A dazzling anthology of essays by some of the best writers of the past quarter century-from Barry Lopez and Margo Jefferson to David Sedaris and Samantha Irby-selected by acclaimed essayist Phillip Lopate. The first decades of the twenty-first century have witnessed a blossoming of creative nonfiction. In this extraordinary collection, Phillip Lopate gathers essays by forty-seven of America's best contemporary writers, mingling long-established eminences with newer voices and making room for a wide variety of perspectives and styles. The Contemporary American Essay is a monument to a remarkably adaptable form and a treat for anyone who loves fantastic writing. Hilton Als . Nicholson Baker . Thomas Beller . Sven Birkerts .Eula Biss . Mary Cappello . Anne Carson . Terry Castle . Alexander Chee . Teju Cole . Bernard Cooper . Sloane Crosley . Charles D'Ambrosio . Meghan Daum . Brian Doyle .Geoff Dyer . Lina Ferreira . Lynn Freed . Rivka Galchen . Ross Gay . Louise Gl ck . Emily Fox Gordon .Patricia Hampl . Aleksandar Hemon . Samantha Irby . Leslie Jamison . Margo Jefferson . Laura Kipnis . David Lazar . Yiyun Li . Phillip Lopate . Barry Lopez . Thomas Lynch . John McPhee . Ander Monson . Eileen Myles . Maggie Nelson . Meghan O'Gieblyn . Joyce Carol Oates . Darryl Pinckney . Lia Purpura . Karen Russell . David Sedaris . Shifra Sharlin . David Shields . Floyd Skloot . Rebecca Solnit . Clifford Thompson . Wesley Yang An Anchor Original.