A Geometry of Lilies: Life and Death in an American Family

by Steven Harvey

This collection of essays examines the richness of life in a family and the struggle of one nuclear family cut off from history and tradition to create its own rituals and myths.

141 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1993

About the author

Steven Harvey's newest book is Folly Beach: An Essay on Family, Fear, Physics, Philosophy & Fun. It celebrates creativity as a sufficient joy in the face of loss and mortality. He is also the author of The Book of Knowledge and Wonder, a memoir about coming to terms with the suicide of his mother published by Ovenbird Books as part of the “Judith Kitchen Select” series. In addition he has written three collections of personal essays--A Geometry of Lilies, Lost in Translation, and Bound for Shady Grove--and edited an anthology of essays written by men on middle age called In a Dark Wood. Two of his essays have been selected for The Best American Essays Series: “The Book of Knowledge” in 2013 and “The Other Steve Harvey” in 2018. Over the years, fourteen of his essays have been recognized as notable by that series as well, and he was twice honored as a finalist in the Associated Writing Program’s nonfiction contest. He is a professor emeritus of English and creative writing at Young Harris College, a founding faculty member in the Ashland University MFA program in creative writing, a senior editor for River Teeth magazine, and the creator of The Humble Essayist, a website designed to promote personal prose. He lives in the north Georgia mountains.

Reviews

[Sarah Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

down to earth essays that make you appreciate family life, the small, seemingly insignificant pieces and parts that make up the every day. Not only is Steve Harvey a great essayist, he is also a great human being.