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Esquire's Best

top seven stories

What do you think of this list?

Comments

Re: Esquire's Best

I haven't read all of them, but when I heard "Top Seven Stories" in Esquire I immediately thought of The School and The Falling Man, so the list seems right to me. Can't wait to read a couple of the others.

Re: Esquire's Best

What? These pieces of shit? They're okay.

Re: Esquire's Best

It's Esquire, yes, and not always like me to get uppity about this, but anything written by a woman, or about a woman, since Esquire has shown more than an abiding interest in women? I'd sub Susan Orlean's "The American Man at Age 10" for the Mailer piece.

Re: Esquire's Best

Oh, darn it, Kruse. There you go again.

Re: Esquire's Best

"The American Male at Age 10," is a good substitution. I'll offer another. I'm a fan of Tom Junod's writing, but the story of his I'd include is his profile of Fred Rogers. It's one of the best profiles I've ever read.

Re: Esquire's Best

Also love Michael Paterniti's Eating Jack Hooker's Cow.

Re: Esquire's Best

I completely agree with Mark about Junod's Mister Rogers article. One of the very best, most heartfelt showbiz profiles ever.

Re: Esquire's Best

Let's make it Esquire's Top 11, so we can include the stories mentioned here, as well as this Paterniti narrative

http://www.esquire.com/features/long-fall-one-eleven-heavy-0700

Re: Esquire's Best

It was summer; it was winter, right? (I'm about to open it and check)

Yup! I'm such a nerd.

This also has the creepiest fact I've ever read in a story. If a plane falls out of the sky, it takes six minutes for it to hit the ground. Six minutes! As someone who flies I lot, let me say, that freaks the shit out of me...

Re: Esquire's Best

That's impressive as hell, Wright. All I remembered was the title and the author.

Re: Esquire's Best

Well, I'm nothing if not a shameless show off, but at least I am somewhat self aware...

Re: Esquire's Best

Tom Junod's Mister Rogers profile and Susan Orlean's the American Male have GOT to make that list.

Dark horse: What about Robert Kurson's "My Favorite Teacher" in 2000? Spooky.

Re: Esquire's Best

Reid, I just read that story again. Good call. Amazing story. Such simple writing -- just great storytelling, not all dressed up. And a helluva ending. You can read it at: http://www.esquire.com/features/favorite-teacher-0300

Re: Esquire's Best

Reid, Reiter:

Completely agree with including "My Favorite Teacher" among Esquire's best. I read it over my lunch hour. Couldn't stop reading.

One question I've been wondering: Are there any of Esquire's choices that don't hold up? I have to admit I started reading the Mailer article and didn't get very far. Did others have the same experience, or have I missed out on something special by quitting so early?

Re: Esquire's Best

I had that sensation with the Vietnam piece. Couldn't get into it. With the exception of the Mailer story, which I still have not sampled, I'd read all of them long ago. Good memories of each.

Re: Esquire's Best

Where the fuck is Michael Herr?

Re: Esquire's Best

The infallible Wikipedia says he is 68 years old, retired and living in Delhi, a town in upstate New York. Internet Movie Database says his last film credit was in 1997, when he narrated the John Grisham movie "The Rainmaker." Before that, of course, he wrote the screenplays for Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now.

Re: Esquire's Best

On the list, I mean.

Re: Esquire's Best

I am currently re-reading Dispatches. So, Michael Herr is currently inside my head, reminding me that, actually, I suck at this.

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