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The Brown Reader: 50 Writers Remember College Hill
"To be up all night in the darkness of your youth but to be ready for the day to come...that was what going to Brown felt like." -Jeffrey Eugenides
In celebration of Brown University's 250th anniversary, fifty remarkable, prizewinning writers and artists who went to Brown provide unique stories - many published for the first time - about their adventures on College Hill. Funny, poignant, subversive, and nostalgic, the essays, comics, and poems in this collection paint a vivid picture of college life, from the 1950s to the present, at one of America's most interesting universities.
Contributors:
Donald Antrim, Robert Arellano, M. Charles Bakst, Amy DuBois Barnett, Lisa Birnbach, Kate Bornstein, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Mary Caponegro, Susan Cheever, Brian Christian, Pamela Constable, Nicole Cooley, Dana Cowin, Spencer R. Crew, Edwidge Danticat, Dilip D’Souza, David Ebershoff, Jeffrey Eugenides, Richard Foreman, Amity Gaige, Robin Green, Andrew Sean Greer, Christina Haag, Joan Hilty, A.J. Jacobs, Sean Kelly, David Klinghoffer, Jincy Willett Kornhauser, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, David Levithan, Mara Liasson, Lois Lowry, Ira C. Magaziner, Madeline Miller, Christine Montross, Rick Moody, Jonathan Mooney, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Dawn Raffel, Bill Reynolds, Marilynne Robinson, Sarah Ruhl, Ariel Sabar, Joanna Scott, Jeff Shesol, David Shields, Krista Tippett, Alfred Uhry, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Meg Wolitzer
"At Brown, we felt safely ensconced in a carefree, counterculture cocoon - free to criticize the university president, join a strike by cafeteria workers, break china laughing, or kiss the sky." -Pamela Constable
In celebration of Brown University's 250th anniversary, fifty remarkable, prizewinning writers and artists who went to Brown provide unique stories - many published for the first time - about their adventures on College Hill. Funny, poignant, subversive, and nostalgic, the essays, comics, and poems in this collection paint a vivid picture of college life, from the 1950s to the present, at one of America's most interesting universities.
Contributors:
Donald Antrim, Robert Arellano, M. Charles Bakst, Amy DuBois Barnett, Lisa Birnbach, Kate Bornstein, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum, Mary Caponegro, Susan Cheever, Brian Christian, Pamela Constable, Nicole Cooley, Dana Cowin, Spencer R. Crew, Edwidge Danticat, Dilip D’Souza, David Ebershoff, Jeffrey Eugenides, Richard Foreman, Amity Gaige, Robin Green, Andrew Sean Greer, Christina Haag, Joan Hilty, A.J. Jacobs, Sean Kelly, David Klinghoffer, Jincy Willett Kornhauser, Marie Myung-Ok Lee, David Levithan, Mara Liasson, Lois Lowry, Ira C. Magaziner, Madeline Miller, Christine Montross, Rick Moody, Jonathan Mooney, Rowan Ricardo Phillips, Dawn Raffel, Bill Reynolds, Marilynne Robinson, Sarah Ruhl, Ariel Sabar, Joanna Scott, Jeff Shesol, David Shields, Krista Tippett, Alfred Uhry, Afaa Michael Weaver, and Meg Wolitzer
"At Brown, we felt safely ensconced in a carefree, counterculture cocoon - free to criticize the university president, join a strike by cafeteria workers, break china laughing, or kiss the sky." -Pamela Constable
320 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2014
20 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
About the author
Judy Sternlight
1 book3 followersJudy Sternlight spent nearly a decade editing books at Random House, Ballantine, and Modern Library before founding Judy Sternlight Literary Services. In addition to editing The Brown Reader: 50 Writers Remember College Hill, she has worked with acclaimed authors including Marie-Helene Bertino, Rita Mae Brown, Ana Castillo, Gwen Florio, Bret Anthony Johnston, Peter Matthiessen, Daniel Menaker, Patricia T. O’Conner, Kwei Quartey, and Amy Rowland.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 22, 2014
A pleasant collection of alumni essays on the occasion of the Rhode Island Ivy’s 250th anniversary. For the most part, this is blessedly free of in-jokes (apart from Jeffrey Eugenides’s contribution, alas). I could imagine this being a successful fundraising project for many colleges – though I’m not sure my alma mater (Hood College, Frederick, MD) would have enough famous graduates to fill a book! Brown, however, has a full docket of big-name authors, mostly in the humanities, including Eugenides, Amity Gaige, David Shields, A.J. Jacobs, Meg Wolitzer, Edwidge Danticat, Lois Lowry, Madeline Miller, and Marilynne Robinson. Whew!
