A Day at the Beach: RecollectionsWith these interwoven autobiographical essays, Geoffrey Wolff, author of the acclaimed The Duke of Deception, recounts the moral (and immoral) education of a writer, friend, husband, and father, as he offers his spirited, elegant, and deeply felt observations on an extraordinary life: from wildly dysfunctional childhood Christmases to a concupiscent career teaching literature in Istanbul; from a victory over the chaos of drink to a life-affirming surrender to the majesty of the Matterhorn; and from a foundering friendship to the transcending love of family. He shares with us, then, the wisdom of an alert man learning through the unsettling collisions of time, place, and local custom, and through the force of hardship and hazard, to bring his many disparate selves together -- with astonishing high-stakes candor and dazzling literary agility. From the Trade Paperback edition. |
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Page 17
... Never , never , never begin a letter or an essay with the first person singular ? Me , myself and I were tall in the saddle those late sixties ; back then writers began many a sentence with " I. " In those days , believe me , Willy ...
... Never , never , never begin a letter or an essay with the first person singular ? Me , myself and I were tall in the saddle those late sixties ; back then writers began many a sentence with " I. " In those days , believe me , Willy ...
Page 27
... never exchanged a word with him , but I spend my Christmas allowance on a Gilbert chemistry set . I deliver it to ... never noticed me before , and I think then maybe he hasn't . I don't feel it coming , this time . From tonight on I'll ...
... never exchanged a word with him , but I spend my Christmas allowance on a Gilbert chemistry set . I deliver it to ... never noticed me before , and I think then maybe he hasn't . I don't feel it coming , this time . From tonight on I'll ...
Page 97
... never never never never never mean . I was sweet as pie : fat , dumb and happy . I'd fill my glass at two in the a.m. , and play Side A , Track 1 , John Col- trane's " Cattin ' . " By the time the needle got to the end of Side A , I'd ...
... never never never never never mean . I was sweet as pie : fat , dumb and happy . I'd fill my glass at two in the a.m. , and play Side A , Track 1 , John Col- trane's " Cattin ' . " By the time the needle got to the end of Side A , I'd ...
Contents
Apprentice | 3 |
The Great Santa | 20 |
The Sick Man of Europe | 34 |
Copyright | |
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American anchor Andrew asked beach beer believe better Blackwing boat bottom boys brother called climb close Coast College coming couple course didn't don't drink eyes face fact fall father feel feet felt fish five four friends girls give guess half hand hard head hear heard heart hundred Island Justin keep kids kind knew later laugh learned leave less light listened live look Matterhorn mean meant miles morning mountain never Nicholas night officer passed played Priscilla question sail seemed soon story sure talk tell thing thought told took turned voice waiting walk wanted watch we'd week wife wind wish wonder write young