Letters of Transit: Reflections on Exile, Identity, Language and Loss

There were several elements in 'Letters of Transit' that, prior to reading, I thought would be interesting subjects, most of which are neatly encapsulated by the subtitle, 'Reflections on Exile, Identity, Language, and Loss'. Of these, I was most curious about Language - these writers are all working with a foreign vocabulary, and, aside from admiring their success and fluidity, I'm also fascinated by the singular worldview... Read Full Review

This is a great book for those who want to be able to place Exile, Identity, Language and Loss in some kind of coherent context. It allows the reader to be able to understand his/her own behavior and the behaviors of those around them. It can also be applied to novels written in the various genres that deal with immigration and exile--to understand the motivation of the authors regarding plot and character development.There... Read Full Review

"Letters of Transit" is a collection of five essays originally presented, in somewhat different form, as lectures sponsored by the New York Public Library from November, 1997, through February, 1998. Andre Aciman, the editor and author of both the Foreward ("Permanent Transients") and the first of the essays ("Shadow City"), focuses on the theme of being an "exile" (as opposed to being an "expatriate" or a "refugee" or... Read Full Review

This is a very important book from 5 writers who have suffered the unease that comes from being "neither fish nor fowl", something I've always felt as a Jew, but never related to other immigrants, expatriates, or those in exile. This book also draws in writers and their craft, the work that comes out of "homesickness", the instinct to "memorialize in prose". I read this book in a light trance, feeling if but for a moment as... Read Full Review