The Best American Essays 2010

This selection of the year's outstanding essays of literary achievement at first appears to be a book for those J.D. Salinger called "lifetime English major[s]." Entries such as "The Murder of Leo Tolstoy" by Elif Batuman, "Lunching on Olympus" by Steven L. Isenberg, and "A Fine Rage" by James Woods all focus on the essayist's reaction to meeting or reading the works of famous authors such as George Orwell and Philip Larkin. After digging further into the collection of 21 entries, however, readers will discover gems that quickly move the book beyond the realm of an English class curriculum. "The Elegant Eyeball" by John Gamel explains a doctor's duty when healing has failed to accompany patients on the "lonely road to disability and death." Matt Labash's "A Rake of Progress" takes readers through several days in the Washington, DC, life of Marion Barry, the former mayor and current council member, who blames other people for his drug and tax problems. "The Dead Book" by Jane Churchon details the respect and dignity required of a nursing supervisor asked to pronounce "Mrs. Jones" dead.