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Very Heart of It: New York Diaries, 1983-1994 by Thomas Mallon 2025 HC 1st Print

US $31.95
ApproximatelyRM 135.89
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Condition:
Like New
First edition, First printing. Like New, pages tight. No marks or writing. Jacket Fine. Protected by ... Read moreabout condition
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eBay item number:157165603368
Last updated on Jul 13, 2025 05:41:19 MYTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Like New
A book in excellent condition. Cover is shiny and undamaged, and the dust jacket is included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See all condition definitionsopens in a new window or tab
Seller Notes
“First edition, First printing. Like New, pages tight. No marks or writing. Jacket Fine. Protected ...
Signed
No
Ex Libris
No
Narrative Type
Nonfiction
Inscribed
No
Intended Audience
Adults
Edition
First Edition
Vintage
No
Personalize
No
Type
Diaries
Literary Movement
Modernism
Personalized
No
Features
Dust Jacket, Illustrated, Protective Mylar Cover
Country/Region of Manufacture
United States
ISBN
9780593801802

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0593801806
ISBN-13
9780593801802
eBay Product ID (ePID)
15071630331

Product Key Features

Book Title
Very Heart of It : New York Diaries, 1983-1994
Number of Pages
592 Pages
Language
English
Topic
Personal Memoirs, Literary, Lgbt
Publication Year
2025
Genre
Biography & Autobiography
Author
Thomas Mallon
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
1.5 in
Item Weight
27.7 Oz
Item Length
9.5 in
Item Width
6.4 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2024-044324
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
"While reading The Very Heart of It , I tried to discipline myself, but suddenly it was 4 AM. Thomas Mallon's diaries, focusing on the 1980s through the early 90s, depict that era with heartbreaking accuracy, from the dread of an AIDS test to the glory of living, on cobbled-together funds, in the social and cultural capitol of New York City. His portraits of the rancorous literary scene, political ferment and his hectic love life are witty, original and sinfully entertaining (it's a rare work that travels from Robert Mapplethorpe to Dan Quayle). Upon reaching the final page all I wanted was more." --Paul Rudnick, author of What is Wrong with You? "Illuminating, heartbreaking, hilarious, romantic, terrifying, thrilling, baffling, joyous--such is life! And such are the diaries of our great writer Thomas Mallon, who has preserved in The Very Heart of It one precious moment in time told in his inestimable style. I found myself reading addictively. A world opens up in these pages. What a book!" --Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less and Less Is Lost, "While reading The Very Heart of It , I tried to discipline myself, but suddenly it was 4 AM. Thomas Mallon's diaries, focusing on the 1980s through the early 90s, depict that era with heartbreaking accuracy, from the dread of an AIDS test to the glory of living, on cobbled-together funds, in the social and cultural capitol of New York City. His portraits of the rancorous literary scene, political ferment and his hectic love life are witty, original and sinfully entertaining (it's a rare work that travels from Robert Mapplethorpe to Dan Quayle). Upon reaching the final page all I wanted was more." --Paul Rudnick, author of What is Wrong with You?, "Illuminating, heartbreaking, hilarious, romantic, terrifying, thrilling, baffling, joyous--such is life! And such are the diaries of our great writer Thomas Mallon, who has preserved in The Very Heart of It one precious moment in time told in his inestimable style. I found myself reading addictively. A world opens up in these pages. What a book!" --Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less and Less Is Lost "While reading The Very Heart of It , I tried to discipline myself, but suddenly it was 4 AM. Thomas Mallon's diaries, focusing on the 1980s through the early 90s, depict that era with heartbreaking accuracy, from the dread of an AIDS test to the glory of living, on cobbled-together funds, in the social and cultural capitol of New York City. His portraits of the rancorous literary scene, political ferment and his hectic love life are witty, original and sinfully entertaining (it's a rare work that travels from Robert Mapplethorpe to Dan Quayle). Upon reaching the final page all I wanted was more." --Paul Rudnick, author of What is Wrong with You? "Thomas Mallon's The Very Heart of It is a big-hearted account of his life from 1983 to 1994, as he was becoming the distinguished American man of letters and man-about-town that he manifestly is now. It's also a modern-day, Defoe-esque diary of the plague years, when AIDS swept through the country, scything its grim swath through the artist community. It's fittingly ironic that Mallon, arguably our best living historical novelist, made his first splash with a non-fictional book about famous diarists. With this book, he joins those ranks." --Christopher Buckley, author of Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir "Moving [and] bittersweet. . . . The many human moments (funny, sad, witty, horrible, and beautiful) populating Mallon's diaries collectively (and vicariously) illuminate a supremely resilient community that soldiered on (and kept dancing) despite insurmountable loss and pain. An exquisitely evocative glimpse into an unparalleled era in queer history steeped in joy, sex, and death." -- Kirkus (starred review)
Synopsis
From the renowned novelist and critic, an exquisite collection of journal entries from the 1980s and '90s, tracking a young, gay author's literary coming-of-age in New York during the AIDS crisis In 1983, Thomas Mallon was still unknown. A literature professor at Vassar College, he spent his days traveling from Manhattan to campus, reviewing books to make ends meet and searching the city for his own purpose and fulfillment. The AIDS epidemic was beginning to surge in New York City, the ever-bustling epicenter of literary culture and gay life, alive with parties, art, and sex. Though he didn't know it, everything would soon change for Mallon. Riding the success of his debut, A Book of One's Own, he became a fixture within the city's literary scene, crossing paths with cultural giants and becoming an editor at GQ . He captured it all in his daily journals. But in some ways it was the worst possible time for a gay coming-of-age in the city. One of his lovers succumbed to AIDS, and the illness of others was both a heartbreaking reality and a constant reminder of his own exposure. Tracing his own life day by day, Mallon evokes all that those years encompassed: the hookups, intensifying politics, personal tragedies, as well as his own blossoming success and eventual romantic happiness. The Very Heart of It is a brilliant and bewitching look into the daily life of one of our most important literary figures, and a keepsake from a bygone era.
LC Classification Number
PS3563.A43157Z46

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