Ms Fadiman and Mr Epstein both belong in the line of informal, conversational essayists, their artfulness disguised in apparent spontaneity.

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Excerpted from At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays by Anne Fadiman.

NPR: Excerpt: 'At Large and At Small'

Her father, Clifton Fadiman, who died in June at the age of 95, was a reviewer, critic, essayist and general book collector.

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But his recurring preoccupation with writing and reading and books strikes home, and it is here that he contrasts most sharply with Ms Fadiman.

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Ms Fadiman's fun and lightness belie a real seriousness.

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Anne Fadiman is one.

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