Graywolf reissues one of its most successful essay collections with two new essays and a new forward by Charles Baxter.
Burning Down the House
Essays on Fiction
- “[The book] is a pleasure to read, and it performs an important function—by mucking around in the problems that plague contemporary fiction, Burning Down the House may spur . . . constructive thought.”—The New York Times Book Review
In eleven brilliant essays Charles Baxter displays his characteristic wit and intelligence as he muses about the influences of culture and politics on the art of storytelling. As much a rumination on the state of literature as a technical manual for aspiring writers, Burning Down the House has been enjoyed by readers and taught in classrooms for over a decade. Readers are rewarded with thoughtful analysis, humorous one-liners, and plenty of brush fires that continue burning long after the book is closed.
$16.00
About the Author
Credit: Keri Pickett
Praise
- “In nine brilliant essays, Baxter displays his characteristic wit and intelligence as he muses about the influences of culture and politics on the art of storytelling.”—Ploughshares
- “Mr. Baxter [has a] rare ability to gauge the capacities of fiction for conveying an image not only of individual existence, but of the characteristic feel of a time, a culture, a way of life.”—The Washington Times
