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Alain de Botton and the creation of new genres

By Anita Mathias

I love Alain de Boton’s books, especially his ones on Proust, Philosophy, and Travel and here’s a cogent statement of what his literary goals are in an excerpt from an interview.
Cool, I love these new genres. Essayellas!!


Writerspace: How would you like us to remember Alain de Botton and what message or advice would you like us to retain?
Alain: I’d like to be remembered as someone who had a shot at trying out a kind of essayistic writing, which blended the personal and the philosophical, in search of practical answers for how to deal with the problems of everyday life. 


Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK

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Filed Under: Essayellas

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My Books

Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India

Rosaries, Reading Secrets, B&N
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UK

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds
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UK

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence
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UK

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems
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UK

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Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

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What I’m Reading


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Olive Kitteridge
Elizabeth Strout

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The Long Loneliness:
The Autobiography of the Legendary Catholic Social Activist
Dorothy Day

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The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry:
How to stay emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world
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Country Girl
Edna O'Brien

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