The Web is a vast storehouse of information. It is also a place where decision-makers can question themselves — much to our delight.
To celebrate Esquire magazine’s 70th anniversary, the editors selected what they considered to be the publication’s finest non-fiction stories. Picking one was not so easy. But they did: Gay Talese’s 1965 story titled “Frank Sinatra Has a Cold.”
It was reprinted in the October anniversary edition. But the editors debated over four other pieces — including one from Tom Wolfe and another by Norman Mailer.
They posted those four pieces at Esquire.com, for free, and asked readers to cast a vote. Frankly, all five pieces are quite good — note that four of the five were written during the ’60s, when literary style overshadowed reporting — so quibbling over the best is moot.
Rather, reading this treasure from noteworthy writers at their peak is the real treat the editors have offered.