The Writer as Illusionist - (Nonpareil Books) by William Maxwell (Hardcover)

About the Book

"As a fiction editor at The New Yorker from 1936 to 1975, William Maxwell helped shaped several generations' sense of the literary short story. At the same time, Maxwell himself was also an exceptional novelist, short story writer, essayist, children's author, and memoirist. Given unique, unfettered access to Maxwell's private papers, Alec Wilkson--whose memoir My Mentor explores his twenty-five-year friendship with Maxwell--has gathered a ... collection of some of Maxwell's lesser-known and previously unpublished works of nonfiction and fiction"--

Book Synopsis

"Illuminating . . . Handling strong emotions--shame, love, grief--without fuss, Maxwell gives the bald facts of life a poignant shimmer."--Wall Street Journal

As a fiction editor at The New Yorker from 1936 to 1975, William Maxwell helped shaped several generations' sense of the literary short story. At the same time, Maxwell himself was also an exceptional novelist, short story writer, essayist, children's author, and memoirist.

Given unique, unfettered access to Maxwell's private papers, Alec Wilkson--whose memoir My Mentor explores his twenty-five-year friendship with Maxwell--has gathered a stunning and revealing collection of some of Maxwell's lesser-known and previously unpublished works of nonfiction and fiction.

The Writer as Illusionist includes biographical sketches; remembrances of fellow authors, such as the poet Louise Bogan and short story writer Maeve Brennan; a 1941 nonfiction piece about Bermuda that was the only piece of long reporting Maxwell ever published in The New Yorker; and Maxwell's thoughts on the craft of writing, many of them made privately.

While Maxwell often said he never kept a journal because anything worth writing about was something a writer would remember, The Writer as Illusionist proves otherwise: included are many notes from his private journals, including some that became parts of his revered novels, such as The Folded Leaf.

Re-reading Maxwell's work leads Wilkinson to think "I am still often amazed--at the subtlety of the art, the depth of what he saw, at his capacity for dramatizing situations that require a rare hand and eye."

Maxwell passed away in 2000 at the age of ninety-one. The Writer as Illusionist celebrates his legacy in American letters and is part of Godine's Nonpareil series.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Writer as Illusionist

"Moving....Maxwell readers will appreciate the insights into his life and writing."
--The New Criterion

"A guaranteed delight for fans of Maxwell's and New Yorker-style writing."

--Library Journal

"An enlightening peek into the tight-lipped author's personal life, and the lucid prose elevates his astute literary insights. The result is a fitting testament to Maxwell's considerable talents."
--Publishers Weekly

"For seventy years, whether he was plumbing the small-town Midwest or the Upper East Side, William Maxwell imbued the daily quandaries of American life with a quiet wonder. To hear his thoughtful, delighted voice again in The Writer as Illusionist is an unexpected joy. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed him."
--Stewart O'Nan, author of Emily, Alone

"Marvelous, elegant prose abound in this collection from the celebrated writer."
--Kirkus

"I suspect that one mark of great writers--writers who'll be listed in the literary historical record; writers who'll remain alive, for decades or centuries, after their earthly departures--is our ongoing interest in everything they wrote, thought, or said. Thanks to Alec Wilkinson's brilliantly edited collection, my own convictions are confirmed: William Maxwell was, and remains, a great writer."

--Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Hours

"As when leaving an exhibition of landscape paintings you might see a harbor, field, or forest out of the painter's eyes, so when you read William Maxwell's thoughts and reminiscences, you will, for a little while, view life through his humorous and keenly intelligent mind. He never indulges in writing for writing's sake. Rather he puts together exquisite sentences propelled by his search for understanding."

--Hayden Herrera, author of Upper Bohemia