Best American Essays 2008

[timons]

    I found the selection in The Best American Essays 2008, Adam Gopnik, ed., to be quite different from recent volumes that I've read. The 2006 and 2007 editions were almost half about death/dying/grief, and it did get to be a bit much. This edition seems to favor informational essays about all kinds of things, and avoided the death and dying,

Comments

Leicas

[anonymous]

I have only limited experience with Leicas, but its devotees are one of those groups that exhibit the kind of deeply-informed loyalty we might like to see supporting a political party. As far as I know, this is unique in camera history. Back in the Seventies, Leica introduced its latest rangefinder, the M-5. (And in this, too, Leica is unusual, in that where most photographers can't wait to get away from rangefinders and into SLRs, Leica's SLR line has rarely eclipsed the reputation of the rangefinders---in fact, I don't think they ever have; even those who use the Leica SLR admire the rangefinder as if they were religious artifacts.) The reaction among the Leica owners was seriously negative, so much so that Leica was forced to resume manufacture of the M-4, which set the standard. Gradually, the M-5 found its place in their hearts, but the M4 was still the camera of choice and when Leica introduced the M6 in the 80s is was based on the M4 chassis and "feel