In his first book of non-fiction, originally published in 1962,
Herbert Gold explores some not-so-happy problems confronting people
in an age of "mass destruction, mass inertia, mass everything."
While acknowledging that we live in a time of utmost global
significance-war on an enormous scale was a reality of the
twentieth century and continues to threaten, unadulterated evil has
exhibited itself in grandiose proportions-Gold tackles issues and
problems which are very much of significance to the individual:
teaching, writing, love, marriage, divorce, and death. In The Age
of Happy Problems, Gold takes the reader through a journey of
eclectic characters, situations, and locales. Part I is a selection
of essays entitled "American Events." In "The Age of Happy
Problems" we are presented with an analysis of the problems facing
people in the middle of their lives and careers. "How to Be an
Artist's Wife" explores the prospect of being married, and
remaining married, to a temperamental and egotistical artist.
"Divorce as a Moral Act" describes the termination of marriage as a
means for renewal and the chance to start over again the search for
love. "The Bachelor's Dilemma" evokes the decisions confronting the
male of the "big city." And "A Dog in Brooklyn, A Girl in Detroit:
A L"ife Among the Humanities" is a memoir on the paradoxes of
teaching in a university. Part II is entitled "American Places."
The author examines in this section various American lifestyles. In
"Paris: Notes from La Vie de Boheme," Gold describes Americans
abroad, why they decide to become expatriates, and how they adapt
to their new surroundings. In "Greenwich Village: The Changing
Village" he writes about the importance of New York City's symbol
of change, experiment and nonconformity. Finally, the author
meditates on "Death in Miami Beach," offering a moving account of
the relationship between death and the popular Florida city. Gold
writes: "How can I total it up? What is the map of the map? Well,
to begin with, Plato was wrong. The life of contemplation is not
sufficient...and for another thing, Plato was right. He knew that
men must learn to come together in the practice of intelligence and
moral privilege." Gold's essays, stemming from the author's own
humanity, are just as poignant and relevant today as they were when
they were first published. The Age of Happy Problems is sure to
captivate, but perhaps most of all, make the reader contemplate the
importance of these issues for his or her own life.
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