The Long-Winded Lady

In this collection, Maeve Brennan captures the essence of New York City through her insightful essays, showcasing the beauty in the ordinary. The Long-Winded Lady offers a unique perspective on urban life.

In The Long-Winded Lady, Maeve Brennan offers readers a poignant exploration of the ordinary through her evocative prose sketches. She takes us on a journey through the overlooked corners of New York City, from cheap hotels to unassuming restaurants and bustling streets. Each vignette serves as a window into the everyday lives of the city's inhabitants, revealing the beauty and melancholy that coexist in urban life.

Brennan presents herself as a solitary wanderer, a keen observer of the human experience, capturing moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. Whether she is riding the subway, attempting to enjoy a meal in a deserted diner, or witnessing the drama of lovers quarreling in Washington Square, her writing conveys an uncanny precision. The essays blend hallucinatory elements with hyperreal observations, creating a unique tapestry of city life that resonates with readers.

Originally published in The New Yorker between 1954 and 1981, these essays are now compiled in full with a new introduction by Sinéad Gleeson. They showcase Maeve Brennan’s remarkable ability to document the nuances of city existence, solidifying her place as one of the twentieth century's most insightful essayists and chroniclers of urban life. The Long-Winded Lady invites readers to reflect on the beauty of the mundane and the stories that unfold in the everyday hustle of the metropolis.