Calvin has been acclaimed in fields of writing that are remarkably diverse. As someone who has published solidly reported pieces in The New Yorker for forty years, he has been called "perhaps the finest reporter in America." His wry commentary on the American scene and his books chronicling his adventures as a "happy eater" have earned him renown as "a classic American humorist." His book About Alice, a 2007 New York Times best seller that was hailed as "a miniature masterpiece" followed two other best-selling memoirs, Remembering Denny and Messages from My Father.