The Best American Essays 2024

A collection of the year's best essays, selected by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Wesley Morris and series editor Kim Dana Kupperman.

Wesley Morris, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and acclaimed New York Times critic, selects twenty essays out of thousands that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year.

“Imparting some piece of yourself -- any part -- is arduous and warrants some kind of commendation,” writes guest editor Wesley Morris in his introduction. Both personal and personable, the essayists in this volume use their own vulnerability to guide readers on excursions that unfold on uncomfortable edges. From contemplating the nuances of memory to exploring the complexities of family, romance, gender identity, illness, and death, Morris’s selection of essays presents a roundup of the thinkers who masterfully grapple with the issues of our time.