In Extremis is required reading not only for anyone interested in war, but for anyone interested in how an unusual woman makes her way in the world.
Book Review: “Prague Spring” — The Fragility of Freedom
This consistently interesting novel adds an unforgettable dimension to an historical event about which we thought we knew all there was to know.
Book Review: Anthony Powell — Among the Most Modern of 20th Century English Writers
Although Anthony Powell’s stock has gone down since he died in 2000, I hope that this new biography will spark interest in A Dance to the Music of Time.
Book Review: Edith Wharton and Michelle Obama — Breaking New Ground for Women
What impressed me most about these two different women is they were both products of an America which values determination and wit and intelligence, as well as opportunity.
Book Review: “Washington Black” — Grappling with the Meanings of Liberty
In Washington Black novelist Esi Edugyan has defied the cliché of the escaped slave discovering freedom.
Book Review: “Your Duck Is My Duck” — Not Enough Tingles
Deborah Eisenberg’s stories pull you in and imitate life in an uncanny way.
Theater Review: “Morning After Grace” — A Cause for Celebration
It is heart-warming that, in these “worst of times,” playwrights like Carey Crim are working quietly to give us a look at new beginnings with humor and tenderness and hope.
Book Commentary: Philip Roth — American Warnings
In the end, Philip Roth produced the greatest body of work in the 20th century since William Faulkner and Saul Bellow and I.B. Singer.
Book Review: Tale of Two Short Story Collections, Schutt and Ortese
Schutt’s is an example of the kind of fiction that is being taken seriously in too many quarters in this new century, but that is not nearly good enough.
Theater Review: “Anna Christie” — A Memorable Look at Life on the Margins
The Lyric Stage production of Anna Christie does right by Eugene O’Neill’s brilliance.