The Best American Essays 2016

August 29, 2016
In choosing the essays for this thought-provoking volume, guest editor Franzen (Purity) used risk as his main criterion: specifically, did the author take one? And his selections do indeed go to risky, sensitive places. Most of all, they do what the essay form arguably does best: engaging the personal in order to reach larger themes. There are several standouts even among this stellar company, such as Joyce Carol Oates’s gut-wrenching story of her severely autistic younger sister, and Jaquira Díaz’s vivid telling of being abused as a child. Francisco Cantú’s diary of becoming a border patrol agent is gripping. Laura Kipnis’s exploration of sexual consent guidelines about relationships between students and college professors is startlingly candid. Alexander Chee and Mason Stokes both grapple with questions of queer identity, and Jill Sisson Quinn makes unexpectedly poignant connections between wanting to adopt a child and her love of salamander watching. The collection also includes one of the last pieces written by Oliver Sacks before his death in 2015. As Franzen notes in his excellent introduction, and as his selections prove, the essay form forces authors to take measure of themselves, and allows the reader to do so as well.

Starred review from December 1, 2016

Franzen, one of America's most important novelists, edits this year's entry of the Best American Essays. He chooses "risk" as his primary selection criterion, by which he means writing that not only takes stylistic chances but also threatens to upset readers and call into question the writer's own credibility. In the opening piece, "Bajadas," Francisco Cantu describes his experiences as a border cop in New Mexico. In "Girl," Alexander Chee reflects on the power of a woman's beauty, as experienced as a man in drag. And in "Ordinary Girls," Jaquira Diaz presents a haunting account of herself as a 13-year-old girl, coming of age despite attempted suicides that were spurred by her mentally ill mother's abuse and neglect. Indeed, "risk" does operate as the unifying theme in this anthology both in form and content. And while it could invite the opportunity for lurid sensationalism, that is not the case here. These essays surprise, but only in the service of important human truths. While many anthology collections tend to be hit or miss, these are all hits. They are also topical, sparking conversations crucial to understanding today's political climate. VERDICT If one were to buy only one book of Best American Essays, this might be it.--Meagan Lacy, Guttman Community Coll., CUNY

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