Joseph Epstein is an acclaimed author and essayist known for his incisive explorations of social dynamics and human relationships. His notable works include the best-selling "Snobbery," a penetrating study of social hierarchies, and "Friendship," an examination of interpersonal bonds. He has also published the short story collections "The Goldin Boys" and "Fabulous Small Jews," showcasing his versatility across fiction and nonfiction.
Epstein served as the editor of "American Scholar," further establishing his influence in literary circles. His essays have appeared in prestigious publications such as "The New Yorker," "The Atlantic," and "Harper's Magazine," reflecting his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity. His writing often blends wit with keen observation, addressing themes of culture, identity, and everyday life with both depth and accessibility.
Beyond his editorial and literary contributions, Epstein has built a reputation as a sharp cultural commentator. His works continue to resonate with readers for their blend of erudition and relatability, cementing his place as a distinctive voice in contemporary literature.
Short Story Collections
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Goldin Boys: Stories
1991
2
Fabulous Small Jews: Stories
2003
3
The Love Song Of A. Jerome Minkoff: And Other Stories
2010
4
Masters of the Games: Essays and Stories on Sport
2014
5
Frozen in Time: Twenty Stories
2016
Collections
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Plausible Prejudices: Essays On American Writing
1985
2
With My Trousers Rolled: Familiar Essays
1995
3
Essays In Biography
2012
4
A Literary Education And Other Essays
2014
5
The Ideal Of Culture: Essays
2018
Non-Fiction Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Divorced In America;: Marriage In An Age Of Possibility
1974
2
Familiar Territory: Observations On American Life
1979
3
Ambition: The Secret Passion
1981
4
The Middle Of My Tether
1983
5
Partial Payments
1989
6
Anglophilia, American Style
1997
7
Narcissus Leaves The Pool
1999
8
Snobbery: The American Version
2002
9
Friendship: An Expose
2006
10
Fred Astaire
2008
11
Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit
2011
12
Distant Intimacy: A Friendship In The Age Of The Internet
2013
13
Where Were We?: The Conversation Continues
2015
14
Victimhood
2017
15
Charm: The Elusive Enchantment
2018
16
The Novel, Who Needs It?
2023
17
Never Say You've Had a Lucky Life: Especially If You've Had a Lucky Life
2024
Eminent Lives Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (By: Karen Armstrong)
1991
2
Ulysses S. Grant: The Unlikely Hero (By: Michael Korda)
2004
3
George Balanchine (By: Robert Gottlieb)
2004
4
Beethoven (By: Edmund Morris)
2005
5
Thomas Jefferson ( By: Christopher Hitchens)
2005
6
Caravaggio ( By: Francine Prose)
2005
7
Alexander the Great (By: Norman F. Cantor)
2005
8
Freud (By: Peter D. Kramer)
2006
9
Francis Crick (By: Matt Ridley)
2006
10
Alexis de Tocqueville
2006
11
Shakespeare (By: Bill Bryson)
2007
12
Machiavelli (By: Ross King)
2007
13
George Washington (By: Paul Johnson)
2009
New York Public Library Lectures in Humanities Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
Doing Documentary Work (By: Robert Coles)
1997
2
The Sun, the Genome and the Internet (By: Freeman Dyson)
1999
3
The Look of Architecture (By: Witold Rybczynski)
2001
4
Visions of Utopia (By: Martin E. Marty, Edward Rothstein, Herbert Muschamp)
2002
5
Envy
2003
6
Gluttony ( By: Francine Prose)
2003
7
Lust (By: Simon Blackburn)
2003
8
Greed (By: Phyllis A. Tickle)
2004
9
Sloth (By: Wendy Wasserstein)
2004
10
Pride (By: Michael Dyson)
2006
Joseph Epstein Anthologies
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Title
Year
Goodreads
Amazon
1
The Best American Spiritual Writing 2004
2004
2
The New Diaspora
2014
3
The Dadly Virtues
2015
4
The Christmas Virtues: A Treasury of Conservative Tales for the Holidays