User:Ccvett/sandbox

For Finishing the Hat:

Reception
Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954–1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes received overall positive reviews. In The New York Times, Paul Simon called the book "a metaphor for that feeling of joy, the little squirt of joy hitting the brain when the artist creates a work of art." Randy Gener from American Theatre praised Sondheim's rigorous analysis of his own lyrics, calling the book "the best and most gorgeously produced book of its kind ever put together for a living composer."

Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Wafflings, Diversions and Anecdotes received more mixed reviews compared to the first volume. Brad Leithauser from The New York Times appreciated the inspirational nature of the book. He described this book as exhibiting "a donnish ease while blending amusement with edification." While writing an overall positive review, Joel Fishbane criticized unnecessary additions to the book, such as an expansive glossary and songs written as gifts to friends in Theatre Journal.