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Goodbye to All That
Goodbye to All That: Writers on Loving and Leaving New York | Sari Botton
In 1967, Joan Didion wrote an essay called Goodbye to All That, a work of such candid and penetrating prose that it soon became the gold standard for personal essays. Like no other story before it, Didions tale of loving and leaving New York captured the mesmerizing allure Manhattan has always had for writers, poets, and wandering spirits. In this captivating collection, 28 writers take up Didions literary legacy by sharing their own New York stories. Their essays often begin as love stories do, with the passion of something newly discoveredthe crush of subway crowds, the streets filled with manic energy, and the sudden, unblinking certainty that this is the only place on Earth where one can become exactly who she is meant to be. They also share the grief that comes like a gut-punch, when the metropolis loses its magic and the pressures of New Yorks frenetic life wear thin on even the most fervent dwellers. As friends move away, rents soar, and lovestill remains just out of reach, each writers goodbye to New York is singular and universal, like New York itself. With Cheryl Strayed, Dani Shapiro, Emma Straub, Ann Hood, and more.
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youneverarrived
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Oh I loved this 🖤 it took me right into New York. Every single story was good and so interesting to see the similarities between the authors reasons for moving to NY (mostly to be a writer) & their reasons for leaving (mostly because they outgrew it or it became too expensive). As a collection it works absolutely perfectly 👌 #nonfiction2023 (Goodbye Earl) #titlesandtunes #theworldismyoyster

Graywacke Sounds fantastic 7mo
youneverarrived @Graywacke it really is! 7mo
Cinfhen Love the bookmark 😍book sounds fantastic! 7mo
See All 9 Comments
BarbaraBB What a great review. It sounds fab 7mo
squirrelbrain I read this years ago. Your review makes me want to read it again! 7mo
Graywacke @Cinfhen i just noticed the bookmark. Yeah, small life goal, get a Strand bookmark from the store itself… 7mo
Cinfhen Worthy goal @Graywacke !!! 7mo
Amiable @Graywacke I have a bookmark from the Strand that I can send to you. :) Unless your goal is to get one in person? 6mo
Graywacke @Amiable that‘s crazy nice of you. Of course, i do want get one actually from the store itself, the visiting of the store being the important part. Thank you though! 6mo
54 likes4 stack adds9 comments
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youneverarrived
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My plan was to read a story a day during August (there‘s 28 stories) but I‘m a bit behind so going to try and catch up while Alfie is out with grandparents for the day & Naomi has a long nap 🤞#titlesandtunes

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emilyhaldi
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Cinfhen Almost bought this on #BookOutlet 4y
Reviewsbylola 🌃🗽 4y
BarbaraBB This must have been a heartfelt read for you! 4y
emilyhaldi I couldn‘t even read it until about a year after the move! @BarbaraBB I'm such a sentimental / emotional wreck 🙃 4y
Mdargusch 😢😢😢 4y
79 likes1 stack add5 comments
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OffTheBeatenShelf.com
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You don‘t see many anthologies on “best of” lists, but this one is SO GOOD.

Growing up, I couldn‘t wait to graduate high school so I could get out of Alabama & go to NYC. Well, one thing led to another & it didn‘t happen & I‘ve guilt tripped myself for it for a decade. This book put that to a stop & I‘m forever grateful.

That‘s why this book holds the #8 spot on my #top10 for 2017. See the rest https://www.offthebeatenshelf.com/blog/best-of-2017

emilyhaldi This book helped me deal with my move from NYC -> Ohio last month ❤️ 6y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com @emilyhaldi That‘s awesome! Instead of NYC I ended up in Ohio (Columbus) and am loving it here. I realize now that I could‘ve never afforded to be a writer there, but I can here. I hope you‘re enjoying your new home. 💗 6y
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emilyhaldi
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For every lovely moment with lovely people in New York, there was a deeply humbling moment-getting lost, trying to hail a cab in the rain, dealing with the constant crush of people...New York was a strange land, and I was still a stranger and would always be one.
-Strange Lands, Roxane Gay

