Bartleby and Me: Reflections of an Old Scrivener

"Literary Legend" (New York) Gay Talese retraces his pioneering career in literary nonfiction, marked by his fascination with the world's hidden characters.

In the concluding act of this "incomparable" (Air Mail) capstone book, Talese introduces readers to one final unforgettable story: the strange and riveting all new true crime tale of Dr. Nicholas Bartha, who blew up his Manhattan brownstone-and himself-rather than relinquish his claim to the American dream.

"New York is a city of things u...