Books

Book Review: “The Soundies” — A Definitive Study of the Musical Film Shorts of the ’40s

January 13, 2024
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Author Mark Cantor has been the go-to guy for jazz film for decades: this authoritative book solidifies his position.

Children’s Book Reviews: A Grief Out of Season

January 10, 2024
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The holidays and their aftermath are not always a time of cheer for families. Two recent children’s books provide empathy and understanding.

Book Reviews: The Novels of Argentine Author Claudia Piñeiro — More Than Mysteries

January 8, 2024
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A death is routinely at the center of Claudia Piñeiro’s fiction, but the corpse sparks provocative questions about the way things are, not just an investigation into finding the murderer.

Book Review: “Yves Montand: The Passionate Voice” — An Activist Entertainer

January 7, 2024
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Singer/actor Yves Montand’s life and career is particularly fascinating because they illuminate a telling difference between the mid-20th century political-cultural milieus of France and America.

Book Review: “Inside Knowledge” — Prison as Manufactories of Pain

January 2, 2024
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Prison doesn’t “fail” so much as it succeeds at missions nobody in authority wants to acknowledge: punishment, humiliation, and separation from the community beyond the walls

Book Review: “Such Kindness” — American Quicksand

December 30, 2023
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Don’t underestimate the elemental power of a story that takes the reader inside the mind and heart of a good and decent man caught in a helpless situation.

Arts Feature: Recommended Books, 2023

December 29, 2023
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An eclectic round-up of the favorite books of the year from our critics.

Book Reviews: A Look at Five Recent Works of Fiction by Women

December 29, 2023
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Here is a composite review of some recent fiction by women. Some are more successful than others, but all are worth a look.

Book Review: “Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism” — A Man of Admirable Qualities

December 28, 2023
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Anka Muhlstein’s book is probably best read as a biography of a hard-working family man and not as a thorough assessment of Pissarro’s art.

Book Review: “The Boy From Kyiv” — The Next Big Deal

December 27, 2023
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As the first draft of documenting choreographer Alexei Ratmansky’s career, this book will be invaluable, but by the end of it, the story may look somewhat different.

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