Robert Atwan, the founder of The Best American Essays series, has put together a list for Publishersweekly.com of the 10 best essays since 1950. Tracker readers will be glad to hear that a few examples of fine science writing made the cut.
Some of these pieces are well known to anyone who’s had a few semesters of English literature in college–James Baldwin‘s “Notes of a Native Son” and Norman Mailer‘s “The White Negro,” for example.
Some are less well known, including what sounds like a fascinating essay by the science and nature writer John McPhee. The essay–“The Search for Marvin Gardens”–compares the properties in the game Monopoly with the town that inspired them–the real, deteriorating Atlantic City.
The science (or science-ish) entries include David Foster Wallace‘s “Consider the Lobster” and Edward Hoagland‘s “Heaven and Nature.”
Take a look, and leave your suggestions for best postwar essays–or best science essays–in the comments, if you please.
-Paul Raeburn
x-man says
hmmm, nice essay. in my country has a essay to and i love it
awesome for me as beginners