In this article, I republish a review of mine that was first published in Teach Secondary magazine. Next, there follows the article I actually sent in. The differences are only minor, but I thought you might find it interesting to examine the differences, and consider what difference they make, if any, to your experience and understanding of the review.

A Town Without Time: Gay Talese’s New York

(Gay Talese, Mariner Classics, £20)

The published review

Anyone wanting to show their students how to write compelling prose could do far worse than introduce them to Gay Talese, and the keen eye for detail and ear for dialogue that makes his essays such a masterclass in observation.

As a practitioner of what was once heralded as ‘The New Journalism’, his work vividly shows how factual accounts can be rendered in prose so lively and vibrant that that it almost feels like you’re reading a novel.

As well as his acclaimed essay on Frank Sinatra, other subjects tackled in this collection include the cats of New York, a homeless woman with two homes, and the obituary writer keenly waiting for his subjects to drop dead so that he can at last see his work in print.

Some of these stories are so richly told, it can almost seem as though you’re right there with him. A must for English students.

This book was first reviewed in Teach Secondary magazine.

The review I sent in

Anyone aspiring to teach their students to write compellingly could do far worse than introducing them to Gay Talese. He has such a keen eye for detail and ear for dialogue that reading his essays is like having a masterclass in observation.

Talese, being a member of the school of “new journalism”, demonstrates that factual accounts do not have to be as dull as ditchwater. His prose is so lively that his nonfiction reads almost like a novel in places.

As well as his well-known essay about Frank Sinatra, other topics include the cats of New York, the homeless woman with two homes, and the obituary writer who can hardly wait for his subjects to drop dead so that he can at last see his work in print.

The devil is in the detail, and reading some passages seems almost as good as being there. A must for English students.