Donald Antrim notes that Brown is famous for its “liberal, open, hippie curriculum.” I confess my knowledge of it is minimal, but I enjoyed the tidbits I picked up here. For instance, Susan Sontag was a creative writing tutor there in the 1980s, an experience Joanna Scott commemorates in a terrific second-person article documenting a bohemian dinner out with her.
The best piece is from Robinson, who charmingly notes, “I was not very good at youth.” Indeed, her novelist’s wisdom (not to mention her impenetrable essays) makes her seem like the kind of person who was never young and foolish. Still, she feels Brown taught her an important lesson: never pass up any educational opportunity. “The moral of my life is that there is no way of anticipating the importance any learning might assume...Learn so that you may continue learning, think until you are at home with thought.”
Both Wolitzer and Danticat completed their first novels while studying at Brown. Wolitzer spent her freshman year, an “unformed” era of ambition, “excitement and loneliness, in equal parts,” composing Sleepwalking – a word that might also sum up her mental state during that time.
Although the book does a fine job of highlighting minority experiences (with biracial, gay and trans contributors), I’ll admit I most appreciated the essays from known authors. Madeline Miller, author of the Orange Prize-winning The Song of Achilles, recalls that her college career helped her get outside her comfort zone by directing plays (Troilus and Cressida was her crowning achievement).
“Brown gave me the confidence and the freedom to navigate my own ship, even before I had any idea where it would end up,” Mara Liasson writes. That may be the best one can say of any institution, that it instills the curiosity and intellectual confidence necessary to follow life’s path wherever it leads.
In the end I think which college to go to is probably a fairly arbitrary choice; the combination of newfound independence and academic stimulation makes it a golden time wherever you end up. But it’s fun to see writers reflecting on a place that made them into who they are today.
Related reading: Should I Go to Grad School?
Donald Antrim notes that Brown is famous for its “liberal, open, hippie curriculum.” I confess my knowledge of it is minimal, but I enjoyed the tidbits I picked up here. For instance, Susan Sontag was a creative writing tutor there in the 1980s, an experience Joanna Scott commemorates in a terrific second-person article documenting a bohemian dinner out with her.
The best piece is from Robinson, who charmingly notes, “I was not very good at youth.” Indeed, her novelist’s wisdom (not to mention her impenetrable essays) makes her seem like the kind of person who was never young and foolish. Still, she feels Brown taught her an important lesson: never pass up any educational opportunity. “The moral of my life is that there is no way of anticipating the importance any learning might assume...Learn so that you may continue learning, think until you are at home with thought.”
Both Wolitzer and Danticat completed their first novels while studying at Brown. Wolitzer spent her freshman year, an “unformed” era of ambition, “excitement and loneliness, in equal parts,” composing Sleepwalking – a word that might also sum up her mental state during that time.
Although the book does a fine job of highlighting minority experiences (with biracial, gay and trans contributors), I’ll admit I most appreciated the essays from known authors. Madeline Miller, author of the Orange Prize-winning The Song of Achilles, recalls that her college career helped her get outside her comfort zone by directing plays (Troilus and Cressida was her crowning achievement).
“Brown gave me the confidence and the freedom to navigate my own ship, even before I had any idea where it would end up,” Mara Liasson writes. That may be the best one can say of any institution, that it instills the curiosity and intellectual confidence necessary to follow life’s path wherever it leads.
In the end I think which college to go to is probably a fairly arbitrary choice; the combination of newfound independence and academic stimulation makes it a golden time wherever you end up. But it’s fun to see writers reflecting on a place that made them into who they are today.
Related reading: Should I Go to Grad School?
