A review by jennyrpotter
Joe Gould's Secret by Joseph Mitchell

5.0

Joseph Mitchell was just amazing. Widely known as "The New Yorker's" all-time best, his writing is so clear and clean, and his descriptions are perfect while allowing room for the reader to fill in the blanks with her own mind. I did prefer his collection "Bottom of the Harbor" to "Joe Gould's Secret," but there was something haunting and unique about this story that still ranks it as five-stars in my book. This entire character study is two pieces on one man, a homeless man who lived day-to-day in Greenwich Village in the mid-1900's. He was known among locals for working tirelessly on an "Oral History," which would serve for posterity as a written collection of conversations that give voice to the voiceless in our society.

The funny thing is, in writing about Joe Gould and sharing his true story with us, Joseph Mitchell provided his own small version of an "Oral History." Through his words, Joe Gould lives on.