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Joyride: A Memoir

Joyride: A Memoir

by Susan Orlean

Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster ·2025 ·368 pages ·Memoir
Top 25 Critics
Top of the Pile
Top of the Pile
I Index
90/99
Top of the Pile

92/99

Critics

Top of the Pile

88/99

Readers

n/a

Scholars

91/99

Rating

94/99

Volume

83/99

Rating

93/99

Volume

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About This Book

"The story of my life is the story of my stories," writes Susan Orlean in this memoir. Joyride is a ride through Orlean's life and career, where every day is an opportunity for discovery and every moment holds the potential for wonder. Throughout her storied career, her curiosity draws her to explore the most ordinary and extraordinary of places, from going deep inside the head of a regular ten-year-old boy for a legendary profile ("The American Man Age Ten") to reporting on a woman who owns twenty-seven tigers, from capturing the routine magic of Saturday night to climbing Mt. Fuji.Not only does Orlean's account of a writing life offer a trove of indispensable gleanings for writers, it's also an essential and practical guide to embracing any creative path. She takes us through her process of dreaming up ideas, managing deadlines, connecting with sources, chasing every possible lead, confronting writer's block and self-doubt, and crafting the perfect lede—a Susan specialty.


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Reviews

"Orlean candidly describes the sometimes bumpy road her books traveled through multiple publishers and editors to publication ..."

Harvey Freedenberg· Shelf Awareness Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"As with many of her stories, one of the joys of this memoir is that it is the story of a relatively ordinary life, made special by her words."

Lily Herd· Times Literary Supplement Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Orlean's sense of adventure and narration of her daily life make it an entertaining and often hilarious journey."

Margaret Heller· Library Journal Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Writers new and established will savor every word."

Publishers Weekly Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"A spry, entertaining memoir/writing workshop by a nonfiction artist at the top of her game."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"Orlean is engaging and generous, explaining how she found ideas, honed and reported them, overcame obstacles ..."

Laurie Hertzel· The Boston Globe Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

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