‘Things in Nature Merely Grow’ Tackles Death Differently
Yiyun Li’s beautiful and complex autobiography Things in Nature Merely Grow is not about death or loss; it is about who we become when we lose.
book review
Thomas Pynchon’s ‘Shadow Ticket’ Knocks Readers Sideways
Thomas Pynchon’s Shadow Ticket, should it be his last, showcases that even when he’s not at his very best, the man can pack an artful wallop.
Ella Jenkins’ Biography Sings Her Song
Gayle F. Wald’s Ella Jenkins’ biography sings Jenkins’ commitment to social justice and her important multicultural and participatory approach to teaching children music.
‘Everything Is Now’ Digs Into NYC’s Avant-Garde Ferment
Everything Is Now expertly demonstrates how NYC’s varied avant-garde subcultures were birthed in cold-water lofts, coffeehouses, and tiny storefront galleries and theaters.
‘Calls May Be Recorded’ Intentionally Disconnects
Katharina Volckmer’s tale of an isolated soul’s yearning for connection, Calls May Be Recorded intentionally disconnects with its readers in that funny/not funny way.
‘Separation of Church and Hate’ Reclaims the Good Book
Comedian John Fugelsang organized The Separation of Church and Hate as a reference guide to encourage conversation about the Good Book during our fraught cultural-political times.
‘The Martians’ Probes the First Time Americans Went Nuts for Aliens
David Baron’s pop history of the early Martian mania, The Martians, probes how deception, promoted by the fantasies of single-minded obsessives, predated Silicon Valley.
‘Julie Chan Is Dead’ Lampoons the Influencer Industry
Liann Zhang’s debut satirical thriller Julie Chan Is Dead examines death, digital debauchery, and the cult of clout.
Shon Faye Embraces Love’s Contradictions
In the clear-eyed and sophisticated memoir Love In Exile, British journalist Shon Faye mines from her life and the past to interrogate why we’re denied, or we deny, love.
‘Only Smoke’ Obscures Fiction and Reality
Juan José Millás’ Only Smoke explores the relationship between meaning and observation.
Marsha P. Johnson’s Story of Community and Solidarity
Tourmaline’s biography of Marsha P. Johnson urges readers to witness the complexity and collective power of Black trans life.
‘The Cinema of Extractions’ Drills into Hollywood’s Petrochemical Bones
Professor of visual culture Brian Jacobson drills down into how oil fueled Hollywood and Hollywood fueled a new “Cinema of Extractions”.