About this item
A dishy, incisive exploration of gossipfrom celebrity rumors to literary romans clef, from personal sniping to political slanderby one of our great essayists David BrooksTo his successful examinations of some of the most powerful forces in modern lifeenvy, ambition, snobbery, friendshipthe keen observer and critic Joseph Epstein now adds Gossip. No trivial matter, despite its reputation, gossip is eternal and necessary. Himself a master of the art, Epstein serves up delightful mini-biographies of the Great Gossips of the Western World along with many choice bits from his own experience. He also makes a powerful case that gossip has morphed from its old-fashioned bestclever, mocking, a great private pleasureto a corrosive new-school version, thanks to the reach of the mass media and the Internet.
About the Author
JOSEPH EPSTEIN is the author of the best-selling Snobbery and of Friendship, as well as the short story collections The Goldin Boys and Fabulous Small Jews, among other books, and was formerly editor of the American Scholar. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, and other magazines.
