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15 Authors like Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is a beloved American writer known for his humorous essays and poetry. He explores everyday life and food culture with wit and charm in works like American Fried and Travels with Alice.

If you enjoy reading books by Calvin Trillin then you might also like the following authors:

  1. A. J. Liebling

    Liebling has a witty and observant style that explores daily life, food, sports, and politics. Like Calvin Trillin, he has a keen eye for detail and humor in every situation.

    In his book Between Meals: An Appetite for Paris, Liebling shares his passion for French food, culture, and city life through memorable stories and sharp observations.

  2. Joseph Mitchell

    Mitchell offers vivid portraits of ordinary New Yorkers and the unusual characters that populate the city. His thoughtful yet straightforward style captures the depth and humanity of everyday lives in the big city.

    In Up in the Old Hotel, Mitchell presents colorful, compassionate sketches of New York's overlooked neighborhoods and quirky residents, much in the spirit of Trillin's appreciation of the city’s offbeat charm.

  3. Ian Frazier

    Frazier writes with humor, curiosity, and an easy-going style that invites readers along on his travels and explorations of American culture. Similar to Calvin Trillin, Frazier mixes personal anecdotes with thoughtful observations.

    His book Great Plains recounts his travels through the American heartland, capturing both its beauty and oddities in a humorous yet insightful way.

  4. E. B. White

    E. B. White is known for clear, charming, and thoughtful writing that explores daily life and small details with warmth and humor. He shares Trillin’s knack for finding meaning and gentle humor in ordinary moments.

    In his collection of essays, One Man's Meat, White offers thoughtful reflections from life on a Maine farm, filled with gentle wisdom and affectionate observations.

  5. Bill Bryson

    Bryson mixes humor, keen observations, and personal anecdotes to explore travel, history, and everyday absurdities. Readers who enjoy Trillin’s humorous explorations of food and culture will appreciate Bryson's engaging, insightful approach.

    In his book A Walk in the Woods, Bryson humorously recounts his hike along the Appalachian Trail, blending adventure, history, and humor.

  6. David Sedaris

    If you appreciate Calvin Trillin's humorous and observant style, you'll likely enjoy David Sedaris. Sedaris crafts witty, humorous essays that take on the oddities of daily life, family quirks, and cultural absurdities.

    His writing is sharp, funny, and deeply insightful, and often involves stories from his own life. Check out Me Talk Pretty One Day, where Sedaris hilariously describes his experiences moving to France and dealing with the struggles of learning a new language.

  7. Roy Blount Jr.

    Fans of Calvin Trillin's humorous essays exploring food, language, and everyday Americana might enjoy Roy Blount Jr. Blount is known for his entertaining take on American culture, language, and customs, delivering his observations with genuine warmth, wit, and charm.

    His writing style is witty and easygoing, with a gift for funny insights in everyday experiences. Try his book Long Time Leaving: Dispatches from Up South, which humorously reflects on his experiences and observations of Southern culture and identity.

  8. Russell Baker

    Those drawn to Calvin Trillin will likely appreciate Russell Baker's gentle, humorous, and wise reflections on everyday life and American society.

    With a thoughtful and accessible style, Baker fondly captures ordinary moments and turns them into something memorable and often funny.

    In his memoir Growing Up, Baker brings warmth and humor to stories of childhood in the Great Depression, offering a rich view of family and formative experiences.

  9. Nora Ephron

    If Calvin Trillin's blend of personal humor and cultural insight resonates with you, Nora Ephron's essays should definitely be on your reading list.

    Her writing is funny, sharp, and personal, often highlighting society, individual idiosyncrasies, relationships, and daily annoyances with wit and honesty. Ephron confronts life's scenarios head-on in a candid, self-aware voice.

    You might start with I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman, a clever and touching series of essays that humorously explore aging, beauty, and the quirks of modern life.

  10. Fran Lebowitz

    For those who like Calvin Trillin's ability to dryly evaluate the absurdities and pretensions of modern life, Fran Lebowitz offers the perfect complement. Lebowitz is sharp, acerbic, and famously blunt, dissecting society's foolishness and absurdities with deadpan humor.

    Her essays criticize social conventions, urban life, celebrity culture, and more in an engaging and unsparing manner. Check out The Fran Lebowitz Reader, a witty collection of essays that display Lebowitz at her best—smart, sharp, and unapologetically entertaining.

  11. John McPhee

    John McPhee has a thoughtful, engaging style that makes even complicated topics accessible and enjoyable.

    Readers who like Calvin Trillin's approachable prose and curiosity about everyday life may enjoy McPhee's Oranges, a fascinating exploration of the citrus fruit, its industry, and history.

  12. Adam Gopnik

    Adam Gopnik writes elegantly about people, culture, and life's everyday moments. Like Calvin Trillin, his essays often highlight small observations that reveal larger truths.

    His book Paris to the Moon is a charming collection about life in Paris, reflecting on family, food, and cultural quirks in a warmly humorous way.

  13. M. F. K. Fisher

    M. F. K. Fisher was a gifted storyteller who saw food as a way of examining life's joys and struggles. Similar to Calvin Trillin, she balanced wit and insight, making her stories feel relatable and human.

    The Gastronomical Me is a standout work, mixing memoir with culinary essays full of vivid sensory details.

  14. Garrison Keillor

    Garrison Keillor is beloved for his gentle humor, warm insights, and affectionate portrayals of small-town life. His storytelling shares Calvin Trillin's emphasis on everyday people and quiet, humorous details.

    His book Lake Wobegon Days introduces readers to his fictional Minnesota town, a place where ordinary moments become quietly amusing, heartfelt stories.

  15. Spalding Gray

    Spalding Gray was a gifted monologuist known for the sharp wit and candor he brought to deeply personal stories about life, identity, and emotional struggles.

    Readers who appreciate Calvin Trillin's ability to connect honestly and humorously with readers may find Gray's Swimming to Cambodia engaging. It captures his trademark blend of humor, introspection, and brilliant storytelling.