Reading Russell: Essays, 1941-1988 on Ideas, Literature, Art, Theater, Music, Places, and Persons

When John Russell's by-line first appeared in 1941, he was twenty-two years old and setting forth on a journey that has never ended. His travels have taken him into the worlds of literature, art, theater, dance, and music, about which he has recorded his observations and opinions with astuteness, dexterity, and a spirit all his own.

His extraordinary range of interests, his knowledge, and his inimitable style make him today one of our masters of the essay form. Reading Russell is a selection of fifty-three essays, culled from hundreds of articles and reviews.