about contributors submissions book series advertising contests tour dates Mixed Media PopMatters Picks
|
|
Recent Books ReviewsFriday, December 18 2009
Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry TeachoutTeachout delivers an entertaining yet factually rigid biography of Louis Armstrong, putting the past controversies in perspective, and codifying his life into a fairly straight-forward whole. Thursday, December 17 2009Commonwealth by Michael Hardt and Antonio NegriIn this culmination of the trilogy that began with Empire and continued with Multitude, Hardt and Negri map a space neither private nor public, a realm outside the clutches of global capital. Box 21 by Anders Roslund, Borge HellstromBox 21 teaches a hard truth, forces us to admire people we cannot like, to see when we'd rather turn away. Wednesday, December 16 2009The Roman Forum by David WatkinThis insightful exploration of the seat of Roman power reveals a deeper, richer historical narrative than one might imagine. High Society: The Life of Grace Kelly by Donald SpotoIn keeping with his subject's favorite accessory, Spoto's book wears white gloves Tuesday, December 15 2009Too Much Happiness by Alice MunroThe stories reflect both the saturation and the irony indicated in the title: The world of this book is simply the other side of the coin, or the opposite of happiness. No Impact Man by Colin BeavanBoth the book and Beavan are likable because he's unabashedly naive, and we can share his journey, not just read a polemic. Monday, December 14 2009The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story by Robert MatheuIf the goal is to provide a biographical sketch for the casual fan and some eye candy to peruse while getting high and listening to Funhouse, this easily succeeds. Look at the Birdie: Unpublished Short Fiction by Kurt VonnegutA collection of previously unpublished works that Vonnegut wrote in the '50s or thereabouts. Friday, December 11 2009Communities of Play: Emergent Cultures in Multiplayer Games and Virtual Worlds by Celia PearcePearce’s book illuminates the power of play and the impact of culture, and puts a spin on our perception of the immigrant experience. The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines by Mike MadridIn costume, men retain their adult status, e.g., Batman and Superman. But their female counterparts, no matter how well suited-up for battle, are always 'girls'. Thursday, December 10 2009What Would Susie Say?: Bullsh*t Wisdom about Love, Life and Comedy by Susie EssmanPart stand-up routine and part autobiography, Susie Essman offers her unfettered opinion on how to live and laugh while you're doing it. Under the Dome by Stephen KingNot even The Stand had so many major characters come to gruesome ends. Wednesday, December 9 2009Photography Degree Zero: Reflections on Roland Barthes’s Camera Lucida by Geoffrey BThe areas from which Camera Lucida is approached are pleasingly varied, ranging from psychoanalysis to Buddhism, and figures such as Freud, Benjamin and Proust are brought into play. The Museum of Innocence by Orhan PamukJust as Dostoyevsky did in critiquing a Russia that looked outward to Europe rather than inward to find its soul, Pamuk portrays an upper class that takes its cues from the West, while threatening to dislodge itself from its native culture. Tuesday, December 8 2009The Interrogative Mood: A Novel? by Padgett PowellIf Padgett Powell's new book is a novel, in some Dada sense of the word, it looks awfully similar to a list. Free for All by Kenneth Turan, Joseph PappA lively if somewhat arbitrary history about the hero behind so much of what we know as modern American theater. Monday, December 7 2009Saint John of the Five Boroughs by Edward FalcoThis is another dilemma of postmodern realism in fiction: the culture which insists that everything is important saturates the form of the novel itself. 1989: The Struggle to Create Post-Cold War Europe by Mary Elise SarotteFall of the Wall, 1989: A brilliant account of a Europe transformed. Friday, December 4 2009Manhood for Amateurs by Michael ChabonChabon's conservative leanings are couched, perhaps paradoxically, in a hope that all children will develop into liberated adults. The Khaarijee: A Chronicle of Friendship and War in Afghanistan by J. Malcolm GarciaIf you’ve ever wondered how you might experience Afghanistan, then this is the book for you. Thursday, December 3 2009Sometimes we’re always real same-same by Mattox RoeschRural Alaska provides the setting for emotional struggles between family members as violence, alcoholism, and economic hardship rock a small Inuit community. The Return of Depression Economics and The Crisis of 2008Through simple language and basic analogies, Krugman manages the great feat of explaining how money works in a vacuum, and how it has worked for us in the past 20 years. Wednesday, December 2 2009Bright-Sided by Barbara EhrenreichIn attacking America's "cult of cheerfulness", Ehrenreich makes a good argument, but doesn't take it far enough. Water edited by John KnechtelA wide-reaching rainbow of art, philosophy, and science, with everything from studies on infrastructural renewal to transcriptions of music from the ever-brutal Psycho shower scene. Tuesday, December 1 2009Picking Bones from Ash by Marie Mutsuki MockettMockett, the biracial daughter of a Japanese mother and Caucasian father, is a talented writer with an impressive grasp of East Asian culture and art. The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History by John OrtvedThe Simpsons may be so big, so ever-present, so referenced and referential that to try and swallow it in one book is doomed to failure. |
Now on PopMatters
Columns
Queer, Isn't It?: For Your Consideration: Trophies for Queers The Difference Engine: Electronic Music: The Invader and Infiltrator
Blogs
Short Ends and Leader: The Beast Within: Ten Timeless Werewolf Films Mixed Media: Owen Pallett - “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” (live) (video) Notes from the Road: Robert Frank’s The Americans Sound Affects: What’s the Best Album of the Decade? Try Calling Back in Five Years Graphic Novelties: This Was Then: Earth X - Part 2 Channel Surfing: Tonight on the Lifetime Very Special Movie: American Idol Moving Pixels: The Problem With No More Heroes 2
Music
:. Sade: Soldier of Love :. Fear Factory: Mechanize :. The Brunettes: Paper Dolls :. Locksley: Be in Love :. Little Girls: Concepts :. Reigning Sound: Love and Curses
Books
:. I Want to Be Left Behind: Finding Rapture Here On Earth by Brenda Peterson :. I See a Darkness by Richard Kleist
News
:. The once and future Sims :. ‘The Phantom,’ ‘A Serious Man’ top list of latest Blu-ray releases :. Leno’s prime-time send-off to be departure from tradition :. INTERVIEW:Larry Holmes and Joe Frazier recall when they were ‘Facing Ali’ :. Sony’s two-volume ‘Bad Girls of Film Noir’ sets bring them out of the shadows
|
