Words from George Orwell to live by: “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”
Books
Poetry Review: “Frozen Charlotte” — Plenty of Pleasure
In Frozen Charlotte, Susan de Sola provides readers with enough aesthetic pleasure and thoughtful commentary about today’s world to remind us of just how good — and necessary — poetry can be.
Book Review: Unburied
David Treuer’s expansive new history of native America from 1890 to the present looks with skeptical, Indian eyes from inside simplistic American symbols and narratives.
Book Review: “In Extremis” — A Flawed Heroine
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: “The Earth Dies Streaming” — Insistent Originality
I happily read The Earth Dies Streaming through, all 433 pages of acute, often brilliant writing. And also often funny as hell.
Book Review: Female Sexuality — From a Woman’s Point of View
Neither narrative proffers an uplifting tale of female empowerment, but that is precisely their strength.
Book Review: A Critical Look at Barbra Streisand’s Career
Ethan Mordden’s exhaustive take on Barbra Streisand may not be what diehard fans are looking for.
Book Review: “Five Cities” — Urban Meditations on Turkish History and Culture
Five Cities is a species of psychogeography, a deep map, that weighs the effects of topography, urban environments, and monuments of the past on mood and perspective.
Book Review: “El Norte” — Recovering a Greater America at the Southern Border
Rather than focusing on Mexicans in the United States, historian Carrie Gibson posits an expansive transnational history.
Book Review: A Concise, Conscientious Guide to the Life and Work of Alfred Stieglitz
The book will stand as a good first stop for anyone interested in Alfred Stieglitz, 20th-century photography, or American modern art.