The Uncollected David Rakoff

Praise

“The dizzying work of the late, preposterously talented Rakoff has finally been corralled in an anthology of profound entertainment.”
     –O, The Oprah Magazine, “10 Titles to Pick Up Now”

“A candid, hilarious, self-effacing grab bag of writings on subjects—the art of the wedding toast, tween angst, Frank Sinatra, friendship, New York tourists, and Rakoff’s many adventures abroad and on public radio—that tickled the prize-winning humorist.”
     —Elle

“A must-read for Rakoff enthusiasts. It includes all manner of LOL material. . . . Some of the wit on display here reminds [us] of vintage Fran Lebowitz. . . . But Rakoff’s best stuff emanates from his big gay self. . . . All in all, a veritable Rakoff cornucopia.” 
     —Bay Area Reporter

“An eclectic anthology of ephemera . . . and personal insights. . . .  A haunting epitaph to a talented writer. . . . Any Rakoff completist won’t want to overlook this essential collection.”
     —Out.com, “10 Books We’re Excited for This Fall”
 
“The shorter works—fiction and essays—of prize-winning author Rakoff needed to be collected. Here, in prose touching and thoughtful, detailed and just hinted at, he limns what it has meant to become a New Yorker; to come out as a gay man; to suffer the heartbreak of friendships when AIDS was new and, perhaps, scarier—in other words, a life well lived, with fleeting moments carefully observed. This wide-ranging collection encompasses all that brought Rakoff renown. . . . [And] will suit readers who seek thoughtful essays and the grace and the humor, in top form, of a top writer.”
     —Booklist
 
“[An] enjoyable anthology. . . . Rakoff writes with eloquence and grace. His voice is a sui generis mix of humor and misery. . . . Fans of David Sedaris and Jon Ronson will find the book a fine addition to Rakoff’s hilarious body of work; its publication further highlights the loss of his truly original outlook.”
     —Library Journal
 
“One of our funniest writers.”
     —People
 
“Rakoff can issue withering snark with the best of them. But once his rapier wit has sliced the buttons off his target’s clothing, revealing the quivering, vulnerable mass within, his fundamental sense of decency gets the best of him.”
     —Salon