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By Jamaica Kincaid Talk Stories [Paperback]
From " The Talk of the Town, " Jamaica Kincaid's first impressions of snobbish, mobbish New York
Talk Pieces is a collection of Jamaica Kincaid's original writing for the New Yorker 's "Talk of the Town," composed during the time when she first came to the United States from Antigua, from 1978 to 1983. Kincaid found a unique voice, at once in sync with William Shawn's tone for the quintessential elite insider's magazine, and (though unsigned) all her own--wonderingly alive to the ironies and screwball details that characterized her adopted city. New York is a town that, in return, fast adopts those who embrace it, and in these early pieces Kincaid discovers many of its hilarious secrets and urban mannerisms. She meets Miss Jamaica, visiting from Kingston, and escorts the reader to the West Indian-American Day parade in Brooklyn; she sees Ed Koch don his "Cheshire-cat smile" and watches Tammy Wynette autograph a copy of Lattimore's Odyssey ; she learns the worlds of publishing and partying, of fashion and popular music, and how to call a cauliflower a crudite.
The book also records Kincaid's development as a young writer--the newcomer who sensitively records her impressions here takes root to become one of our most respected authors.
Talk Pieces is a collection of Jamaica Kincaid's original writing for the New Yorker 's "Talk of the Town," composed during the time when she first came to the United States from Antigua, from 1978 to 1983. Kincaid found a unique voice, at once in sync with William Shawn's tone for the quintessential elite insider's magazine, and (though unsigned) all her own--wonderingly alive to the ironies and screwball details that characterized her adopted city. New York is a town that, in return, fast adopts those who embrace it, and in these early pieces Kincaid discovers many of its hilarious secrets and urban mannerisms. She meets Miss Jamaica, visiting from Kingston, and escorts the reader to the West Indian-American Day parade in Brooklyn; she sees Ed Koch don his "Cheshire-cat smile" and watches Tammy Wynette autograph a copy of Lattimore's Odyssey ; she learns the worlds of publishing and partying, of fashion and popular music, and how to call a cauliflower a crudite.
The book also records Kincaid's development as a young writer--the newcomer who sensitively records her impressions here takes root to become one of our most respected authors.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Jamaica Kincaid
85 books1,859 followersJamaica Kincaid is an Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, gardener, and gardening writer. She was born in St. John's, Antigua (part of the twin-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda). She lives in North Bennington, Vermont (in the United States), during the summers, and is Professor of African and African American Studies in Residence at Harvard University during the academic year.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
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February 18, 2021i really liked these stories. knitting, the gathering, and nothing on my mind were my favorites. a beautiful, very funny writer - short pieces are always hard for me to plow through, so i can’t wait to read her novels
October 2, 2007
very short shorts, and factual, conversational recaps like journal entries.
February 3, 2026
One for the real Jamaica Kincaid heads
Lovely to see Kincaid’s style take shape over the course of her “talk of the town” columns for the New Yorker in the late 70s-early 80s, and so fun to read her takes on the absurdity/humor of the New York social scene then
Lovely to see Kincaid’s style take shape over the course of her “talk of the town” columns for the New Yorker in the late 70s-early 80s, and so fun to read her takes on the absurdity/humor of the New York social scene then
January 31, 2008
On the cover, Ms. Kincaid looks like a child, but really, she was in her twenties.
Laugh-out-loud funny, and bare-boned as The Glass house, I wish I could go back in time and be her friend a bit.
Laugh-out-loud funny, and bare-boned as The Glass house, I wish I could go back in time and be her friend a bit.
April 14, 2009
I read this book several years ago, and I remember loving it. It chronicles Jamaica Kincaid's beginnings as a writer. She's one of my favorite authors.
July 6, 2021
This book is pure delight, starting with Ian Frazier’s droll introduction. What a life, late ‘70s NYC, writing for the great William Shawn and the “New Yorker.” As their editor, he developed their talents. Kincaid says in her intro that working for Shawn was like an apprenticeship. Frazier writes of how fearless Kincaid is, as a person and a writer.
I love her style. She says in the intro, it’s just her thoughts, from her own head, on paper. I’m sure hoping there’s more craft to it than that. She has a cool way of repeating words and phrases that’s amused, a bit wry; not at all cynical or sarcastic but skirting that edge. To get around the “New Yorker” style mandate of “we,” she frequently casts her pieces in first person under the guise of “a young woman in Chelsea writes” or “We heard this from a young woman friend visiting from Antigua.”
There’s a musicality to the language, almost like song lyrics the way she repeats and builds phrases from one sentence to the next and the next. Maybe calypso, if I’m not pushing the Antiguan reference too far.
