Miss Lonelyhearts Author:Nathanael West A writer’s nightmare: his degrading day job as a lonely hearts advice columnist is only the beginning — Praised by great writers from Flannery O’Conner to Jonathan Lethem, Miss Lonelyhearts is an American classic. A newspaper reporter assigned to write the agony column in the depths of the Great Depression seeks respite from... more » the poor souls who send in their sad letters, only to be further tormented by his viciously cynical editor, Shrike.« less