You Say Plagiarism. I Say Provocation.
Sam Riviere’s novel, “Dead Souls,” considers fraudulence as a culture’s dominant mode of making art.
A Hollywood Love Story With Glitz, Greed and the Threat of Social Ruin
In “Twilight Man,” Liz Brown uncovers the elaborate tale of a secretly gay great-granduncle’s romance with another man.
When It Comes to Her Relationship History, Nancy Jo Sales Is an Open Book
In her new memoir, “Nothing Personal,” the veteran journalist reports on her own search for connection.
Francis Spufford’s New Novel Imagines Lives That Might Have Been
“Light Perpetual,” the English writer’s latest book, was inspired by the bombing of a London Woolworth’s in 1944 in which 168 people died. What if five kids had survived the attack? the novel asks. What would their lives have been like?
In a New Memoir, the Miracle of Black Queer Self-Creation
In his memoir “Punch Me Up to the Gods,” Brian Broome explores the beauty of queer Black manhood.
The Wall Street Capitalists Who Put Morals Above Money
Zachary Karabell’s “Inside Money” traces the fortunes of the investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman across two centuries.
Before the Civil War, America Was a ‘House Divided’ in More Ways Than One
Alan Taylor’s “American Republics” describes a nation that was less a united country than a congeries of feuding geographical entities.
'Dead Souls' Is A Smart Book, In Some Ways A Good One — Also, It's Unreadable
English publisher and poet Sam Riviere's debut novel is a long monologue from a poet, disgraced for plagiarism, unburdening himself to a self-obsessed poetry magazine editor in a seedy hotel bar.
(Image credit: Catapult)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's 'Notes On Grief' Is A Raw Elegy For Her Father
Adichie writes she "came undone" when she learned of her dad's death. Her new book is a charged account of his passing — and also a narrative of mourning in the time of pandemic.
The Murky World of Private Spies and the Damage They May Be Doing
Barry Meier’s “Spooked” is an investigative reporter’s probe of other investigative reporters who may be using their talents for questionable purposes.
What Does ‘Freedom’ Really Mean?
Sebastian Junger’s new book covers a long trek across the countryside in search of true independence.
'The Plot' Works As Literary Satire, But Its Mystery Fizzles
Jean Hanff Korelitz's tale of dirty deeds in the world of letters skewers pompous male authors with sly humor — but her approach to the central mystery might have you guessing the ending too soon.
That Most Enchanting Bird in the World
In “Why Peacocks?” Sean Flynn adopts three of these amazing animals and learns to see their personality and intelligence and foibles and charms.
The Many Blunders of the Secret Service — and the Dangers They Pose to U.S. Presidents
Carol Leonnig’s “Zero Fail” is a thoroughly researched and devastating indictment of the United States Secret Service.
'The Rock Eaters' Explores The Boundaries Of Emotion, Possibility And Longing
Brenda Peynado's new collection yanks readers straight into her stories, punchy and powerful tales that mix the everyday and the fantastic to search for meaning in the immigrant experience.
(Image credit: Penguin)
Daniel Patrick Moynihan Was Often Right. Joe Klein on Why It Still Matters.
How a politician who died in 2003 continues to dominate much of today’s political discussion.
Kristen Radtke Considers Another American Epidemic: Loneliness
The writer and artist spent nearly three years researching why so many of us feel so alone. What she found was much worse than she imagined.
Louis Menand on ‘The Free World’
Menand talks about his work of political and cultural history, and Phillip Lopate discusses his three anthologies of American essays.
In 'Sorrowland,' The Story Gets Lost In The Forest
Rivers Solomon's new novel — a gothic thriller about a woman escaping a cult for a wild life in the forest — relies too much on atmospherics, neglecting the basic building blocks of story.
(Image credit: MCD)
What Makes a Good Chinese Father? In a New Novel, It’s Complicated.
In “My Good Son,” by Yang Huang, a Chinese father strives to offer his floundering son a better life. But is he actually being a good parent?
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