Andrew Lipstein’s ‘Last Resort’ and the Hellish World of Publishing
Andrew Lipstein’s Last Resort takes the business of publishing to the very edge of the writer’s limit.
Books
John McWhorter’s Polemic ‘Woke Racism’ Covers Controversial Issues with Snark Gnarled by Outrage
John McWhorter’s pushback against the antiracist orthodoxy of Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi lands palpable hits but is too scattered to win the match.
Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Crossroads’ Contemplates Something Harder Than Being Alone
Breaking form with his latest work, Crossroads, Franzen has not written a social novel. He has written an Antisocial Novel.
Dave Grohl Wants to Tell You How Lucky He Is
In his book The Storyteller, both successful Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl the Punk, and lucky Dave Grohl the Everyman, come out smiling.
The Best Books of 2021
As is PopMatters‘ ethos throughout our 22 years of publishing, there’s a strong current of feminism electrifying our picks for the Best Books of 2021.
The British ‘Idea of Europe’ Is Still a Mess
Shane Weller’s The Idea of Europe, hampered by an unconscious form of Euroscepticism, suggests that British critics are still not ready to listen to their neighbors.
Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen Martin Subverts Verse to Infect the Senses
Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen Martin’s words snake their way into one’s consciousness and viciously bite at the tragic absurdity of American racism.
How Can One Capture the Life and Mind of Elizabeth Hardwick?
Cathy Curtis has published four biographies in six years but her recent work on Elizabeth Hardwick is missing a strong point of view.
Sylvain Cypel’s ‘The State of Israel vs. the Jews’ Addresses Burning Questions
Cypel’s The State of Israel vs. the Jews addresses the prejudices embedded in Israeli policies toward Palestinians and their implications for Jews worldwide.
Questlove Drums Circles Around Music History
Circles are central to Questlove. He loves a circular connection and a sidelong glance. Circles overlap and connect in his artful book, Music Is History.
‘Sideways’ and ‘The Archivist’ Author Rex Pickett on the Lure of Dark Archives
Irreverent and with skin as thick as a pachyderm, mystery author Rex Pickett talks with PopMatters about the forces that compelled him to write The Archivist.