Near-Death Experiences . . . and Others

Near-Death Experiences . . . and Others

<p><b>A new collection of immersive essays from the most acclaimed editor of the second half of the twentieth century</b></p><p>This new collection from the legendary editor Robert Gottlieb features twenty or so pieces he€s written mostly for <i>The New York Review of Books</i>, ranging from reconsiderations of American writers such as Dorothy Parker, Thornton Wilder, Thomas Wolfe (€œgenius€), and James Jones, to Leonard Bernstein, Lorenz Hart, Lady Diana Cooper (€œthe most beautiful girl in the world€), the actor-assassin John Wilkes Booth, the scandalous movie star Mary Astor, and not-yet president Donald Trump.</p><p> The writings compiled here are as various as they are provocative: an extended probe into the world of post-death experiences; a sharp look at the biopics of transcendent figures such as Shakespeare, Moli¨re, and Austen; a soap opera-ish movie account of an alleged affair between Chanel and Stravinsky; and a copious sampling of the dance reviews he€s been writing for <i>The New York Observer</i> for close to twenty years. A worthy successor to his expansive 2011 collection, <i>Lives and Letters</i>, and his admired 2016 memoir, <i>Avid Reader</i>, <i>Near-Death Experiences</i> displays the same insight and intellectual curiosity that have made Gottlieb, in the words of <i>The New York Times</i>€s Dwight Garner, €œthe most acclaimed editor of the second half of the twentieth century.€</p>