Her experimentation includes very detailed lists—of people (by name, especially if famous or think they are famous; e.g., “Honors,” p.100-101), of foods eaten at a reception or awards banquet, or what’s on a department store’s first floor (p.32).
She also gives detailed descriptions of places and people that include seemingly meaningless or unnecessary details. Often delivered in one breathless run-on sentence, as if someone is telling you excitedly about an experience they just had, including details that matter only to them, but you listen anyway because they’re your friend.
I love her style. She says in the intro, it’s just her thoughts, from her own head, on paper. I’m sure hoping there’s more craft to it than that. She has a cool way of repeating words and phrases that’s amused, a bit wry; not at all cynical or sarcastic but skirting that edge. To get around the “New Yorker” style mandate of “we,” she frequently casts her pieces in first person under the guise of “a young woman in Chelsea writes” or “We heard this from a young woman friend visiting from Antigua.”
There’s a musicality to the language, almost like song lyrics the way she repeats and builds phrases from one sentence to the next and the next. Maybe calypso, if I’m not pushing the Antiguan reference too far.
Her experimentation includes very detailed lists—of people (by name, especially if famous or think they are famous; e.g., “Honors,” p.100-101), of foods eaten at a reception or awards banquet, or what’s on a department store’s first floor (p.32).
She also gives detailed descriptions of places and people that include seemingly meaningless or unnecessary details. Often delivered in one breathless run-on sentence, as if someone is telling you excitedly about an experience they just had, including details that matter only to them, but you listen anyway because they’re your friend.
December 12, 2014
There are two questions people love to ask seasoned writers. The first is “when did you start writing?” and the second is usually, “what made you start?” Both questions are paradoxically valuable to young writers, or the answers are rather. While every writer has a different path and knowing another’s can’t necessarily illuminate what decisions you should make, it is nice to know that many writers who are now considered irreplaceable had humble beginnings.
This is what I found in Jamaica Kincaid’s “Talk Stories”. The book is a collection of articles which were previously published in The New Yorker. Before starting up at The New Yorker, Kincaid knew she wanted to be a writer but didn’t quite know what that meant. In many ways the guidance that she received there not only shaped her writing style but also put her in a position to have her work read by people who could help her publish and eventually become part of the cannon.
The rules for the “Talk of the Town ” column were pretty strict: “you couldn’t use curse words, or dirty works, or write about sex…you couldn’t write about religions. You couldn’t write about the journalistic topic of the week, the one every reporter at every other publication was writing about…you couldn’t be too mean. Stories involving violence or blood sports were out; ditto anything that was overly commercial or boosterish.”
One might wonder what was left to write about. Kincaid’s collection, which spans almost ten years, shows that there was actually plenty left to talk about. To give you a bit of an idea, there was “West Indian Weekend”, “Dinosaurs”, “Miss Jamiaca”, “Hair”, “Books” and “Birthday Party at an East Side Town House.”
Individually, these stories might not mean much to a reader. They are literally “old news”. But combined they provide a way to chart Jamica Kincaid’s journey into the woman who would eventually write “Girl”, At the Bottom of the River and Lucy.
This is what I found in Jamaica Kincaid’s “Talk Stories”. The book is a collection of articles which were previously published in The New Yorker. Before starting up at The New Yorker, Kincaid knew she wanted to be a writer but didn’t quite know what that meant. In many ways the guidance that she received there not only shaped her writing style but also put her in a position to have her work read by people who could help her publish and eventually become part of the cannon.
The rules for the “Talk of the Town ” column were pretty strict: “you couldn’t use curse words, or dirty works, or write about sex…you couldn’t write about religions. You couldn’t write about the journalistic topic of the week, the one every reporter at every other publication was writing about…you couldn’t be too mean. Stories involving violence or blood sports were out; ditto anything that was overly commercial or boosterish.”
One might wonder what was left to write about. Kincaid’s collection, which spans almost ten years, shows that there was actually plenty left to talk about. To give you a bit of an idea, there was “West Indian Weekend”, “Dinosaurs”, “Miss Jamiaca”, “Hair”, “Books” and “Birthday Party at an East Side Town House.”
Individually, these stories might not mean much to a reader. They are literally “old news”. But combined they provide a way to chart Jamica Kincaid’s journey into the woman who would eventually write “Girl”, At the Bottom of the River and Lucy.
March 14, 2014
It's mostly a compilation of her Talk on the Town pieces for the New Yorker, but what I like about it is that you can clearly see where her writing style started, how it evolved into the New Yorker's voice, but then the ways in which it was still uniquely her own, which I suppose is the fundamental trick about writing. How to sound, essentially, like yourself. Or have a clearly identifiable voice, even when you're writing in an anonymous plural third-person. She also writes like she's not impressed, which is most impressive of all in an era when style sections read like they're written by wannabes. Or people who already imagine themselves as famous as the people they are covering. The funniest piece was about attending a conference for people who spend their time planning conferences. And the one about Richard Pryor.
