OUT OF STEP, NOTES FROM A PURPLE DECADE

by Jonathan (Author);UPDIKE John (Subjects) YARDLEY

Reassesses ten years of American cultural life, in a collection of articles and essays that includes such sections as "The Lit'ry Scene," "The American Scene," and "My Scene"

Genres: Essays

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Anissa Kuhar · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to look back at Yardley's collection of opinion pieces at a time when I was in high school (the 80s), paying much less attention to the news. Also of value was comparing Americans' perspectives today and 30 years ago on topics such as same sex relationships, banned literature, higher education standards and curriculum rigor, and our teachers of values--home vs. school. Perspectives on these issues have become much more liberal. I read the book with Wikipedia on hand to serve as a history book for things I'd forgotten or overlooked the first time. It was a welcome look back.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoyed Yardley's book reviews from The Washington Post, but had never read his social commentary. This volume includes selected columns with their publication dates. Many of the commentaries I found to be overly curmudgeonly but interesting in their own way, while the book reviews and columns reflecting his own life and interests were as charming as I remembered them.