Ebook: Our Boston: writers celebrate the city they love

What defines Boston' Its history' Its landmarks' Its sports teams and shrines' Perhaps the question should be: Who defines Boston' From Henry David Thoreau to Dennis Lehane, Boston has been beloved by many of America's greatest writers, and there is no better group of men and women to capture the heart and soul of the Hub. In Our Boston, editor Andrew Blauner has collected both original and reprinted essays from Boston area writers past and present, all celebrating the city they love. In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing, they responded to his call to celebrate this great city by providing almost all brand-new works, and forgoing royalties in order to support the survivors and their families. For every copy of Our Boston sold, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will donate $5 to the One Fund Boston. From Mike Barnicle to Pico Iyer, Susan Orlean to George Plimpton, Leigh Montville to Lesley Visser, Pagan Kennedy to James Atlas, here is a collection of the best essays by our best writers on one of America's greatest cities.;Foreword: Running toward the bombs / Kevin Cullen -- Walking an American avenue / Mike Barnicle -- Pride or prejudice / Andrø Aciman -- The former legends / E.M. Swift -- A boy's Boston / Charles McGrath -- Things in threes / Madeleine Blais -- Getting over Boston / George Howe Colt -- Accents, or the missing r / Susan Orlean -- Bonfire of the memories / David M. Shribman -- A city not on a hill / Joan Wickersham -- Our chowder / David Michaelis -- Boston, 1972 / Katherine A. Powers -- Transplants / Jabari Asim -- Diamonds (and dugouts) are a girl's best friend / Lesley Visser -- Next step: Back Bay / Hugh Delehanty -- Medora goes to the game / George Plimpton -- The everything bagel / Leslie Epstein -- Wounded, Boston's heart remains strong / Bud Collins -- So you want to be in pictures / Nell Scovell -- America's brain / Israel Horovitz -- Front row on the Charles / Shira Springer -- Messing with the wrong city / Dennis Lehane -- Boston a la carte / Susan Sheehan -- Our Boston and theirs / James Atlas -- Bothering Bill Russell / Leigh Montville -- From somewhere / Tova Mirvis -- Boston marriage / Pagan Kennedy -- Reading around Boston / Scott Stossel -- Souvenir of the ancient world / Robert Pinsky -- Boston sports: something for everyone to love ... and complain about / Bill Littlefield -- The landscape of home / Carlo Rotella -- Thinking locally, acting globally / Neil Swidey -- Jamaica Pond: my Walden / Jessica Shattuck -- Hub fans bid kid adieu / John Updike -- The classroom of the real / Pico Iyer -- This is the way I point my view / Sally Taylor.