“We have entered an age of unequivocal partisan discourse, of linguistic robotization, of tiny symbols standing for complex emotions. In total contrast to this, Philippe Jaccottet’s writing constantly shows nuance, attentiveness, perseverance, circumspection, and a genuine quest for essential truths.”
Books
Book Review: “Jimi” — Hendrix’s Life in a Beautifully Designed Art Book
Jimi’s sister and a Newton-based Hendrix scholar dig into the archives and come up with a coffee table book that celebrates the rock icon.
Short Fuse Podcast #58: Breath, Suspended
In this episode of the podcast, Elizabeth Howard talks to poets Diane Alters and Edward Hirsch about the ways we think about grief, publicly and privately.
Book Review: “Barred: Why the Innocent Can’t Get Out of Prison” — Blind Justice
Daniel S. Medwed demonstrates just how astronomical the odds are against anyone who tries to question a guilty verdict, no matter how suspect the conviction.
Arts Commentary: Annie Ernaux, Abortion, and Me
What is literature if it doesn’t kick you in the ass every now and then and get you to act? Maybe that’s what the Nobel committee thought when it awarded Annie Ernaux this year’s Literature Prize.
Poetry Review: “One Hundred Visions of War” — Haiku in No Man’s Land
This is a grim and uncomfortable book to read because it forces us to contemplate each small poem separately and then take them all together, a hard but necessary exercise.
Book Review: Exile, Violence, and Cunning — Two Russian Authors After the Invasion of Ukraine
“It’s easy to see why we have such a lousy life and such great literature.”
Book Review: “Charlie’s Good Tonight” — A Rare Gift of Groove
Charlie’s Good Tonight does a fine job of illuminating Charlie Watts’ personality and paying homage to the drummer’s admirable legacy.
Poetry Review: Iman Mersal’s “Threshold” — Exploring the Idea of Home
Underlying all of these pieces is the sensibility of the émigrée, the person who has had to reinterpret everything in her life.
Book Review: Mr. Wilder, Are You Ready for Your Closeup?
A funny, bittersweet novel by British writer Jonathan Coe portrays the great American film director Billy Wilder on the downside of his career