Jimmy Breslin: Essential Writings (LOA #377) (Library of America, 377)

Just when my dog-eared, decades-old paperback anthologies of early Breslin works were brown almost beyond readability, along comes this majestic Library of America "Essential Writings," edited by one of today's best writers, Dan Barry. They've even included a brown bookmark ribbon, to prevent readers like me from bending in the corners of pages we want to return to, because with Breslin, it is all worth re-visiting.His columns about NY mobsters; and Bernie Goetz and Son of Sam; Mayor Giuliani and Bella Abzug; AIDS patients and RFK; baseball, Ali, and Namath, and countless other times and people of America 1960-2010, read as vibrant, streetwise, empathetic--and sometimes full of rage--as when they first appeared. Included are Breslin's seminal stories of Watergate heroes like Judge Sirica and Peter Rodino, and the "Short Sweet Dream of Eduardo Gutierrez"--so beautiful, yet so heart-breaking and full of Breslin's righteous rage. Watergate and Gutierrez, viewed through Breslin's unique prism, at once should shine directly on issues like immigration and safeguarding democracy.We also thank Mr. Barry for his endnotes explaining, for younger readers, just who fought whom on a given day in Jimmy Gleason's Boxing Gym in the Bronx; who capo "Bayonne Joe" was; what the "Saturday Night Massacre" and "Easter Rising" were--and Barry's detailed chronology of Breslin's life provides an instant blueprint for what we can hope will be a full-scale biography (as we hope for similar projects for Pete Hamill).If I have a minor quibble, it's that I wished for more re-prints of Breslin columns about his colorful sideshow of friends like Fat Thomas, Sam Silverware, Marvin the Torch, Mutchie, et al. So my beaten 55-year-old copy of "The World of Jimmy Breslin" is staying put.And now I realize I have tried to insert the fancy brown ribbon bookmark in two places--at the column about the police arriving at John Lennon's shooting, and at one about the Lufthansa hijack and Jimmy the Gent (ie. Goodfellas). Unless The Library of America or Mr. Barry figure out a way to get more ribbons out, I predict a lot of bent-in page corners everywhere. Beautiful.

The book is an excellent collection of his writings.

God, he could write. Here is a sampling of one of the great columnists of the last century. Most pieces are 2-3 pages. Breslin has a lapidary eye for the easily overlooked aspects of our world and tells their story--good enough to bring a tear. He was in his time this city of New York. Great work and an object lesson in journalism.

A well put together collection of Breslin’s work.