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  • Published: 2 May 2011
  • ISBN: 9780141194165
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 208

Frank Sinatra Has A Cold

And Other Essays




A selection of witty and provocative essays from the father of New Journalism, new to Penguin Modern Classics

Gay Talese is the father of American New Journalism, who transformed traditional reportage with his vivid scene-setting, sharp observation and rich storytelling. His 1966 piece for Esquire, one of the most celebrated magazine articles ever published, describes a morose Frank Sinatra silently nursing a glass of bourbon, struck down with a cold and unable to sing, like 'Picasso without paint, Ferrari without fuel - only worse'. The other writings in this selection include a description of a meeting between two legends, Fidel Castro and Muhammad Ali; a brilliantly witty dissection of the offices of Vogue magazine; an account of travelling to Ireland with hellraiser Peter O'Toole; and a profile of fading baseball star Joe DiMaggio, which turns into a moving, immaculately-crafted meditation on celebrity.

  • Published: 2 May 2011
  • ISBN: 9780141194165
  • Imprint: Penguin eBooks
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 208

About the author

Gay Talese

Gay Talese was a reporter for The New York Times from 1956 to 1965. Since then he has written for the Times, Esquire, The New Yorker, and other national publications. His books include The Kingdom and the Power, Honor Thy Father, Thy Neighbour's Wife and Unto the Sons. He lives with his wife in New York City

Also by Gay Talese

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Praise for Frank Sinatra Has A Cold

'The best non-fiction writer in America'

Mario Puzo

'A masterful New Journalism pioneer ... raises the magazine article to the level of an art form'

Los Angeles Times