Review: 'House Of Lords And Commons,' Ishion Hutchinson
Poetry critic Tess Taylor reviews House of Lords and Commons by Ishion Hutchinson.
They Told Us So: Fantagraphics Turns 40
Fantagraphics is the publisher that brought literary respectability to comics. Their mammoth 40th anniversary volume, We Told You So, tends towards self-congratulation — but deservedly so.
(Image credit: )
A Critic's Year-End 'Ghost File': Books, Movies And TV Shows He Didn't Review
Every year, Fresh Air critic John Powers is haunted by all the terrific things he didn't get a chance to talk about on air. As 2016 winds down, he "un-haunts" himself with these six recommendations.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Turner)
The U.S. And China: Two Centuries Of Infatuation And Disappointment
In a new book, journalist and author John Pomfret tackles a relationship that stretches back to America's earliest years and is now more important — and challenging — than ever.
'Iraq + 100' Is Painful, But Don't Look Away
This new anthology of science fiction and fantasy, edited by Hassan Blasim, imagines Iraq 100 years after the invasion of 2003. Harrowing, necessary, often beautiful, it resists comfort and catharsis.
The 10 Best Books Of 2016 Faced Tough Topics Head On
Book critic Maureen Corrigan says that if there's one word that characterizes her list this year, it's "serious." These books certainly aren't grim or dull, but they take on big, difficult subjects.
Women Astronomers Shine In 'The Glass Universe'
Dava Sobel's new book is a history of the unheralded women — called computers, rather than astronomers — who worked at the Harvard College Observatory, studying, cataloging and classifying stars.
2 New Works Confront The Refugee Crisis With Empathy And Humanity
Critic John Powers discusses the Italian documentary, Fire at Sea, and the novel, These Are the Names. The works take very different — but nonetheless poignant — approaches to the refugee situation.
In 'ODY-C,' A Greek Hero Worthy Of Women
Matt Fraction and Christian Ward's splendidly trippy, genderbent retelling of the Odyssey sets the story in space, as warlike Odyssia, "witchjack and wanderer" winds her way home to far Ithicaa.
'Searching For John Hughes,' And Finding Yourself
Jason Diamond tried to write a biography of John Hughes, director of classic '80s teen movies, but along the way, the story became more about his search for Hughes than the elusive filmmaker himself.
In 'Dust Bath Revival,' The True Fantasy Is A World Without Shame
Marianne Kirby's new novel is set in an America overrun by zombies — and also an America in which no one is judged on their appearance; her protagonist is fat and queer, and never hindered by that.
Michael Chabon's 'Moonglow' Shines With Insight And Fantastic Storytelling
Chabon's new novel is a collection of stories in which a dying grandfather tells the secrets of his life to his grandson. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Moonglow "violent and very funny."
Sweetly Familiar Fantasy With A Twist In 'Of Fire And Stars'
Audrey Coulthurst's tale of a princess who falls in love with her intended prince's sister will remind you of fantasy novels you loved as a child — all teen angst, horses and reluctant love.
The Amazing Adventures Of Michael Chabon's Sort-Of-Grandpa In 'Moonglow'
Moonglow is a playful, fictional take on the family memoir. Set in 1990, it stars young author "Mike" Chabon, who's visiting his dying grandfather. Grandpa, it turns out, has led a remarkable life.
Beautiful, Horrifying 'Blood Of The Dawn' Gives Voice To Peru's Victims Of Violence
Claudia Salazar Jiménez's new novel is short and brutally effective. It's the story of three women from different walks of life, all caught up in the violence that convulsed Peru in the 1980s.
'Platinum Age' Is An Engaging Guide To Great TV
Longtime Fresh Air TV critic David Bianculli's new book lays out what he calls the "Key Evolutionary Stages" in the development of the medium — and the constant conversation we're having with it.
Know Thyself? 'Swing Time' Says It Can't Be Done
The narrator of Zadie Smith's new novel is never named — fitting, for a book about the illusions of identity and the ways people try and fail to know and define themselves.
'Prince Of Cats' Melds Comics, Hip-Hop And Shakespeare
Ron Wimberly's energetic re-working of Romeo and Juliet focuses on Tybalt, the "Prince of Cats." It mashes up wildly diverse elements into a fresh creation, the visual equivalent of a DJ's mix.
Weird, Spirited 'Pieces Of Soap' Celebrates The Essays Of Stanley Elkin
Elkin, who died in 1995, was known for his satirical takes on American culture. Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews a new collection of essays that showcases the freshness of Elkin's work.
'Things From The Flood' Is Gorgeously Creepy And Strangely Human
Simon Stålenhag's new book of paintings is a followup to his unique vision of a robot-and-monster haunted alternate Sweden. Each page is heavily freighted with both dread, but you can't stop looking.
Pages
Search this Site
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
