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An Elemental Thing

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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
An Elemental Thing sees Eliot Weinberger shift from political commentary to explore the timeless subjects of his literary essays. Drawing on diverse disciplines, he unpacks histories, fables, and reflections on the myriad elements of the universeβ€”from natural phenomena and cultural figures to distant peoples. The collection includes thirty-five essays, notable among them a poetic biography of the prophet Muhammad and a contemplative piece on the stars, celebrated for their beauty and grace.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book will appeal to readers interested in literary essays, cultural history, and thoughtful meditations on both the natural and human worlds.

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Internationally acclaimed as one of the most innovative writers today, Eliot Weinberger has taken the essay into unexplored territories on the borders of poetry and narrative where the only rule, according to the author, is that all the information must be verifiable.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

With An Elemental Thing, Weinberger turns from his celebrated political chronicles to the timelessness of the subjects of his literary essays. With the wisdom of a literary archaeologist-astronomer-anthropologist-zookeeper, he leads us through histories, fables, and meditations about the ten thousand things in the universe: the wind and the rhinoceros, Catholic saints and people named Chang, the Mandaeans on the Iran-Iraq border and the Kaluli in the mountains of New Guinea.

Among the thirty-five essays included are a poetic biography of the prophet Muhammad, which was praised by the London Times for its "great beauty and grace," and "The Stars," a reverie on what's up there that has already been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, and Maori.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780811216944

Publisher: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 May 2007

Country: United States

Imprint: New Directions Publishing Corporation

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 206.0mm

Weight: 232g

Pages: 192

About the Author

Eliot Weinberger (b. NYC, 1949), is an essayist and translator. He won PEN's first Gregory Kolovakos Award for promoting Hispanic literature in the US, and he is America's first literary writer to receive Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle. He lives in New York City.

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