October 20, 2014
Can't be impartial about this time portal in book form. Conjures the mid 80s Brown ethos in all its semiotics-and-clove-cigarette glory -- but other generations and perspectives are also present. There's a very powerful coming-of-age theme throughout that will appeal to readers of all ages.
August 12, 2025
though there are several essays that make me cringe like when reading back my middle school writing, some of these essays are astonishing, moving, and delightfully accurate to my own experience of Brown and Providence so far.
“When history becomes personal, as opposed to institutional, the hiding places that may have been there before— namely a studious distance between you and the subject— can transmogrify into something more raw, inchoate, and all but impossible to ignore.” (Rowan Ricardo Phillips, “Invisible Histories”)
“It was the start of my becoming an educated person with beginning understanding of the complex and personal purpose of education. It was an awakening thirst for communication and understanding that has never left me.” (Lois Lowry, “Train Rides”)
“When history becomes personal, as opposed to institutional, the hiding places that may have been there before— namely a studious distance between you and the subject— can transmogrify into something more raw, inchoate, and all but impossible to ignore.” (Rowan Ricardo Phillips, “Invisible Histories”)
“It was the start of my becoming an educated person with beginning understanding of the complex and personal purpose of education. It was an awakening thirst for communication and understanding that has never left me.” (Lois Lowry, “Train Rides”)
August 11, 2016
A solid collection of essays, but the sheer fact that Eugenides is a) the lead author on this when Madeline Miller has a piece in here and b) has a piece in here at all bumps this down to a 3 for me. I DISLIKE HIS WRITING MORE THAN THAT OF ALMOST ANY OTHER FICTION AUTHOR I'VE EVER READ. GOD. GET OVER YOUR WEIRD HANGUPS AND OBSESSIONS WITH MASCULINITY, DUDE!
Aside from his essay, for the most part I really liked this collection. It was a solid reflection on Brown's modern history and on what makes Brown as a university tick. However, a lot of the essays were about a WAY more """alternative""" Brown universe than I think is the norm for Brown students -- which is what happens when you get a bunch of authors/theatre folk/MFA students to write, so, fair -- and there were some that were SO tone deaf. The one graphic/cartoon essay that was shitting on Millenials? Come on. The several essays that felt pretty tone-deaf, race-wise? When Brown has been struggling to support its students of color for years? Could've done better, there.
It was really good, then, that the penultimate essay was by Madeline Miller, acclaimed author of The Song of Achilles and Brown Classics undergrad and Masters student. (RIP the ability for students to get MAs in Classics at Brown, which I would've done in a heartbeat.) That one made me cry on the train, and that one made me view the collection in a much more positive light.
Aside from his essay, for the most part I really liked this collection. It was a solid reflection on Brown's modern history and on what makes Brown as a university tick. However, a lot of the essays were about a WAY more """alternative""" Brown universe than I think is the norm for Brown students -- which is what happens when you get a bunch of authors/theatre folk/MFA students to write, so, fair -- and there were some that were SO tone deaf. The one graphic/cartoon essay that was shitting on Millenials? Come on. The several essays that felt pretty tone-deaf, race-wise? When Brown has been struggling to support its students of color for years? Could've done better, there.
It was really good, then, that the penultimate essay was by Madeline Miller, acclaimed author of The Song of Achilles and Brown Classics undergrad and Masters student. (RIP the ability for students to get MAs in Classics at Brown, which I would've done in a heartbeat.) That one made me cry on the train, and that one made me view the collection in a much more positive light.
April 2, 2014
I read only Eugenides and Levithan's short stories and they were good, but not soooooo good, so I know that this review is not sufficient at all, but still that's what I did and good luck with the other 48 stories.
Ho letto solo i racconti di Eugenides e Levithan, che non erano male, ma neanche qualcosa di eccezionale, quindi capisco che questa recensione non é completa ma non posso farci niente a parte augurarvi buona fortuna con gli altri 48 racconti.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SIMON&SCHUSTER FOR THE PREVIEW!
Ho letto solo i racconti di Eugenides e Levithan, che non erano male, ma neanche qualcosa di eccezionale, quindi capisco che questa recensione non é completa ma non posso farci niente a parte augurarvi buona fortuna con gli altri 48 racconti.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND SIMON&SCHUSTER FOR THE PREVIEW!
