Super Short Summary

Alfred Kazin’s private diaries, collected in Alfred Kazin’s Journals by Richard M. Cook, span over 60 years from 1933 to 1998, tracing his development as a prominent literary critic and public intellectual. They detail his deep engagement with American literature, reflections on contemporary world events, intimate encounters, inner struggles, and the turbulent personal life of this influential figure. Mentions of sensitive topics such as sexual experiences and existential reflections on his terminal illness are present.