April 23, 2008
I got this book from Crystal, and it was the perfect bus/carry around book. It's a collection of Jamaica Kincaid's short "talk of the town" pieces for the New Yorker, and it has lots of interesting details about life in New York in the 1970's as well as just some beautiful writing. I really loved it--I'd be glad to lend it out, too.
July 18, 2016
The seventies in New York City, Friday afternoons dancing at the discotheque, all with Jamaica Kincaid. Sounds perfect.
January 18, 2024
Talk Stories is a collection of short pieces written by Kincaid early in her career (Late 1970s and early 1980s) when she worked for The New Yorker Magazine. None of the pieces carried a byline at the time, and most are musings on events or general thoughts.
While the references are very dated (as most were from before I was born), the wit and general snarky directness Kincaid’s work is known for stands up throughout. I’m not sure I would have finished the collection if it wasn’t for a reading group. While they are all entertaining, the subject matter feels repetitive after a while. There are some standouts. One of my favorites is a publishing event where Kincaid makes up a budget for the event while admitting she has no idea what was actually spent. I also got a kick out of her overall dissatisfaction with the food served at most luncheons while still taking the time to state the menu. There is something of future foodie culture in those moments.
While the references are very dated (as most were from before I was born), the wit and general snarky directness Kincaid’s work is known for stands up throughout. I’m not sure I would have finished the collection if it wasn’t for a reading group. While they are all entertaining, the subject matter feels repetitive after a while. There are some standouts. One of my favorites is a publishing event where Kincaid makes up a budget for the event while admitting she has no idea what was actually spent. I also got a kick out of her overall dissatisfaction with the food served at most luncheons while still taking the time to state the menu. There is something of future foodie culture in those moments.
January 29, 2024
Enjoyed this collection a lot more than I was expecting. Even though the Talk of the Town has a certain house style, Kincaid plays within it. I loved how short, funny, observant, and good-hearted (most of) the pieces were. I looked up a number of people that she profiled...what a great way to get a snapshot of a time and place and culture. There are too many stand-out stories to count.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2024
This would be wonderful in a college writing classroom as a lesson in style, wit, even satire at times. The layers of clever are quite enjoyable, and I got a kick out of the "big celebrities" discussed almost 50 years ago...some names are still recognizable, although many have faded. It's clear that Kincaid's powers of observation are strong. Lovely literary venture.
July 25, 2021
some of the conversational excerpts were funny and budding with life, however an entire book comprised majoritively with notes on formal New York events albeit, short and sweet did cause me to loose my focus
December 28, 2024
Die Kolumnen-Sammlung liefert Erinnerungen an den Talk-of-the-Town New Yorks der späten 70er und frühen 80er. In Kincaids originellem Erzählstil ist das unterhaltsam, aber als Gesamtwerk auch nicht sonderlich fesselnd.
September 30, 2018
Great to reread the funniest book about NYC.
March 4, 2019
Very good, easy-to-read book.
June 9, 2025
closer to 1.5 stars. this was a fairly quick read in which I actively tried to look for entries I enjoyed. I am not motivated to read more of Kincaid’s work.
October 27, 2025
Such a lovely snapshot into Kincaid’s New York with characters and her views that show that New York really has changed, but also not at all.
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January 28, 2026Simply perfect. Smartest and funniest to ever do it
November 9, 2022
Jamaica Kincaid seems to know how to perfectly drive her articles home. This book inspired me to write about the things around me and to find the value in every observation and conversation. No matter how puny or grand, there is always a story waiting to be recorded and pondered.
July 20, 2019
This collection for me was just okay. Jamaica Kincaid's writing shines but for me I did get kind of bored. I don't think I was the target audience for this one. Those who know Kincaid from writing the Talk Stories segment of the New Yorker's Talk of the Town might get a kick out of it. I think these stories and recollections were too before my time.
December 20, 2021
These delightful short pieces are a breath of fresh air & must have been a joyous surprise when encountered in the pages of the somewhat staid New Yorker where they appeared originally in the '70s & '80s. Kincaid is the perfect guide & companion with which to attend openings, parties & events of one sort or another, as well as various dance clubs & hot spots of the Manhattan of the time. Collected & out of context as they are here, they inevitably lose some of their impact & become somewhat monotonous, but remain a palpable triumph in the way they chronicle the emergence of a new distinctive personality in print. That personality shines thru consistently & can't help but win over even the most jaded reader with its disarming directness, attention to the odd detail, its dry humor & sly irreverence that seems to lurk around the corner of almost every phrase.
September 18, 2007
Bone-dry hilarious.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews