Books
Music Director Martin Pearlman had the excellent idea to cut out 6 of the 24 arias to make Jephtha move along, and it paid off.
The Bird King is an utterly lovely reading experience.
We need stories like The Wages to expose the hypocrisy and incoherence of the institutions that we are supposed to believe are pillars of justice.
In the age of truthiness, poet Frederick Seidel’s is a welcome voice.
Delia Owens suggests that the only forward movement for her outsider-protagonist and “swamp trash” is to become curators of ecological/cultural museums in the very places where they once struggled for an independent life.
Tina Cassidy talks about her revealing and enjoyable new book about how a woman’s right to vote became enshrined in the U.S. Constitution.
In very different ways and on very different topics, three recent books assuage notions that architecture/design books are formidable reads.
Imagine a combination of Stephen Colbert (the real one, that is) and John Updike.
1917 was an important year, but perhaps not important enough to justify the sweeping title of the book.
The Western Wind turns out to be a beautifully written novel, a serious book of great depth, intention, and craft.
Music Commentary: Brian Wilson’s Legacy Thrives — 2026 Reissues Reviewed