New York City has always been seen as a magical place by creative people, including writers. And countless writers have made their way to the Big Apple. Many of them have found their fortunes, but they also found quite a few challenges.
This conundrum is examined in the book Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York edited by Sari Botton.
Inspired by an essay of the same name by Joan Didion, this collection of essays takes both an enthusiastic and critical look of New York. Most remembrances take place from the 1970s through the 1990s. The writers moved from cities, suburbia, and small towns. They wanted to find success both professionally and personally. But they also describe in touching detail about their setbacks and struggles. These include tales about money troubles, crime, career woes and love gone wrong.
The writers include such notables as Roxane Gay, Dani Shapiro, Meghan Daum, and Cheryl Strayed.
Every essay reminded me why New York is such a beacon to creative people. New York is the ultimate place to be a writer and Goodbye to All That reminds me why.
thebookselfblog 