions ("I'm starting to feel as though I'm trapped in one of those old I Love Lucy episodes..."), and the use of pathos, or emotional sympathy. Readers can understand how uncomfortable the author feels at moments during the process, but also how much the ritual means to her afterwards. "The Washing" is a symbol of how important it is to continue to love someone when he or she is dead, and an inspiration to conquer fear over death.

Is it harder to wash the body of someone you know and love, or someone you just met?

(Jeddah Beauty- The Body Shop Chocomania Soap)

"What Broke My Father's Heart"

Family is something every person on earth can connect to, a foundation of human society. It offers a feeling of belonging, and since family is so vital, it's no wonder that many writers choose to center their work on it. Journalist and popular author Katy Butler is no different, writing about her family's life after moving to America. Though she is most famous for the piece "What Broke My Father's Heart", Butler has been awarded for her other writing as well. Besides topics on family, the devout Buddhist also writes about religion and ethics (like whether or not pacemakers are humane).

The essay "What Broke My Father's Heart" focuses on the message that even though technology may PHYSICALLY save someone's life, it is not always MENTALLY or SOCIALLY beneficial. Butler's retired father, Jeffery, was given a pacemaker before a surgery. Having had a stroke recently before, Butler's father now had dementia and was not physically or mentally functional enough to decide himself to receive a pacemaker or not. His wife decided for him, not knowing the battery would last ten years. Then, 5 years after the pacemaker was installed, Butler and her mother struggle with the decision to turn off the pacemaker and let Jeffery die peacefully. This essay is geared towards readers who may be in the same situation: they are part of families of elderly loved ones, readers who may have dealt with something similar before (i.e. my grandmother has dementia). Butler wants to educate others about what the pacemaker really did for her family- cause stress and take away their trust of doctors.

Butler did achieve her purpose of educating others. She uses credible sources, defines vocabulary well, and speaks in a tone of experience and love, not bias. Readers are given background information on what pacemakers and similar devices can really do, and can see how important the topic is to Butler. The essay written stylistically like a story, with anecdotes, even though its purpose is to teach. All in all, the piece is artful and emotional, not stiff, informative, and "medical".

Once a pacemaker is installed, it's a part of that person's body.

(Notre Dame- "Pacemaker is a Troublemaker")