Joseph Epstein

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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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
# Title Year
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 2015
5 Conservative Christmas Quotables 2016