“Delightful...A gracious and humane tale...One can only marvel at Auster’s artistry. —The Boston Sunday Globe
“Auster writes in a voice so clear, so mesmerizing, and so profound...[he] is unafraid of his own power, precisely because he has acknowledged humiliation’s alchemy, its way of letting words vibrate at whatever weird, golden velocity they wish, Hand to Mouth vibrates...beautiful.” —Wayne Koestenbaum, Bookforum
“Required, inspiring reading for Auster-holics and aspiring writers.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An engaging account of his early attempts to stay afloat as a writer...with a colorful cast of sharply etched characters who he meets along the way.” —Chicago Tribune
“As a cautionary tale for writers, this is a superb book.” —Publishers Weekly