books
January 23, 2026
A Biography Without ‘The Boring Bits’
One example I highly recommend focuses on the work, not the life, of its subject.
TL;DR
- Stewart critiques Morgan's biography of Margaret Anderson for failing to prove that her post-editing life was her 'greatest work'.
- The review suggests Morgan should have focused more on Anderson's editing career and 'edited out the boring bits'.
- Berg's biography of Max Perkins is praised for its detailed focus on Perkins's editorial work and his relationships with authors.
- Berg's biography successfully illustrates Perkins's extensive involvement in shaping novels like *The Great Gatsby* and *A Farewell to Arms*.
- The article suggests that biographers, like editors, must choose their subjects wisely, with an enigmatic character sometimes being more compelling than a popular one.
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