TELL ME SOMETHING, TELL ME ANYTHING, EVEN IF IT'S A LIE

The road from there to here has had many strange twists and turns, according to an acclaimed social critic.

A memoir of a long life inevitably has a tone of nostalgia, a sense of pining for the good old days. There is much of this in Wasserman’s collection of essays, the first of which was published in 1979. But there are also insights about the evolution of American society and how we reached the point where we now stand. Wasserman spent much of his career as an editor in the world of newspapers and books, although he also published his own thoughts in a wide variety of magazines. Some of his essays have stood the test of time, but others, such as his laudatory pieces on the Black Panther Party and the Cuban revolution, now seem like messages from an alternate universe. In other cases, he heaps praise on writers who have faded into obscurity. His profiles of Susan Sontag and Christopher Hitchens, however, are affectionate and revealing. He believes that the internet upset the cultural ecology of America, decimating the publishing industry and reducing the opportunities for serious reviews of serious books. He has harsh words for Jeff Bezos and Amazon and for the newspaper proprietors who ignored their social responsibilities to chase profits. Through it all, Wasserman’s love of reasoned debate and good writing shines through, and he often displays an impish wit. Some readers, especially those of a certain age, will enjoy this book and admire Wasserman’s style. Younger readers might simply wonder what he is talking about. In any case, the book is a remarkable record of a well-lived life.

Written with care, passion, a keen eye for fakery, and a willingness to puncture it.