Publisher's Synopsis
A primer on writing and journalism from a New Yorker legend . For nearly fifty years, Lillian Ross has been writing remarkable literary journalism for The New Yorker. Her unerring "Talk" pieces and her incisive profiles have won her a legion of admirers. Many credit The New Yorker for inspiring the refinement of literary journalism, and Ross was an integral part of that effort. Her books Picture and Portrait of Hemingway were recently listed as two of the twentieth century's 100 best works of journalism, and Hemingway himself called Picture "much better than most novels."With panache, wit, and her own inimitable style, Lillian Ross dissects the question of what makes a good reporter and what constitutes good journalism. With fifty years of writing experience, she has much to say of her half century of working at The New Yorker for her three editors and writing pieces and profiles noted for their freshness, liveliness, irreverence, and humor. A primer on good writing, infused with examples and anecdotes from her own writing career, it is also the unforgettable record of a life dedicated to the pursuit of excellence.