#chaos
#quotsynov17

Reviewsbylola 🗽🌆 6y
Cinfhen 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 6y
GripLitGrl 🗽🌃🚕🎭💗 6y
Mdargusch Glad you‘re leaving that strange land. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 6y
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emilyhaldi
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On the left, a book my coworker gave me when I moved to NYC almost 7 years ago. Today, I bought myself the book on the right to hopefully help shift my mindset as my husband and I prepare to move back to Ohio in the next few months. Trying to soak up all of the dirty, noisy city while I still can! Very bittersweet. 🗽🌇🚖
#fillyourheart
#septembowie

CoffeeK8 I moved from Ohio to NY too back in 2002... that book would have been so helpful! 7y
mrp27 Bittersweet indeed. I moved from NY after living there for 10 years back to my home state, California. It's been an adjustment to say the least. 7y
merelybookish Wow! Big changes. Good luck! 7y
See All 20 Comments
NCNY This book might help when you find yourself missing New York. I loved it. 7y
nomadreader I loved Goodbye to All That! 7y
Reviewsbylola 😭😭😭 I'm sure it's super bittersweet. I've got two very good distractions for you when you get back. 😂😂 7y
emilyhaldi @NCNY thank you!! I will definitely check it out 😄 7y
minkyb Hard to say goodbye to NY but it seems like Ohio has some residents who will keep you busy! 7y
Marchpane So great that you have these to bookend your NY years 💕Good luck with the move 🍀 7y
Lmstraubie It's so wonderful that you were able to experience living in such an amazing place. Good luck with your move! 7y
mrozzz Excellent juxtaposition 7y
Cinfhen No way!!!! Now I really need to haul my ass to Ohio #summer2018 How awesome for Steph and the rest of the family....such a BIG MOVE! I'm sure it's super bittersweet 💕 7y
emilyhaldi @Cinfhen yes, it's really happening! My husband has been ready to move for a couple years now and I'm finally coming around to the idea... but it's going to be a bit of a transition for sure. Here's to hoping you make an Ohio visit in 2018!! 🤞🏻 7y
emilyhaldi @minkyb that's for sure!! I've been missing @Reviewsbylola 's little rugrats from afar, so I'm eager to be closer to family soon ❤️ 7y
Mdargusch We can't wait @Cinfhen - now to convince @AnnieD to move back from London! 7y
Cinfhen Family is EVERYTHING @Mdargusch I'm sure @AnnieD will make her way back one day...how wonderful for all of you that Em is returning 💕💕💕💕super jelly since my little family is so scattered 😭😭😭😭after the Jewish holidays my 22 year old is going back to the states...nice for his sister but crap for me & my younger son....#lifeiscomplicated 7y
Mdargusch I feel your pain @Cinfhen! Thankfully @AnnieD comes here 4-5 times a year for work! 7y
L_auren @emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola congrats on the news! I'm late to this post and this news but I didn't realize you two were from Ohio 😳 I am too!! 7y
Reviewsbylola Yes we're in Columbus! @L_auren 7y
L_auren @Reviewsbylola Cool!! I'm from Cleveland but of course know Columbus well and have family there. Plus my parents met at OSU (cue Tale as Old As Time) 7y
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OffTheBeatenShelf.com
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This book is singlehandedly curing my desire to live in NYC. I've always dreamed of living in the West Village as a full time writer, but it's just not feasible. It's not that I don't love Columbus, Ohio, where I currently live, it's just not what I grew up dreaming about. But in Columbus I have the time and space to be a writer, which just isn't possible for me in NYC. The fact that Columbus allows me to do what I love most makes it all worth it.

LitLogophile The exact thought process I had when I moved from NYC to Cleveland three years ago. Maybe I should read this, too 😀 7y
mrozzz Don't miss the follow up book either! Both great collections 👌🏻 7y
29 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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SamanthaRideout
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I love this passage from Lauren Elkin in her essay, Losing New York!