Want to read
March 1, 2021I will read this if I get into Brown. if not this will simply sit on my want-to-read shelf until I'm comfortable with revisiting my what-have-beens. goodbye
September 2, 2023
more than i ever expected (or wanted) to know ab the brown english program and brown theatre scene but
December 18, 2019
Frankly there is only so many ways you can pull "we're not pretentious, we're down to earth and quirky" until that assertion itself becomes a kind of pretension. This book straddles that about as well as it could given circumstance. As many have pointed out, the diversity is admirable-- I mean, wow! One conservative! (I'm joking please don't put more mildly homophobic/racist pieces in here we don't need them.) I was actually very fond of many of the stories, some standouts being Syllabus (Annotated), Bending the Letter, The Entropy and the Ecstasy, and Cursing My Way To Enlightenment, but I assume my opinion would change if you asked me tomorrow, and a lot of them are going to be very hit-or-miss depending on tastes and how off-the-mark you want your pieces-- I would really prefer to have pieces that just happen to be about the alumns at Brown, but some of these read like very standard essays, as if someone asked alumns to do the dreaded CommonApp essay again and they kind of begrudgingly obliged. All in all, a good effort all around, but the rating was... earned. Some pieces that miss really miss and there's a few gems and a lot of the literary equivalent of mildly pretentious cardboard.
November 19, 2014
The Brown Reader is a collection of personal stories written by individuals as they reflect upon their university years. I found this series of short stories to be incredibly inspiring and very relevant. Involving writers of many different backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, and personalities, it provided a wide range of perspectives on college life. Many of the entries were relatable to me in a variety of ways; one writer even mentioned keeping a journal, which I was happy to read about. Jeffrey Eugenides, Lois Lowry, and David Levithan attracted me to this read; I stumbled upon many new writers whose work I have so far thoroughly enjoyed.
March 15, 2015
This anthology of Brown University alums was put together to commemorate Brown's 250th birthday. While there was a bit of pleasant nostalgia to be had, the volume was so heavily weighted towards English and Theater experience from the 70's and 80's that I felt this must have been more of a personal exploration for the editorial staff than the potential readership.
That said, Ira Magaziner's account of the March to the New Curriculum and Spencer Crew's recounting of the simultaneous African American student walk-out in 1968 were fascinating and worth the read.
That said, Ira Magaziner's account of the March to the New Curriculum and Spencer Crew's recounting of the simultaneous African American student walk-out in 1968 were fascinating and worth the read.
May 22, 2014
I consumed this all in one go on a plane. Great plane reading! Inevitably a mixed bag, but there are a lot of real standouts (I'll be on the lookout now for more by David Shields, for example). It's interesting being nostalgic through other people's eyes.
January 5, 2015
As someone who lives in Rhode Island, I've enjoyed hanging around Providence all my life. Even if you don't, I would definitely give this collection a read. Many powerful memoirs as well as some very funny ones by a multitude of famous authors, Jeffrey Eugenides' was probably my favorite.
April 20, 2016
I found these essays to be rather hit or miss. LOVED Brian Christian's! Big on the nostalgia factor but can't quite imagine the appeal for someone who didn't attend Brown.
May 23, 2014
Dana Cowin, Edwidge Danticat, Lois Lowry and David Ebershoff's stories were particularly interesting and powerful.
June 8, 2014
This is book should not be read in one sitting.
December 29, 2014
Enjoyed some essays more than others, but loved it overall. A great read for any Brunonian!
September 19, 2015
I enjoyed so many of the selections for different reasons!
August 3, 2015
My favorites were David Levithan's and Lois Lowry's. Many were interesting, but several were weird, self-congratulatory, or just not very memorable.
July 21, 2018
Just the right amount of nostalgia.
December 31, 2024
3.5. Some stories were certainly much better than others, but it was pretty exceptional to read all these stories about the streets and buildings that I frequent on the daily. Very inspiring (and made me want to write more lol)
January 10, 2023
Read more for research purposes - but loved seeing an institution with which I am intimately familiar through the eyes of others.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews