From the distinguished essayist and undisputed master of the form, a lively, tender, and provocative new collection celebrating the life of the mind, from challenges of a Brooklyn childhood to the pleasures of baseball, movies, sex, books, friendship, and more.In this stunning compilation of personal essays, celebrated author, film critic, poet, and acclaimed essayist Phillip Lopate weaves together the most colorful threads of a life well lived, inviting readers on an invigorating and thoughtful journey through memory, culture, parenthood, the trials of marriage both young and old, and an extraordinary look at New York’s storied past and present. In his native Brooklyn, Lopate immerses readers in his rough-and-tumble childhood, where he tutored in the employ of a woman his sister dubbed “The Polish Countess,” and became practiced in the art of cowardice after watching his brother in bloody streetfights. From there, Lopate takes us to the ballgame to discuss the trouble with ex-baseball fans; to the theatre to dissect Virginia Woolf’s opinion that film should keep its cotton-pickin’ hands off literature; and to visit his brother, radio personality Leonard Lopate, offering a rare glimpse into the unique sibling rivalry between them. Letting his mind wander skillfully across the page, Lopate offers a stirring meditation on everything from sex and politics to baseball and aging. Essay Love is a charming and spirited new collection for readers to treasure.