A.J. Liebling’s “Apology for Breathing,” is a breathtaking and honest view into a city that’s filled with different people and personalized experiences that we can relate to. Liebling points out that the city is in constant change, which kind of makes the reader understand that we live in a city in which we are unavoidably exposed to other cultures and different types of ways to conduct your business.
His description of the city is one filled with points that show he grew up in the city, and that while he talks with great pride about the city, he also sounds nonchalant in describing situations that he grew up in. His talk of how millions of people go about their own business with not a single clue of what others around them are doing, is inspiring. Particularly I feel like the author’s job at describing the city is something all writers like ourselves should keep in mind, because his description in writing of New York city Is just the same as if hearing him speak of it in person.
When writing a commentary or a critique, it is always good to add in a few examples –specific details from the text that illustrate your points.