Archive - October 1, 2013

Calling New Delhi For Free (Essay) By Susan Kramer O’Neill (Venezuela 1973-74) Peace Corps Books, $10 (paperback); $3.99 ebook 131 pages 2013 Reviewed by Mary-Ann Tirone Smith (Cameroon 1965-67) I pulled Calling New Delhi for Free out of the mailer excited to be reviewing a collection of essays.  Nothing like a good essay to satisfy and inspire a writer.  I especially love painfully brilliant essays that make me want to say to the writer:  I know, I know; I’ve been there; I’m with you. (Example:  Love, Loss and What I Wore, by Ilene Beckerman.) I turned the book over.  The quotes on the back are hilarious.  Here’s the first one: Almost NOBODY buys essays, UNLESS you’re FAMOUS.” NAT SOBEL, of Sobel Weber Associates, Inc., my (former) agent. And so, I also love humorous essays as long as they’re screamingly funny.  Everything the late Nora Ephron wrote immediately comes to mind, . . .