Linda Lappin Wordcraft of Oregon ($15) by Joyce J. Townsend Many literati recognize Katherine Mansfield’s name but are fuzzy about her context and accomplishments. A New Zealand native, Mansfield is lauded as one of our language’s great writers of short fiction. She had ties to the famed Bloomsbury Group active in London in the early […]
Hanif Kureishi Scribner ($26) by Charlotte Kelly In Something to Tell You, Hanif Kureishi sets up interesting cultural and structural tensions that unfortunately fail to deliver, resulting in an estranging narrative. Initially, the book holds great promise, as Jamal Khan—a successful middle-aged psychotherapist living and working in London—narrates the most intimate details of his life and […]
Louis de Bernières Alfred A. Knopf ($23.95) by John K. Cox Publishing must be tough for Louis de Bernières—in the same way that releasing a new album must be tough for Alanis Morissette. How would you like to try to follow up on the success of Jagged Little Pill, or in our writer’s case, Corelli’s Mandolin? Works […]
Uncollected Stories and Essays, 1944–1990 Charles Bukowski City Lights Books ($16.95) by Christopher Luna Most readers either love or detest Charles Bukowski, the poet and novelist infamous for his prodigious, worldly appetites. Many often confuse him with the persona he presented in his work: hard-drinking, violent, cruel. There is also the issue of class; certain […]
LEARNING BY HEART Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit Corita Kent & Jan Steward Allworth Press ($21.95) COME ALIVE! The Spirited Art of Sister Corita Julie Ault Four Corners Books ($29.95) CORITA: ON TEACHING AND CELEBRATION Two Short Films Baylis Glascock Corita Art Center gift shop ($25) by Greg Bachar Certain individuals and their work, […]
by Tim Jacobs I’m not saying I’m able to work consistently out of the premise, but it seems like the big distinction between good art and so-so art lies somewhere in the art’s heart’s purpose, the agenda of the consciousness behind the text. It’s got something to do with love. —David Foster Wallace, Interview with […]
James Baldwin Vintage International ($11.95) by Alex Starace In the afterglow of Barack Obama’s historic victory, it may be instructive to look back on James Baldwin’s slim volume The Fire Next Time, which collects two early 1960s works evaluating race relations in Harlem at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Hard as it may be […]
August Wilson Theater Communications Group ($200) by Justin Maxwell If you have any interest in theater, odds are that you’ve read something by August Wilson, seen one of his plays, or have a copy of Fences or Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom on a bookshelf somewhere. This boxed set, however, showcases the power of Wilson’s oeuvre in a unique fashion. […]
by Noah Eli Gordon The year 2008 saw the ubiquity of two not so mutually exclusive terms: maverick and change. While the implication of the latter more thoroughly captured the public’s attention, the former is indeed an integral component to its success. Charles Olson’s famous opening to "The Kingfishers" seems as relevant as […]
by Grant Jenkins Mark McMorris is associate professor of english at Georgetown University, where he has taught since 1997 and directs the University's Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice. With both an M.A. in creating writing (poetry) and a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Brown University, McMorris has authored four books of poetry: The Café […]