Why people recommend it
The Empathy Exams Essays by Leslie Jamison is an acclaimed collection of personal essays exploring pain, illness, and human connection. On The Book Review, Michelle Orange recommended the book when asked for her favorite recent essay collections, noting its publication from the previous year. Phillip Lopate also mentioned Jamison's book on the podcast, citing it alongside other striking collections that had recently energized the genre with their emotional and intellectual boldness. Additionally, Dwight Garner discussed the book on The Book Review during an interview with Tara Westover, expressing his deep admiration for Jamison's widely known work. The podcast contributors underscored the collection's cultural impact, noting how it redefined the boundaries of personal essay writing by blending rigorous reporting with vulnerable self-examination, and praised the author's sharp insights into the ways individuals perceive and process suffering.
Who recommended it
- Dwight Garner Discussed
- Michelle Orange Recommended
- Phillip Lopate Recommended
Dwight Garner — 1 mention
“I mean she's well known for her book The empathy exams a book of essays that I really really loved”
Michelle Orange — 1 mention
“yeah uh Charles D ambrosio's loitering um and lesli Jameson's the empathy exams I think are the two that come to mind and both of those came out last year”
Phillip Lopate — 1 mention
“we've had a lot of collections just in the last year a year and a half that have been very striking like Megan D's book the Unspeakable U lesie Jameson's the empathy exams”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“make it scream make it burn essays the empathy exam also essays the Gin closet a novel and the recovering a memoir”