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Title: Storied Nonfiction
Review: Joseph Mitchell is perhaps the best argument for never bothering to write again. He has said it. Why bother?This book is a collection of four books, including the classic Joe Gould's Secret (the last piece he ever wrote). He shows us what writing is meant to be: lyrical, poetic, filled with detail and observation, full of life about life full of meaning.The Rivermen, which details the life and times of Edgewater, New Jersey, is my favorite piece. It dodges and meanders, building a backdrop and developing some characters, and then WHAM, the meaning of life. I remember my wife asking me what the piece had been about, and I think my only clear response was: everything.He has style, and he also has meaning. His prose drives the reader toward his final sentence, and like Joyce he manages to leave the reader awed at his conclusions. And wiser.Of course, the most astonishing aspect of all is that it was all true. I suppose that shows how much meaning we miss in the living of life.
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